Russian martial arts is centuries old. It can trace its origins back to the 10th century A.D. If you think geographically of Russia as a country, you can readily see that it has had to repel invaders from the north, south, east and west.

Each invader brought its own distinct style of combat. As a result the Russian warriors developed a style of combat with a strong spirit, which adapted techniques, learn't from each invader.

This became known as The Systema or The System. It was suppressed after the 1917 communist revolution along with the national traditions. However it was soon realised that The Systema was both viable and potent and so it was reserved only for the Spetsnaz and other elite formation of the Soviet authorities. Since the collapse of the Soviet Union The Systema re emerged along with other Russian fighting systems.