Hello

This video seems like a Hoax to me: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BRnQSYQZ6OI.

Is this real ?

The idea of relaxing to impact is pretty common in alot of arts. The guy in the vid does emphasis it more than most.

However, it's very similar, almost identical in fact, to the way Danny Halligan teach his police combatives. He can generate some slamming power in this way, I was a bit skeptical when I went thru his course, but was impressed by the time I was done.

I think Danny comes out of a Chinese arts background if I recall correctly though.

Systema is real in so much as there are many followers of the art.

In your opinion...The martial arts PLUS a controlled environment EQUALS...what?

Seems like the video is simply promoting relaxing the shoulders before a strike, and the use of a whip like motion. It's the same concept as in Karate. Not a fake. But it's not a breakthrough in striking theories.

Here is a sample of a Shito-Ryu Karate school applying the same theories in Karate at 10 seconds -

this to me looks very similar to the concepts behind a karate punch, such as a shotokan reverse punch. The hand is left open and relaxed slightly as the fist rotates out, then is closed and the muscles flexed and focused at the point of impact. As was said this doesn't seem like a breakthrough of any kind, though imo it's something that's not practiced enough anymore, at least in my experiences around at different places.

Seems like the video is simply promoting relaxing the shoulders before a strike, and the use of a whip like motion. It's the same concept as in Karate. Not a fake. But it's not a breakthrough in striking theories.

Here is a sample of a Shito-Ryu Karate school applying the same theories in Karate at 10 seconds -

I like what I see here, except for the dropping of the hand completely after punching, but perhaps that just the training aspect of it for that exercise. Those guys are throwing a lot of power.

As for the Systema vid, the way that guy is built, I can see that he might have some heavy hands, and can see what he's describing with the power there. I think the guys getting hit are reacting, or overreacting, a bit funny, but I'm not the one getting hit, either. The energy of his strikes does drive downward, thus why the guys do the jelly-knee thing when absorbing the contact. I'd hate to see him hit someone hard...

To me it looks to be a variation of the subtle power and strength that Bagua and Tai Chi and some forms of Karate strive for.

From the video (and the comments underneath by guys who apparently speak Russia) it seems like he's also using the hammer to explain that you get more force by hitting with the top of the hand. I gotta say: that makes me pretty nervous. Hitting the top of the hand puts alot of stress the wrist and the radius. The radius is the weaker of the two bones in the forearm, so putting alot of stress on it from (say) punching someone hard on a hard surface (like their face) could be dangerous. In the same way, punching with the bottom of your hand puts alot of stress on the wrist and the smaller (read: weaker) bones of the hand. This is why most styles teach you to punch with the middle knuckle. Both top of the hand and bottom of the hand have their advantages though. Top of the hand probably does get more power, and bottom of the hand is faster, but they need to be approached with some caution.

This is also a variation of RyuTe's (Oyata) "Milking Punch". I've even seen Taika use a hammer to illustrate the motion also. we usually use the suburito to practice/learn the motion. the guy in the video (in all but 1 instance) is emphasizing a downward strike direction, but the 1 time when he does the mid-section strike, he does motion forward (along with the milking action).