Val Riazanov KGB super soldier

**HANKtheTANK** · Posted On: 6/11/2007 11:14am

I'll be looking forward to hearing about your experience as u seem to have a an open mind with a healthy sense of skepticism

I just hope u find yourself a qualified school/instructor out there (lemme know who u find in your area)

**D Dempsey** · Posted On: 6/11/2007 1:37pm

Originally Posted by maddog

Just found this showing his Sambo, which looks very crisp.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o0VorQ7OOQ8

So then I started to think that maybe he has just taken the usful stuff and discarded all the non-contact stuff. Then I find this.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pOIUAGuD4gU

So again it comes down to why does someone with his credentials choose to study systema?

Money???

**HANKtheTANK** · Posted On: 6/11/2007 4:34pm

Originally Posted by D Dempsey

Money???

I highly doubt systema demands a higher fee than his accolades in Sambo or Judo would

plus, if it were about money, we'd have official uniforms and many pretty colored belt rankings. Both of which are non-existent in systema

**D Dempsey** · Posted On: 6/11/2007 4:44pm

It was just a guess. Besides don't judo and sambo have very large followings in Europe? Maybe he wanted to separate himself from the rest of the coaches. Again this is all speculation and I base it on absolutely nothing.

**HANKtheTANK** · Posted On: 6/11/2007 6:37pm

from what i've seen him demonstrate on vids, i'd say he'd do very well solely on the basis of teaching his judo and/or sambo alone

knowing nothing of how he runs his school, i would imagine tho that he has separate classes for sambo and judo, especially since he's seen wearing his gi in various demos of judo throws

but whatever, this lends nothing to answer the original question of why a guy of his creds would add systema to his tool box. It'd be interesting to get an answer on this, since he seems to have quite a practical journey through MA's in general

**maddog** · Posted On: 6/12/2007 7:51am

I am hoping to make the UK seminar in July. Michael Ryabko is teaching and I figure it will be a chance to not only see the founder in action and make my own opinion. I will also be able to meet the UK instructors and see if they are any good.

**markb** · Posted On: 6/12/2007 12:14pm

Originally Posted by D Dempsey

but whatever, this lends nothing to answer the original question of why a guy of his creds would add systema to his tool box. It'd be interesting to get an answer on this, since he seems to have quite a practical journey through MA's in general

I work with Val and was able to help film these videos, so maybe I can lend some insight into this question. First, let me say that there is NO smoke and mirrors involved in Systema (Please tell me why you think that Systema is no good b/c some people have this belief that it involves slow motion psychic takedowns which could not be further from the truth). The strikes he gives are VERY brutal, and I wish that could be seen better in videos but it can only be truly felt by receiving a strike.

One of the reasons that Val began in Systema was because the KGB operatives had to learn aspects of Systema. Val has since taken what he has learned though and created a hybrid martial arts form based around systema principles and incorporated his other MA learnings. He has taken on Systema principles as his primary teaching method because he feels that they are the most effective and brutal techniques.

Val was mentored by Ryabko in Systema so I highly recommend seeing the practice in action and you will surely be as amazed as I was the first time I met Val. Val will also be in Groningen in the Netherland June 22nd - June 24th, so if you can make it there it will be a great learning session.

We are working on filming 2 more DVDs for kicking and standing-to-ground and back to foot combat techniques. We will post some short vids on his site once we get these out later this year, but his first DVD will be out very shortly.

I am also forwarding your question over to Val so that he can give you a very accurate response as to why he has added Systema to his "tool box" and post it up here when I get his response.

**HANKtheTANK** · Posted On: 6/12/2007 12:44pm

Originally Posted by markb

I am also forwarding your question over to Val so that he can give you a very accurate response as to why he has added Systema to his "tool box" and post it up here when I get his response.

how's it goin mark
just so we're clear, I am not the one criticising Systema. If you'll notice, I train systema, in Toronto.

I had posed the question cuz it is indeed an interesting one, but more importantly, for the skeptics who find it hard to believe that systema has any value to someone with the accomplishments of Val.

I myself am mainly on here to try and help ppl understand what systema is all about when a serious enough question is asked about it =)

**D Dempsey** · Posted On: 6/12/2007 1:44pm

markb,
I'm interested in why you have quoted me as saying something that I didn't and then accused me of saying something else. All I made was a speculation involving marketing, it had nothing to do with his ability or what he does. Also I train in an offshoot of Kadochnikov Systema, which I enjoy so your idea that I think russian style is phoney is misguided, especially since I never said it. My only experience with Ryabko style systema was very poor, mainly due to the instructor being a total jackass. With Val's Sambo and Judo background I'm sure that he could probably lay the smack down on someone even if he knew nothing else.

**HANKtheTANK** · Posted On: 6/12/2007 1:48pm

dempsey, it had me scratchin my head a bit too...but this may just be a mis-use of the quote function
it seems that way, he wouldn't be the first new poster to cross up quoted posts with other ppl