“In 1990, Cossack communities were revived. But only recently have Cossack martial arts started reappearing. I would say not more than 10 years ago,” says Mikhail Litvinenko, instructor and member of the Federation of Cossack Martial Arts.

Cossack fencing techniques cannot be learned from any written rules or picture guidebooks, so for a beginner the process may look easy to pick up. However, wearing the uniform and carrying a razor-sharp Cossack sword may give one an illusion of strength, it but will not be enough to win the fight.

Even a simple technique may take hours to learn. Agility and dexterity are vital, as dropping the sword is strictly forbidden.

“If the Cossack dropped the sword during the training, he would be punished by caning,” explains Mikhail Litvinenko.

The group that Litvinenko helps to train is one of the few groups that practice Cossack fencing and its members have ambitious plans to promote their style.

At a recent tournament in central Russia, the group competed with traditional oriental schools, like Kung Fu and Karate.

“There were two main groups: on one side we had the Slavic martial art called ‘Sambo’; ‘Izbor’, which is an ancient Russian style; and Cossack fencing. And on the other, there were the Eastern styles. And I’d say that our techniques are much tougher than theirs,” Igor Gurov, a Cossack martial artist, says proudly.

Although the following for Cossack fencing is still in its infancy, perhaps one day it could surpass the way of the samurai.