
It
is said that Russian styles of martial art date back
to the 10th century.
Throughout
the history of this huge country, Russia had to repel
invaders from the north, south, east, and west. All
attackers brought their distinct styles of combat and
weaponry. Battles took place on different trains, during
freezing winters and sweltering summer heat alike, with
the Russians often greatly outnumbered by the enemy
forces. As a result of these factors, Russian warriors
acquired styles of fighting that combined strong spirit
with extremely innovative and versatile tactics.
Russia
is comprised of many ethnic groups, most of which had
their own traditional fighting methods.Many of these
fighting traditions, incorporating martial methods,
health practices, folk traditions and more, were handed
down within families or communities in much the same
way as in the Oriental arts.
When
the Communists came to power in 1917, they suppressed
all national traditions and those practicing the old
styles of martial art were severely punished. However,
the authorities quickly realised the viability and potency
of the Russian martial art and thus reserved it for
the elite military units. At around the same time the
art of Sombo was formulated. Combat Sombo was taught
to regular military units - and still is today. It has
also become the basis for a popular method of sports
fighting. The older methods were developed and refined
according to the specialist needs of various elite units.
Since
the collapse of the Soviet system, many Russian fighting
styles have re-emerged through training, competition,
and media publicity. These styles include: Slaviano-Goretskaya
Borba (StormWarrior Style), the military style of A.
Kadochnikov, plus a variety of folk styles (e.g. Busa,
Skobar, Forest Warrior, Kozachiy Sploch, fist fighting
by Gruntovsky).
SOKOLI
STALINA (Stalin's Falcons)
These
were Stalin's bodyguard while he was in power for almost
30 years until his death in 1953. On Stalin's death
these personnel were transferred to Special Military
Operations Units for the highest risk missions in KGB,
GRU and other government bodies.
Close
protection has always been the most vulnerable and challenging
area in martial arts. The goal of Stalin's Falcons was
to have a system that combined all the best components
on all levels of human ability. Also, the aim was to
develop tactics that would not look like martial actions,
that would remain so subtle, that when they were applied
it would be barely possible to see what happened and
how.
Needless
to say, this System was kept away from the public by
the Russian authorities. It is only since the late 1980s,
with the fall of the Communist era, that these martial
styles started to become available.
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