Hi Sharon,
I have heard that the chain mail worn by Russian
knights led to the fluid movements of Systema, because
chain mail can only be cut by a sword if it's taut.
Like a piece of fabric, if you try to cut it with a
scissor, you have to first hold it taut. The
always-in-motion, fluid movements of Systema would
make it hard to cut through chain mail with a blade.
Knights of the British realm also wore full plate
armour, and it generally thought that their mobility
was severely restricted, but there are stories of
knights who could leap onto their horses fully
armoured, or run at full speed thus clad. I believe
King Edward the III was well-known for his mobility in
armor.
I wish there was more documentation of the medieval
history of Systema, but except for some stories of
exceptional battles, it seems to have been passed down
as an oral tradition, kept close within families or
monasteries. There is not much written material on
Systema; I only know of Vladimir Vasiliev's Russian
System Guidebook, at least in English, perhaps more
has been written about it in Russian.
*Vsego nailuchshego* (best wishes),
Rachel



--- Sharon Friedman <ransuru@...> wrote:

> Hi to everyone,
>
> I am a long time Korindo Aikido student and new to
> Systema. I am also
> an infantry soldier and after training with a
> Systema student I think
> I have a small observation. In Japan the warrior
> class who
> specialized in the sword and spear rather than the
> bow wore heavy
> rigid armor while their Russian counterparts wore
> light chain mail
> Armour and used low stirrups to mount their charges.
> From that
> cultural and technological difference evolved two
> styles that while
> in Korindo the heavy armored warrior would have a
> hard time to rise
> from the ground or even bend to the sides or squat
> in his heavy rigid
> Armour and I have been there myself in bullet proof
> vests that weight
> twenty seven KG (60 pounds). The Russian warrior who
> had more freedom
> of movement and less weight on his back could drop
> to the ground and
> rise again without having use the energy of the fall
> to get up again.
> he could also bend to the sides from the waist
> without having to
> consider the weight of his helmet and breast plate.
> Another change is
> that the Russians could use the movements and
> sensitivities of the
> torso to manipulate their environment which was void
> by the hard
> Japanese Armour.
>
> Many thanks for the lesson, Sharon Friedman.
>
>


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