Systema is a Russian martial art. It is built on four things: breathing, relaxation, posture and continuous movement. There are no belts, no set forms and no competition. You learn to stay calm and workable under pressure.

It was brought into the open by Mikhail Ryabko and his foremost student Vladimir Vasiliev. Mikhail Ryabko, 1961 to 2023, trained from childhood and spent much of his career applying the art in real conditions. Vladimir Vasiliev has taught the art worldwide from Toronto for over thirty years.

Systema Japan was founded in 2003 by Andrew Cefai and Scott McQueen as Japan's first officially recognised Systema school, certified by both the Moscow and Toronto headquarters.