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Writer's pictureEmmanuel Manolakakis

Systema Strikes

Systema training at FightClub places significant emphasis on holistic development and resilience. Taking body strikes within training offers several benefits. Here are some of the main points to consider. Guess what we will be covering this week at FC class. #strikes


Desensitization to Pain: Regular exposure to controlled strikes helps practitioners become desensitized to pain. This doesn't mean they no longer feel pain but rather they can manage their response to it, maintaining composure and functionality under duress.

Improved Breathing Techniques: Systema emphasizes proper breathing to manage physical and emotional stress. Taking body strikes trains practitioners to use breathing techniques to absorb and dissipate the impact, reducing the immediate and lasting effects of the strike.

Enhanced Body Awareness: Experiencing strikes helps practitioners develop a heightened awareness of their own body. They learn to sense where tension and vulnerability lie, which is crucial for both absorbing hits and avoiding them.

Strengthened Musculature and Tissues: Repeated, controlled strikes can condition the muscles and connective tissues, making them more resilient. This process, known as "body hardening," helps in creating a more durable body less susceptible to injury.

Mental Toughness and Emotional Control: Taking strikes in a controlled environment fosters mental resilience. Practitioners learn to manage fear, anxiety, and adrenaline, which enhances their ability to stay calm and focused during actual confrontations.

Understanding Impact Dynamics: By experiencing strikes firsthand, practitioners gain insights into the mechanics of impact and force distribution. This knowledge is invaluable for both delivering effective strikes and protecting oneself from them.

Increased Flexibility and Mobility: Systema training often involves moving with the impact of strikes rather than resisting them. This encourages fluid movement and helps maintain flexibility and mobility, even when under pressure.

Building Trust and Camaraderie: Training with partners in such an intense and personal manner fosters deep trust and camaraderie. Practitioners rely on each other to train safely and effectively, building strong bonds within the training community.


In summary, taking body strikes in training is a multifaceted practice that enhances physical resilience, mental toughness, and overall combat effectiveness. It’s about learning to manage and mitigate the effects of physical trauma through a combination of physical conditioning and psychological preparedness.




From a Stoic perspective, taking strikes, whether physical or metaphorical, can be seen as an exercise in developing virtue, particularly the virtues of courage, endurance, and wisdom. Here’s how it can be explained.


Stoicism teaches that we should accept events outside our control with equanimity. Taking strikes embodies this principle by accepting the pain and discomfort as part of the training, recognizing that while we cannot control the strikes themselves, we can control our reaction to them. The Stoics valued resilience, the ability to endure hardship without losing one's composure. Taking strikes is a direct way to practice enduring physical pain, which can translate to better handling emotional and psychological challenges in life. Facing physical strikes requires courage, a core Stoic virtue. By willingly subjecting oneself to strikes, a practitioner demonstrates and cultivates bravery, reinforcing the mindset that they can face any of life’s adversities with the same courage. Stoicism emphasizes the importance of training both the mind and body. Taking strikes helps to cultivate a disciplined mind that can remain calm and rational in the face of physical pain, thereby reinforcing the Stoic principle of maintaining a tranquil mind. Experiencing strikes forces one to be fully present and mindful of the current moment. This aligns with the Stoic practice of mindfulness, where one’s attention is focused on the here and now, rather than worrying about past or future pains. Strikes remind practitioners of the transient nature of pain and discomfort. Stoicism teaches that all external conditions are temporary and that understanding this impermanence helps in not overreacting to temporary hardships. Stoics believe in being indifferent to external circumstances and focusing on what can be controlled: one’s own actions and reactions. Taking strikes allows practitioners to practice this indifference, learning not to let external pain disrupt their inner peace.

Every experience of taking strikes is a chance to build and refine one’s character. According to Stoic philosophy, adversity is an opportunity to practice virtue and strengthen one's moral character. In essence, from a Stoic perspective, taking strikes is more than just a physical exercise; it is a practical application of Stoic principles. It’s an opportunity to embody the virtues of courage, endurance, and wisdom and to develop a resilient and tranquil mind capable of facing all of life’s challenges with equanimity.

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