Gil's Blog

Creative Loafing, the Sarasota edition just came out, with an article about our Systema class. My friends Kolyma and Fox ended-up on the cover, with a big title: “The Russians are Coming to Kick your Ass!” I was directing the class that day, my instructor, Marc, being out of town. It is an interesting read, from the perspective of someone who never saw a class before; well worth reading.

My friend Jessica tells me I should write my stories down, so here comes the first one. Back in the days, in France, I was towing advertising banners along the French coast with an ultralight aircraft (I was 21). My airfield, and base of operation was Berck sur Mer, on the North Sea. No, it isn’t Normandie.. Closer to England, for that matter. On clear days, not that common in the North of France, flying along the Calais coast, I could see the cliffs of England. Many times I was tempted to fly across. I was also imagining warbirds from WWII, Spitfires and Messerschmidt BF-109s flying around as they did, and the theme of the Baa Baa Black Sheep TV series would come to my mind. Towing big 25′ by 40′ flags with an aircraft that weights about 320 to 550Lbs is somewhat of an art, as much as a job. My ultralights, Europa1 and Europa2 (as in 1 or 2 seats) were made of aluminum tubes and fabric, powered by a 64hp two strokes Rotax engine. No, they’re not lawnmower engines.. Although they work the same way. They were good engines, but unfortunately water cooled.. Anyone who ever had a leak in their radiator knows what that means.. But hey, so was the P51 Mustang, the famous WWII fighter plane, so, if it’s good enough for the Air Force.. well..
As it goes, that day, I was flying the Europa2 because it had two fuel tanks instead of one. I was going to Calais, so I needed the range. To take-off with a banner, at least with an ultralight, you attach it to the plane and place it in front of you, on a 150′ light kevlar/nylon rope. The trick is to get airborne in 100ft or so, pick up speed one foot from the ground on the remaining 50′ and pull on the stick to climb at a 45 degree angle, until you feel the pull of the banner. Then, you better level-off, because if you don’t, you stall, and end-up like a pancake on the grass. You keep full power until you reach 500′, which was the legal minimum. It isn’t very high at all, and when your engine quits, it almost never is enough.
The banner is printed on one side, so you must fly one half of the trip over the water, and the other half over land. That is, if you are coming back to your base. The first half that day was over water. I had thought many times about how I would ditch if, sorry, when my engine died (my instructor always said it’s not if, but when it happens. He was right, more than once). I had heard so many conflicting ditching techniques, I really had no idea what to do. Landing on the beach was a no-no, as decapitating sun bathers with a six foot prop was highly frowned upon.
It was a great flight, on a nice day, with no rain (only 145 per year average in the area). My arm was getting sore, waving back at people on the beach when I finally saw Calais. The airfield controllers had allocated me a grass strip for my operations. After the usual radio chit-chat, I overflew the runway to release the banner, pulling on the quick-release rope and hook, which started it’s life on a sailboat, for that matter.. There is no way to land with the banner attached, because of course, it would drag on the ground and slow you down.. Pancake! Before you could land. So, I released, did a half-ass Himmelman and promptly landed. Calais was nice, because they had a fire department. Since almost nobody ever crashes, firemen are pretty bored. So, they were glad to rush me back and forth across the field with banner and gas cans on the fire truck! I was also storing my stuff in their hangar. If any of you guys are reading this, thanks again a million times!
Time being money, sometimes; I would take-off again for the over-land return trip. Before each flight, I would perform a pre-flight inspection, which basically is looking at everything on the plane to make sure it is airworthy. You do it in the same order, always, as to never forget anything. All ok, ready to go. People not used to see me take-off always thought I was going to stall, pancake! And die. But at the last moment, to their relief (I hope) I would push the stick forward, and for a few seconds, float between a safe speed and catastrophe, hoping the engine wouldn’t quit just then. If it ever had, I probably would not be writing this. The return trip was usually more bumpy, because of the ground heating up the air, but there was many possible landing spots if need be. My instructor, Gerard Landri, bless him, told me to always have a landing spot in sight. So, I didn’t quite fly in a straight line, but from one possible landing spot to another, in the same general direction.
I was near Boulogne when I noticed my engine temperature steadily climbing. It was a hot day, so not that unusual, and I was climbing a bit at that moment to avoid high power lines. However, it kept going up. My engine was starting to feel weird.. You know, when you spend so many hours per day listening to and feeling an engine, like a woman (outch, shouldn’t have said that!), you know when something isn’t quite right.. I didn’t know it at the time, but my coolant tank was leaking. I could hear the controller at Le Touquet Airport in my earphones, and that’s when my Rotax started sputtering. I immediately called them: “Le Touquet, this is ultralight 59CK, East of Boulogne having engine trouble, not sure if I’ll make it to your field.” There was a pause, then: “59CK Roger, all aircraft in the pattern, please hold. Fire vehicles on the field, we have an emergency.” I thought “Holly shit, all that for me!?” But I was already looking at my next possible landing spot, a nice green strip of grass 500ft below. There was a banging noise, and then only the noise of the wind.. “Le touquet, 59CK, engine failure, will call you on the ground.” I was looking at the wind, trying to see which way I should land. You always land in the wind, so you’re not too fast.. I was losing altitude by the second, released the banner, had a quick look at where it fell, then concentrated on my grass field. The ground was approaching really fast, and I was banked to the left. My left wing was about to hit the ground, so I had no choice but to lever-off and go straight. Bye bye grass! I flared over a wheat field, a bit too fast for comfort. My back wheels caught on the wheat. The was a big crashing noise, dirt and wheat flew all over, the plane’s tail was up in the air. My gas tanks did not burst! I took the ignition key off, jumped out (easy when you don’t have doors), and kicked the plane for letting me down. Not a scratch! I landed at about 25mph, strapped in my seat, wearing a helmet, no great surprise, but still, it could have been worse.
There was no-one around, no houses, only a farm within walking distance. I picked-up my helmet, took my radio and tried to call Le Touquet. I could not reach them, being on the ground, but a nearby plane relayed my message, essentially telling them I was ok, and thanks for helping. I started walking towards the farm.
Now, picture me, wearing a gray cotton flight suit, with grease stains, carrying a red helmet and a portable radio with cables dangling.. I took a deep breath and knocked on the door. The farmer opened, wearing a tuxedo! I thought it was a bit odd, but I said: “Bonjour Monsieur, sorry to bother you, but I crash landed in your field I think, but don’t worry, everything is fine, and I am insured.” He looked at me like a lemur at an electric can opener.. For a couple seconds at least, then raised his arms in the air, I took a step back, and he started blattering about what in hell did I have to crash here for, on his daughter’s wedding day! I didn’t linger around.. made it to the nearest road and hitch-hiked my way back to Berck. I was supposed to call the cops, but I was hungry, and what the hell, the plane isn’t going anywhere. Well, I should have called, because they found me, and I had to spend some time explaining that, no, I didn’t do it on purpose like last time (that’s for another story..). They took me to the crash site, and their tone became more friendly when they saw that I indeed crashed, not just landed to refuel somewhere, pretending engine troubles (like last time..).
My father showed-up that night with the plane’s trailer. I had already taken the wings off. A bunch of people from the village were trampling the field, wanting to see the plane. That worried me because the police counted only fifteen square meters of damage to the wheat.. Then, we had to drag the wreck to the side of the field, damaging it even more. Fortunately, the farmer must have been at the wedding reception by then, so no risk there..
I worked my ass off to fix the ultralight, and had it flying again a few days later with a new prop and fairing. I never flew over that farm again though, always imagining the farmer loading his shotgun at the first engine noise over his fields! To my regret, I never saw the farmer’s daughter.

There are skills in this world that, independently of where you live and who you are, you need to know. Not only to be prepared, but to be worth of being called human, may I say. Our long line of ancestors made it through a multitude of obstacles, from saber-tooth tigers to World War II, and everything in between. I believe we owe ourselves and the people around us to be capable, strong and knowledgeable.
We are lucky enough to live in a time of relative peace and abundance. I am talking here about Europe, the United States, and many other countries in the world. It isn’t the case everywhere, I know. Pandemics have ravaged the world in the past, killing millions. We dodged a few bullets more recently with Influenza, as well as Ebola (search Wikipedia on “pandemic”). Many other killer strains are only waiting for an opportunity. New wars, civil unrest are never out of the question. Natural disasters such as tsunamis, volcanoes, hurricanes, tornadoes and earthquakes can happen at any time. Hopefully none of these disasters will happen in our lifetime. Some of you guys though may have children, and who else will teach them but you? Not the public school system. And even if nothing bad happens, why not be a stronger, more capable individual?
A lot of the skills we learn today are based on work, not survival. We have everything at our disposition: Shelter, supermarkets, gas, electricity, communications, transportation. We become very good at using computers, complex phones, and rely much on them. We drive cars, even for short distances. We become dependent on technology and services provided by others to survive. We grow fat and become lazy. When was the last time you walked for ten miles? When was the last time you had to hunt or fish for food (not counting doing it for fun)? Now, imagine that all the supermarkets in your town close. Then, the power company shuts down; no more internet either, and you can’t recharge your cell phone. Land phone lines are cut. Gas stations close. How long will it take for the situation to become dicey, for people to start panicking? What would you do then?
Acquiring the skills you would need to survive or get out of the area can be fun week-end projects. Learning them when the shit has already hit the fan is too late, you probably will become a statistic. You don’t have to think about catastrophes all the time and live in fear, simply learn what you need, and put it in a compartment of your head somewhere, until you need it..

Learn to navigate: In an evacuation, roads could be blocked by traffic jams. They could be blocked by people, or physically destroyed. Buy topographic maps for your area, or your state, and get a compass. One without the other isn’t of much use. Learn dead reckoning, where you pick a landmark in the direction you want to go, walk to it, and pick the next one. Count your steps, know how many you take typically per mile.

Building shelters: A few days of camping should suffice for this. Have a comfortable tent with you, but bring a hatchet and nylon string. Don’t try anything new or fancy, good shelters have been built for eons by cavemen who’s lives depended on it. Copy them. Look into the history of your area, you will find out what they used. Try to isolate yourself from the ground. Make sure you know what trees or plants to use, some might be poisonous.

Food: While you are camping, try to make a bow and arrows. Have a family competition to see who can be the most accurate. Learn to build traps. You can find numerous designs online. The most commons are the figure 4 deadfall and spring traps. Not only can you make traps for land animals, but also for fish. Buy a book on local flora and comestible plants. Go out in the woods and try to identify them. Ask an expert before you try eating anything you aren’t absolutely sure about! Getting food is one thing, but then you might need to skin it, gut it and cook it. You should have done this successfully at least once. A note to vegetarians here: Do not think that because you don’t eat meat you should skip this. If you get hungry enough, you will eat anything. No, don’t think “No, I still wouldn’t,” because you would, period. If you think otherwise, you are a fool, and you might as well close this page and go cook some tofu.. Learn about cooking methods in the woods, using hot rocks for instance.

Water: How do you boil water without a pot? How do you make one? An important skill to know is how to make a solar still. There aren’t many ways to purify water without chemicals or a special filter. Are there springs in your area? If not, how far would you have to go to find a natural spring. What about wells? Who has one? Do you know the owner? It might be time to go say hi.. Water is heavy, carrying it will only work so far. I would not attempt a journey if no rain is expected and there is no source of water on the way.

Fire: You see it done on television all the time, and it looks so simple and easy. It is not! You could waste hours trying. Making fire without modern source is difficult, and must be practiced until you get it right. Try with wood friction and also with flints. Once your fire is lit, make a fire bundle to carry it. See if you can take it with you and start another fire later with it.

Learn to handle firearms: You may not like guns, but the day you really need one may be your last, or the difference between a good meal and an empty stomach for a few days. If you are not a police officer, a handgun is pretty useless. You can’t really hunt with it, and in a conflict, you will almost always lose to a rifle. So, learn to handle a rifle, starting with safety. Go to a range, and get help. The best rifle for small game would be a .22lr, the best one in my opinion being the Ruger 10-22. You may also use a pellet gun, in .22 caliber. Something more substantial would be needed if you must feed more than yourself, or if there is a possibility, and there almost always is in a disaster scenario, that you may encounter hostile people. A lever action rifle in .30 or .44 mag. will serve you well. Shotguns are very good for hunting too. If the situation is really bad, AK-47. By the way, do you think that you will be the only one in the store the day things go wrong? Buy one now. If you have kids, buy a safe, keep it locked. Teach them gun safety as well.

If you haven already, learn to swim. No comment here. You should be able to cross a good size river, and thread water for some time. Learn to lay flat on your back and float on the water.

Learn to defend yourself empty-handed: This is complex subject, and I probably will write about it in my martial arts section. In brief, there are a lot of martial arts out there that are not worth a dime for self defense. There are also good styles but bad teachers. I would suggest trying to find a school or style that emphasizes principles over form and techniques. Avoid styles that are too stiff in their movements or teachings, and promote violence or aggressiveness. Going nuts in a fight won’t help you. Emotions won’t help you. Also avoid styles that use excessive protections, have too many rules (like not hitting the face, etc.), or simply avoid contact. The style you choose must also consider multiple attackers, armed or not, and fighting on the ground as well as on your feet. If you see twelve-year-olds with a black belt, run! If they promise you a black belt next year, run! Actually, be suspicious of belts altogether. My favorites are, almost in order: Systema, Bujinkan, Penjak Silat, Kuntao, Kali, Wing Tsun, Aikido, Krav Maga, Boxing, and I am sure I am forgetting some. I would not suggest TaeKwonDo, traditional Karate, and other styles based on outdated forms of combat, or geared towards competition. Some combinations are good, like boxing and JiuJitsu for example. Shop around before you sign-up, and don’t bother spending time on martial arts forums on the web, there is nothing to learn from them. If you don’t have a good school nearby, go to russianmartialart.com, load up on DVDs and start a study group in your town.

Get in shape: Well, your martial arts training should help you there, but walking is a great exercise, and knowing how far you can go is a valuable piece of information. Knowing how far your family members can go is even better. Who is going to break first? When? Is there something you can do? Learn to carry people in an efficient manner, by yourself, or with help. Do regular push-ups, squats and crunches. You don’t need any machines or gym memberships for that. Don’t eat fast foods, and when you go shopping, read the labels. Avoid MSGs, high fructose corn syrup, and too much fat or sugar. Stay away from processed foods. Dump sodas, even (or especially) the diet ones. Drink water and tea. Don’t abuse coffee. Stop smoking! Eat raw vegetables and don’t have meat every day.

Learn first -aid: The Red-Cross probably has classes nearby. Take all their classes, and learn resuscitation techniques, and especially how to treat wounds and burns. You can find numerous books on the subject at your local library, and many web sites with tutorials. Learn about the specific threats in your area. Cross-check your findings, because theories do change, and what may have been thought to be a great technique one day may be considered dangerous the next.

I might add more to this blog. I do not claim to be an expert at all. These are just ideas I gathered over time. Feed back and new ideas would be appreciated. I have been intentionally vague here, so please post your comments. I would like this to be a living document.

I was “voluntered” (as in “not paid”) to act in a short TV pilot called “US Post.” It was fun to do, and I would certainly like to act again..

Today I had an interesting short conversation with a guy who asked me if I was still practicing martial arts. I replied I did, and invited him to check-out the class. He told me he would, but a car accident injury was limiting his movements.. It didn’t came to mind then, but i should have said “so what? If you get assaulted, the criminal won’t care about your injury.” Actually, a criminal would rather seek an injured prey. People with disabilities should be the first ones to learn self-defense. The problem is that most martial art styles are not good for self-defense, even though they vehemently pretend to be. They may also refuse a disabled student because of liability. Another problem is that those styles often have a rigid teaching method developed in medieval Japan, where disabilities were, to say the least, frowned upon. A visible disability has the advantage of surprise, if nothing else.
I started Systema after a bad motorcycle accident during which I broke my femur, and dislocated my shoulder. I couldn’t afford reeducation, and decided to go to the “Russian Combat Academy” in Sarasota.. I had no idea what to expect, but let me tell you, the name tells it all. I barely made it up the stairs. I asked the instructor, an ex Spetsnaz operator, if I could practice, because I was injured. He replied something to the effect that he couldn’ t care less about my injuries (in a more flowery language I can’ t quite recall). There wasn’t much I could do for the first few weeks.. But then I got better.. My leg doesn’t bother me much anymore, except when I try to run. One more reason to learn self-defense, because I can’t run away!
The most difficult thing for a disabled student is to find the right instructor, and to some extent, the right style and school. If the atmosphere of the school is competitive, forget it, you wouldn’t have fun. Having fun training is what keeps you going, at least for me it is. Some schools will be glad to take you in, and promise you a black belt in under two years, just pay the fee, you’ll get it soon or later, and will be able to practice with all the other black belts, including twelve year olds.. Run away! As we say in Systema, a black belt covers only three inches of your ass.
So, if you have injuries or disabilities, you have more reasons to train than anyone else. I am sure you could find creative ways to use those crutches or that wheel-chair..