Russian Martial Art, LLC of Sarasota will be starting a new program for women only.  This weekly Systema Course for women will be very different than what is often presented in many self-defense courses. This is not merely learning to punch or kick, but it will be designed to enhance your understanding of the body structure, increase your stamina and mobility, and provide tools for increasing relaxation while dealing with physical, mental and emotional stress. This program is important because it encourages skills that are valuable for daily life -not only if one needs to fight for their life.

Many people think the way to relax is to go somewhere that is idyllic and free of stress; but this is only a temporary escape and the world quickly rushes back. Here we work purposefully with stress and learn to coach the body to use its natural mechanisms to work in peace. Then these tools become part of ones life and are ready when required -for even the highest stress situations like a physical attack.

The typical martial arts program is usually a boot camp approach with students doing lots of repetitions of kicks and punches in the air. It is mostly designed to give cardio exercise and get one “in shape”. Unfortunately it is not a useful method for gaining many of the other attributes necessary for dealing with violence. It will gratify the ego to feel pumped up, but it encourages a stressful approach to solving physical problems. Furthermore the type of movements usually learned may aggravate an attack due to their reliance on violent posturing and emotional outbursts. The sheer exercise of training in many programs is also not very interesting. It does not engage the brain much and so is hard to maintain over the long term.  Plus, students are generally given techniques to solve various attack situations. This approach has limited use because it is difficult to apply under stress. As a consequence many who train in the martial arts are left with a nagging suspicion that their knowledge may not work under pressure…and they are likely right.

Systema is very different. It is not competitive or athletic. There are no belts, no rules, no katas or stances. There are no formalities or rituals. No tests and no performances. We use a huge variety of drills to cultivate fighting attributes in a non-aggressive atmosphere. We focus on simple and natural things: breathing, movement, relaxation and posture -and use these four pillars of Systema to work with stress and violence, learn movement and body mechanics, and develop a strong posture. Drills are usually done in slow motion so that they can be fully learned by the body. Body knowledge easily becomes spontaneous and does not require calculation to work. So this is a very reliable and useful method for learning. You will become stronger but it will not be from mindless movement. And the biggest benefit to your daily life is a spiritual attribute: that you will become less afraid and more deeply peaceful, more substantial and less blown about by fears and the energy of those around you.

You do not need to be flexible or “in shape”. We believe that if you need to defend yourself then you will be forced to work with what you have …it is the same for class. We do not rely on athleticism or flexibility …these are things that tend to fail with age, fatigue and injury. So everyone starts right where they are: and everyone has natural tools that can be released once they learn to relax and move. 

Other classes are often predominately men but this class will be exclusively for women. We will meet on Saturday mornings from 8:30-10:00 AM. The cost will be $15 per session or $150 for three months if prepaid. (We accept cash, check or Paypal.) Our training center is located at 1795 Desoto Rd, Sarasota. For clothing, there are no uniforms. Sweatpants and t-shirt or any comfortable street clothing is recommended.

Email me at marcbresee@gmail.com if you have any questions or concerns.