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History

There is no historical "real name" for these arts, a fact which can lead to some confusion. In a sense, the name "Systema" (the system) can be thought of as a generic title comparable to "kung fu" ("one who is highly skilled" or "time" and "effort"). The most likely version is that the name Systema was taken from the name given in Russia to a similar martial art before that, the Systema Rukopashnogo Boya (System of hand-to-hand combat).

At least in Mikhail Ryabko's Systema, "The System" is a reference to the various systems of the body (Muscle, Nervous system, respiratory system, etc.) as well as elements of Psychology and the Spirit.

As there have been and still are a number of different fighting styles common throughout the Russian military and special forces, like Alpha, GRU, Vympel, several other names and nicknames are commonly mistaken for Systema. For example, some troops and special forces personnel train in "bojewoje sambo" (combat sambo), which is a separate art. Also, troops would refer to whatever was taught as "rukopashka" (Russian slang for "hand to hand"), or "machalka" or "boinia" (Russian slang for "fighting" and "beating"). The name "Combat Sambo Spetsnaz" was coined by the Soviet government, even though those are different styles.

Joseph Stalin's personal bodyguards were practitioners of Systema. Ryabko was taught the system in the army by one of those bodyguards. After Stalin's death, Systema became the style of fighting employed by some Special Military Operations Units for high risk missions in Spetsnaz, GRU and other government facilities. There were and are a number of different combat arts trained throughout Russian special forces units other than Systema.

It is due to the Soviet Union's strict ban on non-sanctioned traditions, and the sensitivity of special forces training, that it was not until after the cold war that Systema became known. Systema's pre-Soviet Russian heritage is only recently being rediscovered.

It is likely that the roots of Systema are lost in ancient and family arts, changed by military and contemporary needs and rediscovered and adapted by each instructor and practitioner.

Some claim that Systema's Russian martial arts heritage dates back to the 10th century and was practiced by the Bogatyrs (Russian heroes/knights). It is clear to see the connection between sword work and much of the empty hand fighting on many Russian styles. However how much knowledge has been passed down is open to speculation. There are certainly groups practicing / re-enacting mediaeval style weaponry and fighting, as there are in the West.

Some lines of Systema trace their lineage through to the work of Mr V.A. Spiridonov and the intensive research and development project carried out by several generations of hand to hand combat instructors at the Dinamo training facility in Moscow between roughly 1920–1980. ROSS by AI Retuinskih has been taught to numerous units, including various OMON and Alpha units. Kadochnikov's Systema has been taught to a variety of units, including Alpha, Vityaz, as well as Dolphin, and border guard units.

If so, that would place Systema in the same stream of military close-combat training as combat SAMBO and related styles such as SAMOZ, which was developed by V.A. Spiridonov. If this theory is correct, the stylistic influences on modern Systema would include numerous national martial arts styles, military close-combat systems and indigenous Russian combat styles as well as aspects of sports science, biomechanics and sports psychology as these disciplines were incorporated into the Dinamo close-combat research and development project during the 20th century.

Systema is used by special troops, particularly Close Protection in the case of Ryabko Systema, but it is definitely not the case that all Spetsnaz troops learn Systema, Combat Sambo tends to be more common among Vityaz and similar units

Another theory suggests that Systema is in fact a modern internal system based on Chinese internal martial arts like Taijigong, Taijiquan and others. Russians were interested in Chinese internal martial arts long before WWII, but intense research was done in the 50s and 60s. Moreover, masters from China visited Russia in that time, taking part "in experiments and teaching soldiers". However while there are some similarities in approach the training methods and basic principles of the Russian arts and Chinese arts have considerable differences and there is in fact little or no commonality in training methods

Systema, and its variants, have spread beyond the borders of Russia into Europe and the America's, creating hybrid systems that combine Systema with other arts. Some see these as valid expressions, others as simply as watered-down more "marketable" versions of the original Russian styles

Systema is also based on health-enhancement principles in order to strengthen your psyche, your family and your country. It is based on real psychological and physiological principles, and is an amazing form of physical activity which not only improves your self-defense abilities, but also the optimality of your well-being and overall health.

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Philosophy

The roots of Systema is based in the Russian Orthodox Christian faith, which follows the principle that everything that happens to us in life; good or bad, has one ultimate purpose, that is to create the best possible conditions for a person to understand him or herself. Training in Systema revolves around this philosophy.

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Contemporary

Systema is counted alongside a number of pre-Soviet traditions which are being actively cultivated by the Russian government. In 2004, the Dinamo Sports Center played host to a demonstration and celebration of martial traditions.

It is still a relatively unknown, but Systema or relatives to it are being taught by several practitioners inside and outside of Russia. Of particular interest is that different people from different backgrounds were taught subtle variations of Systema.

Furthermore, since practitioners train in their own preferred manner and with their individual understanding, their style expressed in their art is unique to them. This is most readily seen with senior students and other high-level artists.

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In popular culture
William Gibson mentions Systema in his 2003 novel Pattern Recognition and its 2007 sequel Spook Country. In Pattern Recognition, the bodyguards of a wealthy Russian are said to be practitioners of Systema, a martial art that was, to date "...restricted to KGB, bodyguards and the special forces..." and said to be derived from Cossack dancing. One of Spook Country's main characters is trained in Systema and uses it to defend himself as well as ostensibly for other purposes related to self-control and confidence. It is made clear however that what he calls Systema is a codified body of skills and knowledge that borrows the name alone from the real-life fighting style.
In the manga Akumetsu, the eponymous character was shown to be proficient with this form of combat.
In the 2011 novel Carte Blanche written by Jefferey Deaver, the character of James Bond states that he is a practitioner of Systema. He says it is the main fighting style he learned in spy training. Bond describes the art as open-handed, with a focus on elbows and knees.
In the anime Hayate no Gotoku, Nagi's supposed "sister" has been trained as a Systema master.

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Championships

In Miami, Florida, a national multi-divisional championship known as The Novikov Invitational is held for anybody within a certain level of expertise, regardless of how they obtained it. This tournament began in 2000 and has been held every summer since. The current champions are, for the junior division, Jackson Williams, for the intermediate division, Henry Juarez, and for the master division, Vladimir Cherenkov