Hello,
This subject comes up frequently on the various Systema forums,
mostly asked by people who live too far away from an instructor to
take classes, or who don't have a training partner willing to
practice Systema. I have to emphasize that learning from an
instructor is invaluable and even if you have to drive a few hours, I
would suggest trying to get to a Systema class once a month. But
there are some people for whom this is just not practical. For those
folks, my suggestion would be to order some videos from
RussianMartialArt.com, Vladimir Vasiliev's Web site (Mr. Vasiliev,
for those who are unaware, is the international director of Systema
and certifies the instructors). If money is an issue, start by
downloading some streaming clips from RMA Hamilton:
http://groups.msn.com/RMAHamilton/videoclips.msnw and try to save up
so that you can buy at least one full-length video from which to
learn. Emulation is a key part of the learning process and if you've
never observed a Systema-ist in action, it can be tricky to get the
hang of the unusual circular and wave-like movements. Many Systema-
ists say it cannot be explained, only experienced, all the more
reason to try to get to a class or a seminar with a certified
instructor.

So without further ado let me draw your attention to Vladimir
Vasiliev's essay on "Training Without a Partner". Here is a link:
http://www.systemofstrategy.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=101
Mr. Vasiliev does advise everyone to recruit a partner, even if it's
someone uninterested in martial arts, they can still help with
yielding drills. It could be your significant other, your room-mate,
friend, or even your kids. One important piece of advice in this
essay is "Do not be afraid to seem funny in any way," that is to say,
try not to care what you look like (with the exception of keeping
form, i.e. spine straight, hips slightly tucked to form a straight
line between hip and heel). Some people have described Systema-ists
as looking like dancing rag dolls. I find that Systema sparring has a
light and graceful quality almost like a tango dance, but to those
accustomed to Eastern martial arts, the sparring might look funny.
Certainly Systema-ists who smile during practice don't look as
dangerous as for example, karate practitioners and there are no
aggressive stances or fierce scowls. But a big part of Systema is
that things are not always as they appear, for example, when sparring
against an accomplished Systema-ist, you might be certain that your
punch has made contact, but he or she has ensured that you will miss.
Systema can be just as brutal and effective as any of the fiercest
martial arts.

In my experience with about six weeks of classes, I find the
atmosphere during sparring is friendly and relaxed, and there's
something liberating about not caring about appearance. Respect is
given to all, and hard work and accomplishments of skill will earn
you even more respect from your classmates, but appearances are
irrelevant. It is truly rare to find an environment in American
culture where no-one will judge you based on your appearance.

But I digress, this post was supposed to be about training without a
partner. To summarize, you can try without an instructor or even a
partner, but I don't believe you'll make much progress without some
videos or at least video clips to illustrate the movements. Of course
there are plenty of good articles out there and I won't go so far as
to say you cannot learn Systema if you've never seen it practiced,
but I do believe that observation and emulation are critical
resources for the avid student of Systema.

I hope this post has been informative and feel free to reply to the
group with your own thoughts about training without a partner. I
didn't set up this group simply to have a place to post my training
journals, but since we are acquiring new members on a regular basis,
perhaps we'll see some improved interaction in the coming months.

*Vsego nailuchshego* (best wishes),
Rachel