30/10/2026
As you may have noticed, we’ve been working on our weekly updates, with videos and articles every Friday. We hope you’ve been enjoying them so far!
I’d also like to thank you all for your reactions, comments, and encouragement!
Now that we’ve found our feet, we’re ready to officially announce that we’ll (try to) deliver a weekly update every Friday.
I sincerely hope this will be a contribution to our Systema community.
Here is this week’s update, with Norbert’s article!
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In the past, I have frequently published articles on the subject of "knives." Naturally, the topic also comes up regularly during our training sessions. I believe it is crucial not only to focus on the technical details of how to counter a knife attack, but also to understand how a potential assailant might employ their weapon. It is important to recognize that an attacker will continue to use their knife for as long as they have the opportunity to do so. In a real-world scenario, this means we will almost never face just a single strike—unless we succeed in decisively disrupting the attacker’s momentum. To achieve this—and to create openings for a counterattack—it is essential to account for the follow-up strikes that typically succeed the initial assault. A key requirement for this is establishing physical contact with the attacker. After the first strike, your position is firmly within the "red zone," where relying solely on visual reaction time to counter a rapid second thrust or slash is likely to be far too slow. Your hands—which should be kept close to your body before the initial attack to avoid presenting a target—should seek contact with the assailant following that first strike, allowing you to gather information about their next move. In this capacity, they function as "scanners" rather than serving strictly as a means of defense.
