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