Systema is a martial art built on natural movement, breathing, relaxation, posture and continuous movement as its core principles. As a system of self-defence, it trains for unrestricted situations, covering strikes and kicks, throws and locks, knife work, and defence against multiple attackers. The goal is calm, adaptive and efficient movement in all situations.

The approach and teaching style in Systema is quite different from traditional Asian martial arts, and difficult to explain in words. To get some idea, take a look at the video by Ilan Srulovicz from Inside Fighting who interviews Vladimir Vasiliev, one of the main figures who popularized Systema across the world, where he explains punches.