Guest Blogger Jesse Carrillo interviews Yuri Sheshukov of Siberian Cossack Systema

Yuri Sheshukov

Yuri Sheshukov is an instructor from the Siberian Cossack Systema school of Russian Martial Art. I recently met him and trained under him in St. Petersburg during a 21 day seminar. Sheshukov gave instruction on knife fighting, pole/stick fighting, the Cossack Shaska, the Nagaika (Cossack whip), lower acrobatics, rolls, armed/unarmed takedowns for Military or Police, and for lack of better wording on my part, “drown-proofing” or working with fears in a water environment. In spite of the long hours and constant training, during three separate meetings, we were able to sit down and converse through a translator. The following are my notes that I took during these talks and I present them here to shed light on a very gifted instructor. Any shortcomings in the following interview are entirely mine. -Jesse Carrillo

JC: Where did you grow up?

YS: I lived in Kazakhstan until the age of 5 in a village near the city of Ust-Kamenogorsk. My parents then moved to Yakutia in the Sakha region. In Sakha, I attended school and had sport interests in power lifting, Sambo, cycling, camping and cross-country running.

JC: Tell me about your Cossack heritage.

YS: Growing up I knew that my grandfathers, great-grandfathers, and their fathers were involved in many Russian military conflicts in our history. The villages and areas where I was born were at important crossroads throughout history and were known as “Siberian” regions. All of the villages were historically Cossack villages that defended Russia from different threats. The central parts of Kazakhstan is steppe country and historically these areas were conflict zones with enemy tribes that were called “jungars”, examples of these marauders were peoples like the Afghans and Chinese. When Russia was expanding its territory in the 19th century, Forts were built and garrison towns and settlers would be brought in. Alma-ata (“father of apples”), the capital of Kazakhastan was a fortress town formerly known as Verniy (“Loyal” or “Faithful”).

At this time my ancestry can be traced to Cossack areas and even to Russian immigrants in Poland. During these periods of Russian expansion, the Russian government needed skilled and loyal Russians to move to these areas of recent expansion like Kazakhstan, and thus my ancestors came to be in Ust-kamenogorsk.

JC: What years did you serve in the Military and what branch?

YS: After high school I entered a Military Academy in 1991 where I graduated with a degree in Civil Engineering in 1995. I was commissioned as a Lieutenant and began to serve in the VDV or Airborne branch. As an Airborne officer I was assigned to a reconnaissance unit. As my career progressed I served on a Brigade staff after company command. Our forces were trained and prepared for Airborne warfare similar to the Airmobile concept in the U.S.A. For example, taking over enemy Nuclear bases. Russia has large borders and this is primarily why there are many Airborne units. Our specialties were airborne drops in the rear areas of the enemy so as to surprise them.

JC: When did you begin to train in Systema?

YS: I began training Systema while in the Military Academy. I initially was interested in other types of martial arts like Filipino knife styles. As a Military officer one is responsible for the readiness of their men, and I then moved on to arts that I believed would assist Airborne soldiers in completing their mission. In the Army, I met an officer who would instruct me in the Kadochnikov system and ROSS which I then would pass on to the troops. When my Army service finished in 2000, I decided to not re-enlist and to begin a civilian life. During this time, a friend told me that I had good martial arts skills and that I should become an instructor and begin training groups. I then began training groups with what I had learned in the Army. I became a serious student of the martial arts and began to explore different types of martial arts and the cultures from which they came from so as to gain better understanding. I conducted training on my own for seven years until 2009 when I met Andrey Karimov. I then began collaborating with him.

JC: When did you begin working with the Shasqua (Cossack saber)?

YS: In Novossibirsk there is a Children's sports school for saber and fencing that is well known in Russia. Since the 8th grade I had been fencing and I began working with the Shasqua in 2009. I can say that between the ages of 15-17 my focus was on sports weight lifting, then between the ages of 17-21 my focus was on modern military weapons (Military Academy). Since that time and prior to 2009 my focus was on knives and stick fighting along with the unarmed combatives.

JC: Are there different schools of thought concerning the use of the Shasqua?

YS: Technically there is only one style but there are many small variations when it comes to speed and techniques. The Shasqua saber has been around in Russia since the 12thcentury. Approximately 300 years ago the idea of the saber made its way to Europe and its use there has been heavily documented. This documentation did not occur in Russia because the Shasqua and its use was deeply rooted for so long that the need to document was not an issue.

JC: What qualities other than learning the particular Shasqua “swordplay” does working with the Shasqua instill?

YS: The Shasqua shapes one as a “tool”, and this “tool” is correct. No matter what you are doing, you will be capable of completing those tasks. The Shasqua instills discipline in that working with sharp weapons, you must be aware of the consequences. The Shasqua teaches one about “brakes” and when to implement them. The ability to focus is also reinforced.

JC: Who are the trainers that influenced you?

YS: A.A. Kadichnokov for one. Also, my trainer in the military was of the R.O.S.S. system. In the military there is down time and along with actual training, I would also spend it watching videos of these combatives so as to enable me to be proficient. The task of an officer is to teach his soldiers. I analyzed the training videos and would take the lessons apart so as to enable me to pass them on to my soldiers. I read A.A. Kadochnikov's books and I dug really deep into the subject so as to be able to teach VDV Airborne soldiers.

JC: Along with what I have seen during this Russian martial art seminar what other type of training do you offer?

YS: I work Systema concepts with children, specifically in 3 categories within the age groups of 4-17 years old.They are very young children's groups, children's groups and teenage groups. I train bodyguards, both new comers to the field (a three week course) and refresher training for active persons in the field.

Sheshukov works with children of all ages.

(JC to the reader, I took the liberty of adding some of YS's other types of work so as not to leave anything out. This was taken from a vita he provided: 

- Workshops for parents on child education in the framework of Russian culture

 - Participation in military-patriotic gatherings "Siberian outpost” (Man camps) 

 - Production of training films and other materials

 - Performing as Cossack ensemble "Siberian Cossack” that includes Cossack dancing, singing and playing instruments like the Balalaika.)

JC: Where do you see yourself as an instructor in the next five years?

YS: I am interested in traveling. I am completing work on a training book and I would like to put out more training DVDs but some concepts and principles need to be shown/instructed first hand. I plan on getting my current DVDs translated to Italian and English to get the information out. Books I am working on include an instructor development guide, Knife combatives and unarmed combat. I am looking into self publishing or possibly going through a publishing house.

JC: How can persons interested in your training contact you?

YS: I can be contacted directly at yurisheshukov@mail.ru or through Andrey Karimov's U.S. representative, Olivia Overturf at milosmami@yahoo.com or on the Cowboys and Cossacks FB page. My FB page is:https://www.facebook.com/yurisheshukov?fref=ts

JC: Is there anything you would like to share before we go back to training?

YS: Yes, of course. Everything we call Systema is high, deep and wide. It will expand and grow wider and deeper because it contains basic cultural elements. Martial arts teach children proper upbringing to become human beings and this is achieved mentally, culturally and philosophically. This is why it is easier to reach skills and evolve to your full potential within Systema because it is a multi-faceted system which evolves the personality. In our ancient, Russian Cossack traditions of song, games, music and dancing, the men participating was common. Nowadays, a person can enter Systema from any “side” – the military side, through singing, the dancing aspect or through playing with children. The person who participates in the System will find new knowledge to replace their fears.

(Yuri also plays the balalaika! Along with dancing, singing, and being a great historian, he is truly a gifted instructor and will have more to come soon. **Olivia**)

Back to Basics:Getting out of line......

It's no secret that Andrey Karimov's style is quite specific. One of the overall themes of Cossack fight style is to move the hell out of the line of attack and only counterattack if necessary. All with as little energy expelled as possible. My own personal theory is perhaps this methodology was adopted to conserve energy in the long haul for other serious warfare trials and tribulations fought by the Cossacks. Whatever the case may be, I LOVED the "less is more" technique. In all practicality, a fight should last no more than a minute. Anything after that, and you may be screwed, royally. So the best thing to do is avoid a situation(if possible), react calmly, and get out of the line of attack. Seems pretty basic, right?
Yeah, no. (Da, nyet..if you're Russian).
One of the VERY first things Mr. Karimov reviewed with us, as a whole, was how to step out of the line of attack. It seemed like it should be easy and really, just watching him, you'd think it was. After about 2 hours of just trying to work this method, I quickly realized that my internal training bad habit brain was misfiring. How could I NOT pick this up? Luckily for myself(and anyone else who was stuck),the gym floor was visibly lined. And even better,Andrey Karimov and Yuri Sheshukov teamed up and combined this with dancing to get us to really grasp what was going on (keep in mind, this was very event-specific for this seminar and not the usual 3 day type workup you would receive otherwise).
Finding the "line" of attack was pretty simple... attacker comes at you...this is your line.
Evading this space became very tricky for whatever reason. My brain scrambled relentlessly in hopes to just be able to move out of the way. Once I got the "move out of the way" part down , I had to learn how to move out of the way to one side or another, completely.
Again, sounds simple. 'Twas not.
One of the main things Karimov teaches is that (your) "legs save". Meaning, move your legs, your body comes with. Move your hips, and your overall structure will solidify with a more solid bearing. Again..I have hips, I move them, alot... but why can I not move them in training?

This is where the dance came in. After what seemed like hours of the class as a whole stepping on ourselves, making complicated and multiple steps for a simple side move, Karimov and Sheshukov resorted to what is similar to line dancing(but in a circle).With the balalaika playing at a moderate speed, we meandered at a slow place from shifting our bodies from one lateral point to another, all with minimal energy and steps. Think "step-ball-change to the right, step-ball-change to the left" all while making sure there was ample clearance and, at least try to end in a parallel fashion near your attacker(this was also incredibly tricky).
At most, this movement should be 4 steps, depending on how close you are in the line of attack. Anything more than that and you will find yourself not only tripping over your own feet, but perhaps landing even closer to a weapon, multiple attackers or even worse...implanting yourself on the ground due to lack of stability.

Get out of the way!

Once the rapid pace of the music picked up, our rhythm in this drill picked up...we moved in a circular motion around the room evading our imaginary line of attack for at least an hour or more without stopping. We even added arm movement(Cossack style for men, the women had handkerchiefs in place to remind us to block our life zones). The women used the frontal triangular method of blocking the upper body while moving and the men learned a more fierce striking and swiping method of pushing and rotating the attacker's upper body (structure breaking)while moving out of the line of attack. To further make sure we understood the process, Karimov and Sheshukov incorporated the almighty stick.

removing the body from the line of attack

removing only the head from the line of attack

And guys, you would get hit if you didn't get out of the way. Imagine handing a small child a baseball bat in a china shop and told him to have fun. This, was probably the quickest way I got it together. While it was not complete pressure testing at it's fullest, it was enough to get the point across.
Oh...and this wasn't just one session...this particular basic concept was a combined 6 - 7 hours of work throughout the next few days,if not more. Why? Because most of us were stuck in not using our bodies effectively and efficiently and neither instructor gave up and called it quits until we all got it. Each new methodology we learned in the forthcoming days, the "getting out of the line" technique was used. Knife disarming, sword work, hand to hand...all of it required a new, heavy dose of getting out of the line.

And as I pour through countless saved "Systema" videos from the last few years, specifically of what is considered "basic" type training, I notice that this is not readily taught here. It should be. And maybe I have just never heard anyone really mention it. I certainly struggled with the concept as did many others involved in the seminar (although most people had NO prior Systema knowledge at this specific event).It's basic level skill and could save your life.

Seminar Day 3 and beyond :Are you keeping up???!!! No? Me either.

After the end of seminar Day 2, I was not even sure what else we could do that would top what I just went through. To be honest, anything after Day 3 is a bit fuzzy. All I know is, we had stayed up late dancing, I was getting sick(cough, congestion) and I was exhausted. Every bone and muscle in my body was aching.
I was in heaven.
Not only did I not know what to expect from this seminar, I had no idea the level of learning that would take place, let alone, the level of shear camaraderie. We had everything from one-on-one coaches, to individual instruction from A.Karimov

and Y. Sheshukov, to topic specific advice and more. I had ONE dance instructor (R. Khozeev) who literally moved my body the way it should during Kadril. I had another person, literally hold my hand through the stick drill and yet another person, who stood behind me and made my arms and legs go the way they should for sword fighting. Did I mention we set up fake horses to practice the angular motion of what it may have felt like to slice someone's head off whilst on horseback!!What else could we possibly do?? At some point during the seminar, I even jokingly told Jesse that Andrey planned on having live horses brought in.Although I

so much harder than it looks

was joking, I sort of had in the back of my head that this may be a possibility. (Later that night, we actually saw a woman riding a horse down the street and I assumed she was heading to our gym.)The excitement of what was coming was too much to think about... you literally got swept up in this massive tide of fun and there was no looking back(for some). We were exhausted, yet having a blast!
It occurred to me that this was perhaps somewhat close to how Cossacks lived and trained. I mean, yes...we were in a gymnasium, yes,we had air conditioning and heating, ok...we even had translators...but at some point, I began to think that this was exactly what it should be...the ultimate breakdown of the psyche.
Not only did we train all hours of the day and night, we skipped meals, and forgot to drink water.... we also rotated training with dancing as a group, sang Cossack songs and trained in combatives. If possible, you could even squeeze in a chain demo, some whip excersizes, some knife drills and even balalaika lessons. There was no stone left unturned. Everything was at our fingertips and all we had to do was ask. Really...that's all you had to do.
In all fairness, I became overwhelmed with the options. We had a schedule, but the voting of the group needs and wants and facility arrangements shifted those gears temporarily. Being adaptable became crucial. Even on "down" time, we all found ourselves in the gym...training, chatting, learning music or goofing off, together. The dorm style rooms allowed for easy access to many of the instructors and past participants of Mr. Karimov's seminars. Everyone was available to help. Not one person had an ego, a mental block about helping or was too tired. Not one. Including Mr. Karimov himself.He shared his room with about 5 other students and had an open door policy. Every morning I walked in I was greeted with a round of hugs, a few cups of coffee and tons of enthusiasm. The work seemed effortless and endless on his part. I don't believe I have ever met anyone who works harder than he does, in my life. The second a training session stopped, he scurried to his room and immediately grabbed an apple and worked on making balalaikas. Often times , the visual of him working on the balalaikas was reminiscent of Santa's workshop , where several of the men were piecing together these instruments, like elves. Everyone was doing something. It was hard to be bored. It was really hard not to want to help, but it was harder to feel left out, unless it was by choice. This was not an event for anyone who had social hangups or did not understand the value of cultural immersion. THIS , was a seminar for those people who loved to learn about anything and everything.

R.Khozeev teaching me about music

Downtime, turned into community time. If you linked up with someone who was musically inclined, then they proudly showed you their skills.
If you wanted your hair braided, that happened also. Want to talk about Russian history? Go to room #42. Want to eat raw food type delicassies covered in sugar and chocolate? That was room #44. Want a homeopathic remedy for ear infection? Room #43 or #46. Need Wifi? Go downstairs to what we affectionately called "Cossack Cafe". Often times you'd find us lounging around, uploading pictures, you tube videos, showing each other our friends and family back home and more.
The amount of talent that surrounded this group became very inspiring. At some point, I sat in a corner and wondered what I had done with my life. What was the positive impact I had made in society? Had my own work with children been enough? Could I learn to be a part of something so cohesive in my normally introverted, anti-social lifestyle? How did all this pertain to Systema and martial arts?
Well, the answer was quite simple. Mr. Karimov is a psychologist and ethnographer and a culturalist. He has a no holds barred approach to training that was not suitable for some and it doesn't happen at every seminar. He really calls it like he sees it and ,well, what he may have to say could stop you dead in your tracks. You see, it is very difficult to practice any art if you are stuck mentally and psychologically. If you cannot be yourself, what good are you to others in training?If you are trying to show off and demand everyone listen to you, what negative energy were you now placing on others? If you have hang ups about public performance, how good can you be at calming a chaotic situation , in public? After all, Systema is really about remaining calm, and what this seminar was designed to do was to get you out of your shell so you can experience life, learn to live and to enjoy your surroundings.
How can you do that if you are so tightly wound that you can't even fall softly? As I stood to the side and watched people work and train, I noticed everyone was having specific breakthroughs. Myself included. I knew right away that this was now possibly one of the largest , newest social experiments about forming a true Systema community that I would ever see in my lifetime. This group was most certainly about rallying together, being a unit and supporting one another. I had never seen anything like it. Some Systema groups back home, were really negative and filled with jealousy and definitions of who was top dog. Not here. Not ever. This group, was ready to get real. We were ready to work on ourselves to become better people.

A.Karimov's social model for growth and development

Everything after day 3 was a complete blur and I am not sorry about that. The rapid pace of group excursions, videotaping, training , learning songs and dance were not something anyone could ever catch on film completely and do it justice...

one of the many nightly chats in Mr. Karimov's room

Often times I would look around at the round robin of events and say "I cannot believe this is going on". It really was a cultural candy store full of excitement and learning. I literally could not keep up with everything that was happening....and I am thankful for that! This is the point I threw caution to the wind and finally relaxed......

we formed our circles maybe a few times a day

Seminar Day 2:Is this really happening?

In retrospect, it is alot harder to write about the seminar weeks after it started. REALLY hard. While I took many notes and journaled on my Samsung Galaxy Note 4 (shameless plug) , I really thought I'd be able to remember details of 19 days of the seminar when I was able to sit down to write.
I was wrong..so, so wrong!
As we maneuvered our way through the subway systems on Day 2(really, it was the beginning of the seminar), I became increasingly nervous walking into the sports hall.
I had not trained in months, I knew more people I had only corresponded with on the net would be there and , I had not trained in months...(did I mention I had not trained in months?)... I was sore from just walking for 3 days around St. Petersburg and was still in shock by the 30 minute session I had three days prior with Mr. Karimov at Pushkin Park( he tried to teach us one simple technique, that still, completely fascinates me). I knew his style was different, but I had no idea what was about to happen next would really shake me to my own core...in a good way.
Once I walked into the gym, I slowly tried to become invisible, it didn't work. I wanted to be a fly on the wall and watch for a few minutes but I was incredibly unsuccessful.

Roman Khozeev

This is when Roman Khozeev approached me , in what seemed out of no where. Roman had been an huge inspiration and help in my first few weeks of working with Mr. Karimov online and helped me with tons of computer work... I never really thought I'd meet him, so actually meeting him, really overwhelmed me. Roman was very well known for his work with an anti-drinking campaign for men in his hometown of Perm, Russia. I followed his work pretty closely and enjoyed his photographs and music as well.He is one of the many, multi-talented individuals who attended this seminar and was more than willing to help me learn whatever I wanted. It was a huge surprise to see him and I tried not to cry.

Olga Malkova

Shortly after I met Roman, this very beautiful, dark haired woman approached me with open arms. Her name was Olga Malkova, and we connected immediately. I had only met Olga a week or so before my trip to Russia (online), but had seen her in a few videos. Her eyes were as orange as the sunset and her hair was almost dark black. She was beautiful and when she spoke, it almost sounded as though she was singing. Her English flowed even in it's choppy state and with everything she said, she had a smile on her face. Almost immediately, we began a knife drill where Olga and Roman quickly cleaned the floor with me. I.was.SCREWED!!! I never thought of myself as a cocky Systema practitioner , but more of a scrappy fighter turned Systema enthusiast. Olga and Roman made it seem like I had zero experience with knowing my own body and how it worked well enough to move freely. I was both devastated and delighted. By the way, Olga, did everything in a skirt and short heeled shoes. She was the epitome of being feminine and fierce.At the closing Systema circle, a few surprises took place. In walked Yuri Sheshukov

Yuri Sheshukov

and I immediately looked at Roman, then at Jesse , then back at Roman. I asked Roman if that was really Yuri. He nodded. I began crying then, smiling. I was not aware that Yuri would be present, but was told that he may try to show up ( perhaps this was one of my other suprises?).... shortly after Yuri walked in, the happiest suprise of them all happened. In walked in D.A.Kirillov. Dima(for short), is an instructor for the Talanov school of Systema and he and I became friends on the internet. I remember inviting him to the event and had asked a few times if he was coming, but did not actually think he would. When I saw him, I sprung up in the middle of the Systema circle and went to him. Of course, I cried. At some point, Dima began translating for our event. This was truly surreal....BUT, he also picked up a Balalaika

D.A.Kirillov having some balalaika lessons

and began playing..(luckily I have this on film). This was truly history in the making on so many levels. Forming an international supportive community of like minded individuals and groups that , while different, can still support each other, was something Mr. Karimov and I had discussed on occasion. We wanted everyone to get along and to work cohesively, but actually making that happen , seemed like a feat in of itself. Here was Dima, in his hometown, just hanging out with us. It was such a glorious moment that I went from crying to being so happy that I almost completely forgot where I was....almost.

D.A.Kirillov from Systema Talanov,myself and A.Karimov

Once Dima left, there was a new sense of celebration in the air. I believe this was one of the many nights that we would all stay up until 2 am singing and dancing and learning. There seemed to be so many people in the room that I even lost track of Jesse. The dancing continued at a raid pace and Mr. Karimov showed no signs of slowing down. Aerobically, I was screwed. Perhaps this was part of the plan to get us so exhausted that we could train with little or no tension.Ultimately, it worked for me. While there were a few folks who did not appreciate this style that this specific seminar was geared to, it made no difference to the rest of us. This became one of the greatest social experiments, dance groups, cultural experience, martial arts seminar and learning expositions ever! This was only day two.  Later that evening, we danced as a group in a style known as Kadril. The rapid movement of Kadril(see bottom of page for video), had me sweating in minutes and within an hour I was so exhausted that I forgot what time it was , nor did I care.
Many of us sat around and said " I cannot believe this is only Day 2!!". What else did Mr. Karimov have in store? What else would we learn? What were we learning about ourselves and each other...? What could this event teach us other than martial arts and combatives? Day 2 turned into one of the most beautiful and emotional days I had of the seminar....and it was only going to get better!
Not only did we have all these amazing experiences on Day 2, the Pravilo device was set up, Jesse had some one on one training with our "coach" Vladimir and the knife and stick work began to pick up in pace....! Day 2 was loaded with so much fun...no clue how it could be topped!! (It was...oh , it was....)

Jesse getting some one on one pointers from Coach Vladimir

Radik Valeev and his Pravilo device. A much needed stretch for after- training relaxation

Shaking off the whip strikes...zing!!!

Seminar Day 1: This is a test,only a test....

It's cold, ya'll

For starters, St.Petersburg is a massive city. Massive. The weather is crazy. And cold..windy and really, really cold. 

The day of the seminar, we left our apartment and meandered through the subway systems to our destination stop. Jesse and I were separated by confusion about calling a taxi vs walking to our location point. It was raining,windy and the temperature dropped considerably. This is where the following two hours became a test in my urban survival skills,emotional strength, and determination level.My pre-programmed cell phone maps were not working. I was lost. Our translator began trying to help me navigate(via messages) back to the training center and a few very kind people in the streets offered to help. Almost everyone however, turned me back around in around circle. I won't even discuss the man who yelled anti-American sentiments at me for 30 minutes while chasing me with his barking dog,who also seemed to dislike Americans. Yelling back at people in Spanish was something I was used to and comfortable with,so that's how I dealt with him. At some point,during his rant, I yelled "it's raining,sideways,what do you want,an umbrella??!". Not my finest moment,but also , I realized this was a test. It was only a test , (one of many more to come).If I were in the US in the same predicament, I would have headed home,cozied up with my animals and found a book to read. However, this was a seminar I had waited for,for almost a year. There was no way I could back out of Day 1. 

Finally,our two translators managed to find me in the rain,at a park. This is where I met Richard,a tall Nordic model-looking young man,who I had corresponded with online for maybe 6 months prior. He and Jaroslav literally rescued me. I held back tears of joy seeing them both because it was already raining and perhaps they didn't know that their act of chivalry redefined my beliefs about young men today.
Once we made it back to the sports complex I was overwhelmed by the size of the area. It was massive. There was a judo tournament going on,and judo had been and sport that piqued my interest for the last year. There was confusion at the front desk about badges,passports, entrance fees. Several of us were stacked in a pile and this is where I began noticing some familiar faces from the videos I had been watching for a year. I knew,for the most part,these people did not know me,and I didn't want to seem overly emotional about seeing them,so I tucked under my rain soaked hoodie and waited. Throughout the melee of Russian voices,whistles of the judo tournament,chaos and confusion. ...I heard a very familiar and comforting sound. Andrey came marching to our rescue playing his balalaika and an incredibly loud tone and high speed ,walked up to the front desk,mumbled some words to the receptionist ,then ,like a mama duck,tucked all of us under his wing and shuffled us back upstairs.
He was indeed ,magic.

I'm a little underdressed...

Once I walked into the gym ,I began noticing more and more familiar faces that I've only seen on DVDs. It was a very surreal feeling. I tried to contain myself as much as possible, but once I saw Natalya Kopylova, I broke into Beatles fan-like hysterics. Natalya was featured in one of Andrey's online short videos in a display of beautiful Nagaika(Cossack) whip work. And there she was,a mere few feet in front of me.
Within minutes, what seemed like a thousand people, shuffled me in front of her and handed me a sword. Um,yes.This happened. Not only was I rain soaked and cold, I had very little idea of how to even hold a sword. And now, I was holding a sword,in front of a room full of people, in a foreign country,on camera. My dear friends,this was not the worst thing that's ever happened to me,but it is certainly perhaps one that tested all my social awareness,confidence and demeanor. As Natalya graciously demonstrated how to hold the sword, I fumbled through translation and tried to simulate one ounce of what she was doing. I failed,but, I'm ok with that.
After a few rounds of music, some light training and socilaizing,we formed the traditional "Systema circle". Mr. Karimov began by discussing with everyone how I told him I was coming to Russia and how,over the course of almost a year,he developed this seminar titled "Together for Peace".  One at a time,our gracious peers began delivering their thanks for the seminar and all were vehemently excited about the next 21 days. By the time it was my turn to speak,I erupted into tears. It occurred to me that my persistence with Mr.Karimov,paid off and here we all were,together in one room. I could barely choke through my tears as I thanked everyone for being present and I thanked everyone for welcoming us and I don't even remember what else I said.....
In fact,after Day 2 of the seminar, I don't remember much at all.....
(Luckily there are plenty of pictures and I jotted down many notes)

We're in Russia, Ya'll!!! Delayed update and new beginnings....

I just got my laptop charged up and have been feigning to write about the first few days of our journey...(I am now two weeks in to the seminar, so I will try to remember as much as possible)...

Our flight to Russia was pretty uncomplicated, however, we ran into a few S.N.A.F.U.S....one being the airport in Amsterdam....(it is under construction and our gate to board to Russia was horribly far from our landing gate). The entire time we ran to our gate, I remembered Andrey telling me once " this is all training"( he was referring to the amount of computer work I became involved in while researching his methodology). And he was right... everything I do now, I consider part of "Systema Training" via his methods; remain calm running, breathing naturally, and trying not to panic at the thought of missing our flight. It was all training.

Once our plane descended closer to Russia, we flew over the UK area. The view was amazing. The song "London Calling" immediately popped into my head and I thought of some of the UK Systema instructors. I wondered what they were doing at that very moment. I glanced over and noticed my partner in mundane crime, Jesse C. , was welling up with tears. He discussed how relevant the sites we were viewing from the air were to history. He loves history. My mind went blank and all I thought about was how we were getting closer to our goal that I set out to reach almost a year ago.
Once we actually landed in Russia(our plane had to be turned around 10 minutes before landing time due to a dignitary who was set to take off from the same airport), I began thinking that this was such a surreal moment in my life. This was all going to come together, or not. This was one of the most significant times ever for myself , and later I found out, for others. This would be a life changing event.

Getting from the actual plane to baggage area and then through customs was a bit more difficult then I thought it would be. Our bags were virtually dumped open and our suitcases disassembled. It just so happened our customs clerks were filled with anti-American sentiment. Not a good first impression, however, I understood and remained somewhat calm. As they opened the candy that we brought for the Karimov children, I felt a smidge violated. That was for OUR friends. However, the impervious "this is all training" motto, ran through my head.
We navigated through the airport and exited the gate where Andrey Karimov, his lovely wife , Katerina, and our fearless translator , Jaroslav Repin were waiting. Andrey did not stand out immediately as I thought he would, because everyone was wearing black . Once I saw him, I broke into tears...my knees got weak... I felt overwhelmed by finally meeting him. His wife glanced at me with the warmest smile I had ever seen which made me cry more. Their combined energy was astounding. Everyone began speaking Russian at a rapid pace and all I could do was cry.

At some point , Andrey and I skipped through the airport holding hands....I don't know why, but we just did.Perhaps because we felt like children and we just had to emote this feeling.
Within minutes, a black car pulled up and we began loading all our bags. I was not sure if it was a taxi or not, but we did not fit comfortably.It didn't matter. I was sitting in the backseat of a car with Andrey Karimov. Nothing really mattered at that point, not even the crazily high speeds and daredevil stunts of the Russian drivers.
As we zipped around St.Petersburg, I tried to take in as much of the architecture as possible. It was a task in futility. Apartment buildings looked like castles, museums looked like monuments and monuments looked like art sculptures. I knew I was not ready to even explore this city nor did I care. I was there to spend time learning from Andrey.
We unloaded our things to our apartment rental where our landlord was a very stern, older woman who looked like she could break my neck if she had to. All of us piled into the apartment and I realized that I had to take note of some cultural differences; in the U.S., if someone took you to check in a hotel , they would wait at the lobby until you were done. Here, everyone acted as though they must check our location to make sure we would be safe. It was a great feeling that I am pretty sure no one else would notice.
We decided to walk to a local restaurant for dinner.I noticed immediately the incredibly fast pace that the Karimov's walked. It was unreal. Jesse and I struggled to keep up on the rough cobblestone pathways. But we had no choice. My first crossing at a Russian intersection almost resulted in me jumping over a car. If you have ever been to Mexico, you are very keen on the driving styles there.Russians are like Mexicans....cultural mental note #1. St.Petersburg smelled exactly like Mexico City,cultural mental note #2.

We sat at the table to order and I realized that perhaps I should have learned some Russian, JUST TO READ A MENU(do'h). Luckily our translator jumped right in and helped. The entire moment was like a dream, except I began regretting the choice NOT to learn Russian. The food was perhaps some of the best culturally significant cuisine I had ever had. The misconception that I learned from culinary school that Russian and Slavic food had much to be desired, went out the window.

Sitting at the table with Andrey, I noticed several things. You can tell his mind works light years faster than most. You could tell he had ideas, plans and things to do. The next thing I know we were exiting the restaurant where he instructed us to "run" as though we were dining and dashing. I could not tell if he was serious or not, then he said "Cossacks never pay ...RUN!". This was the first of many humorous moments that happened. I told him I didn't run , ever and that I was ok if I ended up in the gulag. The bill was taken care of by the way, and I am still not sure if he was testing me with the "run" thing or not. Either way, it was fun to see his sense of humor play out in real life.

Once back at our flat, we realized we were here. We made it to Russia. Now what?

Train to Pushkin

The following day, Jaro met up with us to tour bits of Russia. The mist, rain and cold weather and wind was bizarre. At some point, Jaro left us to return to Andrey's house and I knew this again, was another "test". The subway systems were even more complex than I imagined due to the language issue. Streets were not labeled and not one map app was working well.I put myself in a horrible position to learn under fire..and it was working.

The following day we were invited to the Karimov's house in Pushkin. The train station was another test, but I was able to connect with other tourists to figure out which train we needed to be on. They were from Shanghi and also traveling to Pushkin. While we waited in line to purchase tickets, we ate cookies with them and witnessed two elderly men launch into a tirade with the ticket clerk. She gave absolutely no care for what was being said to her. This was cultural mental note #3;Russians, like Mexicans, are loud talkers. I loved this place more and more.

Myself, A. Karimov and Jaroslaw Repin

Andrey and his wife picked us up from the busstop. Even that part was surreal. I had a difficult time wrapping my brain around small details like that. But, I tried not to spend too much time thinking about it. When we got to his home, his children came up to us with curious smiles on their faces. I talked to them like they knew English. They smiled. Andrey's dining table was covered in balalaikas. This, may have been the only thing that rang true to exactly how I pictured.
Immediately after we ate some cheese and berries , we strolled to the nearby park at Catherine's Palace. I couldn't believe this was only our third day here. The park was so beautiful and there were so many pictures that there isn't enough room to post all of them. At this point, I would have been happy with what I had experienced so far...little did I know of the good things about to happen over the next few days.