ABOUT

CUTTING EDGE SYSTEMA  is a non-politcal organisation. We welcome people of good character of any background. Our classes are for 18+ and beginners are always welcome.
Our training is challenging and rewarding but non-competitive and taught in clear stages.
There are no belts or gradings and all students train together. We encourage a friendly atmosphere, our aim is to help each other to develop and grow.

FOUNDERS

Mikhail Vasilevich Ryabko
Colonel of the Special Operations Unit with the Russian Military Director and Chief Instructor of Systema Headquarters, Moscow
Mikhail Ryabko was trained from the age of five and involved in combative training from the age of fifteen. He worked in militia in RF Ministry of Interior Security Department, trained the Minister’s security guards. He was a tactical commander of hostage-rescue teams, counter-terrorist operations, and armed criminal neutralization.
Mikhail resides in Moscow, holds the rank of Colonel and was an assistant to RF General Prosecutor. He is a veteran of military actions and veteran of labor.
He has been in numerous military campaigns and holds many medals and awards from the government and from the Russian Orthodox Church. He continues to train many students as the Master Teacher of Systema.

Vladimir Vasiliev
Director and Chief Instructor of Systema Headquarters, Toronto
Born in Tver,  Russia, Vladimir’s military work spans across 10 years of extensive service with the Special Operations Unit of Spetsnaz, including regular high-risk covert assignments. He also served as trainer for paratroopers, swat teams, and elite bodyguards.  Vladimir  received intense combative training and profound Systema training from Mikhail Ryabko
Vladimir moved to Canada, and in 1993 and was the first to teach Systema outside of Russia. He has since personally trained and certified well over 500 qualified Russian Martial Art Systema instructors and schools in over 30 countries worldwide, and has produced an Award-Winning instructional film collection.
Vladimir holds a number of government medals and awards including the Russian “Order of Duty and Honor” and the “Order of Loyalty”. He offers regular training at his school in Toronto, at international seminars and camps and through the Systema video program.

INSTRUCTOR

Robert Poyton
Born in 1963 in West Ham, London. After training in Judo and boxing he began formal martial arts training in 1981 with John Ding in Yang Family Taijiquan. He continued his Taiji studies with Vincent Chu, Gin Soon Chu, and Jim Uglow. In addition he has trained in other styles of Kung Fu, Ju Jitsu, Combatives, etc with people such as Yap Cheng Hai, Ji Jian Cheng, George Xu, Erle Montaigue, Chen Xiaowang, Rick Moneymaker, Peter Consterdine, Dave Turton, Rob Murray, David Nicholson and others.
Robert was Editor of Tai Chi & Alternative Health and Tai Chi International magazines. He has had articles published in  Combat, Martial Arts Illustrated, Men’s Health, Maxim, Yoga & Health, Steve Grayston’s Martial Arts and others. In 1998 he was featured in the Ultimate Book of Martial Arts (Anness Publishing). He also assisted with the 2008 book The Way of the Warrior (Dorling Kindersley). More recently he was Editor of Systema International magazine.
In 2000 after seeing a copy of one of Vladimir’s early video tapes Robert contacted Vladimir with a view to further training. Since then he has visited Vladimir’s Toronto school several times and has also travelled to Moscow for intensive training with Mikhail Ryabko and his senior instructors. In addition he has arranged numerous UK seminars for Mikhail, Vladimir and Sergei Ozhereliev.
Robert runs a regular weekly training session as well as private tuition and corporate work. He also travels throughout the UK to teach seminars and workshops and has authored a series of Systema training books and films.
He now trains solely in Systema, which he describes as “an art that encompasses all aspects of living”. Outside of training Robert is a professional musician who claims to have “suffered for my art, now it’s your turn…”