Part II
18. Why are the Eastern martial arts so popular in Russia and people know so little about your style of the Russian martial art?
It’s the matter of fashion, exotic. A prophet is not without honour save in his own country.
19. Do you feel like a Soviet man, a cosmopolitan, a citizen of Russia, a Russian? Or you may define your national and cultural consciousness in some other way?
I’m Russian and Soviet man – the representative of my epoch and time.
20. What is the Russian spirit? What are its main characteristics? How was it formed in a course of history?
I’m neither historian nor a critic or philosopher. It is considered as the unity of intellect, kindness and will meaning activity, self-dependence and initiative. The activity and responsibility go along. More to be than to appear.
21. Can you call the modern Russian people “the Russians by spirit”? Why?
Yes, I can. They are not chameleons.
22. If not who are we now? How can you characterize us today?
The Russians. We don’t need to copy anyone. 150 years ago Aleksandr Pushkin used to say: “I don’t want to have another Fatherland or history except the one of my forefathers”.
23. Culture of what period is more dear to you: heathen, pre-Petrine epoch, pre-revolutionary, Soviet or contemporary meaning democratic? And why?
The Soviet epoch. You can’t choose native land, parents and epoch. I grew up in the USSR and at the Soviet time.
24. In your opinion what does define the cultural content and form of this or that historical period?
It is defined by the phase of time and location.
25. Do the modern Russian people have national culture? Do you like it or not? Why?
Yes, they do. I accept it the way it is. I will resort to the words uttered by Aleksandr Pushkin: “I swear I don’t want to have another Fatherland or history except the one of my forefathers.”
26. As the representative of the Russian martial art can you call the contemporary lifestyle of Russian people “the Russian style”?
The cult of our ancestors the Slavs formed their creative diligence, hospitality that was reflected in their original national character… Yes, I surely can. I think that this is the process of evolution.
27. How can you describe the modern culture in Russia and the style of the most people living here?
Survival.
28. You used to say that the purpose of a warrior of the Russian martial art is to protect the national culture. Do we need to protect the modern mass culture that today has the leading position in the most people’s minds?
We are part of this mass culture and we have to protect it the way we would protect ourselves. We are inseparable. We deserve honour. The progeny deserve memory. The native land deserves glory! Several technologies replace one another during the lifetime of one generation. People have to reproduce their qualifications themselves.
29. You represent the Russian martial art. How do you understand the notion “the honour of an officer”?
It is inner moral virtue, valour, honesty, nobleness of the soul and clear conscience and mind.
30. What period of the Russian history does more vividly express the traits of the Russian officers? What are these traits?
The most exemplary period for the Russian martial art is 17-18th centuries.
31. What personalities from our history and the history of the Russian martial art are the most close to you?
They are Peter I, Kutuzov, Suvorov, Davidov, Nahimov, Ushakov, Makarov, Lomonosov, Mendeleev, Lobachevskiy, Zhykovskiy, Popov, Zhukov, Rokosovskiy, Leonov, Makarov.
32. In your opinion what cultural workers do express the notion “the Russian spirit” more fully?
Pushkin, Lermontov, Nekrasov, Pikul, Shukshin, Visotzkiy, Kadochnikov, Balakirev.
33. Are you afraid of anything?
Yes, I am. I’m afraid of the degradation of our national and brain drain.
34. What do you appreciate most of all in your life?
Most of all I value development (meaning knowledge and science), friendship, peace, love, creation, family, children and old people.
35. How do you see the future of Russia?
In the future I see powerful, steady, strong and free country!
36. What kind of state do you want Russia to be? What should be done for this?
I want it to be a powerful industrial centre of the world. We should work more and trade less.
37. Is it necessary to bring up young people? If it’s so tell us how it should be done?
Yes, of course. Nature creates a man but the society develops him or her. It should be done fully starting with the childhood and with a creative approach.
38. What is your favourite sport?
Life, life, life.
39. What is your master stroke?
It is knowledge and skills. Dum spiro spero.
40. What is RB?
This is a personal private technique – the unity of knowledge and skills put into practice.
41. Why there are no competitions on the Kadochnikov Systema?
This is not sport. There are no limits and rules.
42. Can you give us the list of your disciples?
I have been teaching for 40 years (1962-2002). The list is enormous.
43. What weapon do you teach your disciples to handle?
It is life. When saying life I mean complex functioning of organisms.
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