Russian bailiffs apply unique martial art

If somebody breaks the law, there will be always someone else to defend it. As RT’s Robert Vardanyan found out, Russian bailiffs choose the so-called complete fighting system to guarantee their operational efficiency.

First, a short warm-up, muscle flexing, then skills and drills – all that looks like a professional fighter's regular training session.

However, the ones here are Russian bailiffs learning the complete fighting system.

“This is one of the most suitable training systems for bailiffs, as it includes both boxing and wrestling techniques. Physical impact, arrests – this is part of our job, and we may need various skills in such cases,” says Vasily Krylov, head coach of the Russian federal bailiff service team.

”It seems hard to put them together. But I myself practiced both boxing and wrestling for years. And I know that complete fighting skills bring you some extra confidence,” he adds.

Krylov says that most of their team “have vast martial art experience, in combat sambo and boxing.”

”My main task is to help wrestlers with their boxing skills while, say, kick-boxers need to learn or improve their knowledge of ground fighting. We need to work very hard, and we really do, as the team has two training sessions a day,” he explains.

For some of these bailiffs, applying their combat skills at work is quite a rare thing.

For Veronika Sharypova it is nearly impossible.

“I'm a woman and most of my colleagues are men. And in any extreme cases they always keep me behind their backs. I have ever had to protect any of them as they always protected me,” she says smiling.

Instead, Veronika and her teammates meet up with their counterparts from other Federal Services and CIS countries at a specially-arranged tournament. Each bout there consists of two rounds, fighters are only allowed to kick and punch in the first, and wrestle in the second.

At this year's event, the Russian bailiffs were unmatched.

“I feel quite comfortable, both when it comes to wrestling and hand-to-hand fighting. In some fights I knocked my opponents out, in others I claimed victories via submissions. Although I still focus on submissions, as wrestling is the first martial art I learned,” Moscow bailiff Rasul Mirzaev shares.

So those who choose to break the law have to think twice, as these bailiffs may be right there to defend it.