| Developed in the former Soviet Union and | | | | jujitsu or Aikido and works on the basis of |
| recognized as an official sport by the USSR | | | | defense against attacks armed and unarmed. |
| All-Union Sports Committee in 1938, Sambo is | | | | Boyevoye Sambo or Combat Sambo was developed |
| a modern martial art. It is most definitely a | | | | for the military and included the use of |
| combat sport and also a self defense system. | | | | weapons and uses disarming techniques. |
| Sometimes referred to in the USA as Sombo, | | | | Competition in these styles is like the older |
| Sambo literally means "self-defense without a | | | | Judo combined with mixed martial arts with |
| weapon" and has its roots in folk styles of | | | | grappling and striking used extensively. The |
| wrestling like Mongolian Khapsagay, Armenian | | | | last style is Special Sambo, which was |
| Koch and Georgian Chidaoba. Although there is | | | | developed for the Special Forces of the Army |
| no real recognized founder of Sambo, Anatoly | | | | and the Rapid Reaction Police and different |
| Kharlampiev is often officially stated as | | | | branches of the service use different |
| being the founder. Vasili Oshchepkov, who was | | | | techniques. Those who participate in Sambo |
| shot during the political purges of 1933, and | | | | competitions normally wear either a red or |
| Viktor Spiridonov, due to a shoulder injury | | | | blue jacket called a kurtka, a belt and |
| during the Russo-Japanese war, used Sambo as | | | | shorts of the same color and Sambo shoes |
| a soft, aikido-like system. Sambo is one of | | | | called sambovki. Russian martial arts differ |
| the four styles of amateur wrestling | | | | from those of the east in that they are not |
| practiced today, the other three are | | | | so much based on techniques but are based on |
| Greco-Roman wrestling, Freestyle wrestling | | | | training concepts. In Eastern martial arts, |
| and Judo. FILA accepted Sambo as the 3rd | | | | the instruction is through rehearsing moves |
| style of international wrestling in 1968. In | | | | and techniques where as in Sambo and other |
| 1985, the Federation International Amateur | | | | Russian forms, they are taught to use |
| Sambo (FIAS) was formed. Sambo was a | | | | improvisation but within a certain structure. |
| demonstration sport at the 1980 Moscow | | | | Students of this style are taught that pain |
| Olympics but due to the large number of | | | | is a penalty for an incorrect move and when |
| boycotts that affected the games, numbers | | | | you stop getting hurt, you are doing it |
| were insufficient for Sambo to be included in | | | | right. Today there are Sambo schools and |
| further games. Originally a single system, | | | | teachers worldwide and the sports popularity |
| there are now four recognized styles of | | | | has grown immensely in recent years. |
| Sambo. Borba Sambo or Sport Sambo is very | | | | |
| similar to Judo or wrestling, but unlike | | | | Yoshi I Kundagawa is a freelance journalist. |
| Judo, allows leg locks but choke holds are | | | | He covers the mixed martial arts industry. |
| forbidden. Self-defense Sambo is much like | | | | For a free report on Sambo visit his blog. |