ROBERT POYTON LOOKS AT THE

IMPORTANCE OF TAKEDOWNS IN
RUSSIAN SYSTEMA SELF DEFENCE...

SELF DEFENCE

art of the development of the

Russian martial art of Systema
in modern times has been its
use in close protection and
bodyguarding work. Teachers
such as Major Konstantin Komarov
(still active in high level CP work) share
their considerable practical and procedural
experience, giving us a unique insight into the
application of Systema at a professional level.

TAKEDOWNS
One aspect of this work is the ability to take a
potential threat to the ground where they can
be restrained and contained. Why a takedown
when there are many excellent throws available?
Because a throw can tie up the thrower. Throws
can be devastating in the right circumstances,
but they can also rely on certain types of
clothing being worn and, in some cases, require
throwing yourself in order to throw the other
person. In a close protection environment this

is not always desirable and work sometimes

needs to be more subtle and contained
But, what does this have to do for anyone
outside of the CPl environment? Actually,
quite a bit - for example, if you are working
a door or similar, takedowns may be a
good option. You need less space, you
run less risk of injuring a person (or at
least have the option) and, when applied
to team work, takedowns provide an
almost impossible to counter method of
control and restraint. The same applies
to other more general self defence
situations when used
skillfully,
takedowns
are
quick,
require minimal
effort and avoid the
need for grappling,
giving you time to
escape or to deal
with another threat.

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Systema is unique in that it works almost

entirely from a principle base rather than
technique. So, what are the principles
of takedowns and how can they be
realistically practised?
BALANCE POINTS
A throw or takedown involves first
taking control of a persons balance, so
we need to know where the balance
points in the body are. A simple
example is the Triangle Point. Draw
a line between a persons feet - now
take a line out from each foot to form
a triangle (Figure One). The point of
the triangle - front and back - will be the
weakest point of balance. Test it out push down into the base of the triangle,
then push towards the point. With the
latter you should be easily able to move
the person. The natural response for the
person is to step to regain balance - so
block the hip or leg and you control the
balance. You can access the balance
points through the limbs, the head, or
directly to the torso.

LEVERAGE
If we look at the body from a purely biomechanical point of view, we see levers,
cylinders and planes. Again, as a basic
example, the arm can be used as a lever in
order to affect the structure of the body. If
working against joints, we can once more
follow a triangle principle - simply take the short
side of the triangle towards the further angle
(Figure Two).
STRUCTURE BREAKING
A person in a neutral position is difficult to
move - the shoulders and hips are in line and
the feet are directly under the hips. In this
position, the spine can take a heavy load.
Break that structure, however, and manipulation
becomes easier. We have already mentioned
leverage, but the structure can also be broken
by targeting muscle groups. Simple example drive the knee into the side of a tense thigh, the
muscle is forced to relax and the leg will buckle.
PAIN COMPLIANCE
This includes small joint manipulation, working
with pressure points or grabbing and
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SELF DEFENCE

twisting soft tissue. Probably the least reliable option as

pain thresholds vary greatly and clothing may negate some
methods. Worth exploring though as, when it works, it is
very effective.

TEAMWORK
I mentioned teamwork earlier. There are
a range of methods used by Russian CP
squads, from working in pairs up to teams of
five or six. They involve co-ordinating actions
against a target, including different angles
of approach, distraction methods, invisible
work and more. These are best learnt from
a suitable instructor, but they provide a very
practical and ideal method for anyone involved
in security/restraint/professional work.

HEAD MANIPULATION
For me, the best way to control the body is to control the
head. The head has plenty of handles and, when in close,
can usually be easily grabbed and controlled. Where the
head goes the body follows. If you can, pin the head into
your own body, then use your shoulders to guide.

This is a very quick look at the subject of

takedowns, but I hope this article gives you
a few ideas to put into your own training. If
you are used to techniques then take a look
at them in light of the above principles. If you
find sometimes your technique is not working,
come back to the underlying principle of
what you are trying to do, or learn to shift into
something else. Dont hang on to something
that isnt happening.

COMBINING
The above methods can be practised separately, but in
use you will most likely be combining two or more. For
example, break the structure of the legs to bring the head in
close, then effect the takedown through head control.
PRACTISING
We prefer to gain an understanding of this work through
a direct, hands on approach. While it is important to
understand something of the underlying physical/
psychological aspects of work, we have to remember that
the Ryabko/Vasiliev method of Systema has been born
out of experience and action, not just theory. For this, direct
work against a partner is essential, so that our body, and
not just our brain, understands.

If you have any questions, feel free to

get in touch with any of the instructors
in the advert below, or via our Facebook
group at https://www.facebook.com/
groups/46909449959
robert poyton

There are three levels of

practise. The first is to work
on a partner who acts as
something of a dummy for
you. Manipulate their body
through the methods above
and start to get a feel for
how joints work, how the
spine can be manipulated,
balance points and so on...
The second level is for your

partner to be more active - they should feed you a grab, a punch

etc...which you have to deal with and effect the takedown. They
should use varying levels of speed and tension/resistance - this
gets you used to points of entry, positioning, footwork and how
much or little force is needed to do the job.
The third level is to go live and work against full resistance. This
can be done in a few ways - one is simply to partner up and try
to take each other down. Another is to set up a simple scenario one person has 60 seconds to get through a doorway, the other
person stands in the door and tries to affect the takedown/control.
Set up a time limit and see how it goes.
REFINEMENTS
These are the basic principles - from here there are plenty of
refinements to be worked on - spiral movement, psychological
aspects, use of breathing, close range striking and more. If you
train in the Systema approach you will also learn how to flow
quickly between different methods and positions - there are no
guarantees with anything and we have to remain adaptable when
working with a live partner.

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