Part I
Author: Aleksandr Paljanin
The prince started unexpectedly by asking: «Can you stand at attention?» The question was addressed to Major General Viktor Ostapovich Olefir – the chief of the Goliczin’s Institute of frontier troops. The general didn’t take offence and smiled.
– I’ll try so to say…
His deputies and officers smiled too. Viktor Ostapovich stood up squaring his shoulders like a young man. That looked good. The Prince said:
– Not bad, not bad. But this is not quite right. It may appear as insignificant details but you should pull in the buttocks and put your legs like this. Here we are! That’s another pair of shoes!
Actually the general now appeared taller and on the whole his fit figure looked different.
The representative of the old princely family and the Russian martial art Boris Vasiljevich Goliczin and the representative of nowadays Russian army General Olefir shook hands with each other.
In our previous issue of the «Russian Style» magazine we published an article about the life of a great representative of the Russian martial art Boris Vasiljevich Goliczin — the war veteran and geologist in peacetime.
Just as his famous forefathers he bravely fought the enemy at Leningrad and was seriously injured. In every most dangerous battle the young at that time man always resorted to the Goliczin’s family martial art that was a genuine Russian martial art. This style and its holds passed from generation to generation. Princesses had their own methods to protect themselves, their honour and children. They were taught in a special way.
Many things from Goliczin’s combat heritage are kept in secret. The Prince can’t reveal them even nowadays. Although he can share some moments with the future frontiers.
– Besides it’s the Goliczin’s Institute, – he smiles. – To tell the truth I have no relation to this place. Our family is extensive and this must have been the estate of my distant relative.
Boris Vasiljevich had doubts and different thoughts about the benefit his lessons would be for modern, skilled officers and student of the military school. But right after the first meeting his doubts were dispelled: there was no free seat in a huge hall. When the Prince said: «Your military service is special — you guard our Fatherland’s state frontiers. It means you’re always ready to fight and nowadays you often have to join a battle. This is a noble thing to do. We can’t call you «comrades»; you, gentlemen, are «your honour». The audience answered by storm of applause.
The prince Goliczin is over seventy but on the stage was well-built, fit man with easy movements and a small beard on a lively face. He artfully took the gun out of the holster and showed it to the students.
– Look here. The Goliczins never carried arms in an ordinary holster. We used this small strap; there are no buckles and fasteners. With one movement the revolver turned into the weapon for the Russian hand-to-hand combat. This strap is good for tying up a captured opponent and be sure he will never get free. Of course you should know the special knot. In the old days people used this knot to tie up captives; they let them walk under the supervision of teenagers as they were sure those will never be able to get untied…
The Goliczin’s Institute is the military institution of higher education with great history and rich traditions of the Russian martial art. Thousands and thousands of its graduates serve at the most distant outposts; at the borderline where the peace is more often disturbed by the word: «Alarm!» This is special service and it requires special people. They should know and be able to do a lot of things as it can be of use tomorrow or in a minute. It is important to defend the boundaries of your country, overcome the enemy and stay safe and sound.
“Gentlemen, you should remember that family and friends are waiting for you at home. And you should return,” – Boris Vasiljevich repeated that day. Together with Goloczin and Major Andrey Morushkin we entered classrooms and examined models of outposts where flashed out lights of secret frontier communications. The usual classes were running. Students were exercising in the yard on the obstacle course. They ran, learned to handle automatic weapons and grenades, practiced a bayonet fighting and other skills of the Russian martial art. The Prince came closer and had a good look at the process of training. Everything was right but still these little details…
– You know that your life and your ability to go on fighting depend on these details, – remarked Boris Vasiljevich.
It appeared that all the students were running straight ahead paying no attention to things next to them. But this is a combat, an attack and an enemy can come at you out of every corner, you can be attacked by someone with knife, bayonet, grenade or gun. You can’t fix your eyes on one point even when practicing. You should train peripheral vision and it should become your habit. The Prince asked permission to run the obstacle course. He was allowed to do this.
When he ran we saw that his look became floating, diffused; he saw everything that was before and around him. He could defeat an enemy that came at him from the side or from some other direction. The students shrugged their shoulders: we work according to the affirmed instruction.
We lost a lot of young men in Afghanistan because the instructions are written by pedantic officials in the uniform who have no idea about real combat conditions and the Russian martial art.
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