07/07/2026
My friend Sergey was one of the most genuine people I have ever known. I meet and work with good people all the time. But rarely do I meet such a sincere individual. This is far more common amongst Systema practitioners than in other groups that I have had the honor of working with. Yet even amongst this esteemed group he stood apart.
I suppose it comes from the Systema training that exposes your weaknesses and strips off any pretenses you may have, leaving you more honest with yourself about your true capabilities and limitations. This in turn leads to a lack of ego since there is nothing left to prove to others after you have proven it to yourself.
Sergey was a living, walking example of this training. Despite being a big man, he still moved with the softness and lightness of step that you would not think capable of a man his size. And more importantly, he had excellent control over his movements. He never twisted, locked, or punched me any harder than I needed -or deserved. His lessons touched me deeply and made me a better martial artist and a much better person. It is not an exaggeration to say that the many seminars I attended on Breath & Body have literally saved my life.
I wanted to share a few photos from the training camps where Sergey was our guest of honor. I am grateful for the time I spent with him and for the many notes I took after our monthly seminars. I have no doubt I will continue to learn from them. You will be deeply missed, my friend.
