Systema Russian Martial Art - Mikhail Ryabko at Systema Camp 2010

controlling the knife and approaching the knife. If you meet the knife at its own plane, then that's okay. But if you meet it at the blade, any move that I make and I'm cut. So what you want to do is you always control the plane of the knife. And on your body as well. You control on your own body. And what you need to work on is to have the knife fit in your own hand. He has the knife. He kind of has the knife, but he doesn't. Your observations, what did you feel? What was your impression? Please don't try to take the toy away right away. You can knock it out. Because this is their support, this is their crutch. Even if you try to take it away gradually. There are positions that he has his hand next to the knife, but in fact I have the knife, he doesn't. You just position it on the body. I want you to share your observations when we're done. What you felt. What did you feel? Confused. And of course you have to control the knife. So you create an illusion of that feeling. So what do you feel? It's just not fair really. If you don't get time to get pissed off, it's just too complicated. It didn't work this time. When you fall, always point the knife away from you so you don't get poked. Right. I used to win in those games. Can I have a knife back please? Oh, what a sucker! Oh, that sucks. What am I doing? Why didn't he give it to me? Thank you very much. Guys, take your time, play slowly please. And you feel the plane of the blade and you control it. Let's do it. Basically, especially if you're the attacker, you think you have the upper hand, and then you realise you don't actually have the knife. It's an illusion really. It's almost like a mind trick. Because he's just so relaxed and you think you are overconfident, you charge in. He lets you charge in, he just lets you go straight past. And you think, ah, I'm going to stab you now, and then you realise either the knife is not in your hand or you don't have control of your arm. By then it's too late anyway. So I think, especially if you're a confident attacker, someone who thinks I've got the weapon, it's a game you're better off not trying to play. Just leave it. Go home.