Sambo History

Sambo is a modern form of martial art, combat at sport and self-defense system developed in the former Soviet Union and recognized as an official sport by the USSR All Union Sports Committee in 1938 presented by Kharlampiev Anatoly.  The word Sambo means "self-defense without a weapon" in Russia Sambo has its roots in traditional fold styles of wrestling such as Armenian Koch, Georgian Chidaoba, Moldovan and Mongolian styles.

According to the International Federation of Associated Wrestling Styles, Sambo is one of the four main forms of amateur completive wrestling practiced internationally today, the other three being Greco-Roman wrestling, freestyle wrestling and judo.  FILA accepted Sambo as the 3rd style of international wrestling in 1968 until the Sambo community formed its own organization Federation International Amateur Sambo in 1985.  In 1993 the Federation of International Amateur Sambo split into two organizations. The name and logo that both organizations used was the same. The two groups were often referred to as FIAS "East" and FIAS "West".  The split mirrored the last days of cold war politics of the time as well as the recent break up of the Soviet Union.  In 2005, FILA reached an agreement with FIAS "West" and reassumed sanctioning over the sport Sambo. Both originations conduct separate world championships and other international evens.  However,  only FIAS sanction conducts Combat Sambo competition.

At the  Olympic Games in Moscow, Russia in 1980, Sambo was a demonstration Sport. Unfortunately, it did not bring in sufficient numbers in order to continue as a participatory game. Although, there is no recognized founder of Sambo, Anatoly Kharlampiev is very often considered as the founder of the Sport.  Also it was originally a single system, there are different types of generally recognized version of Sambo. 

Sport Sambo is stylistically similar to amateur wrestling or Judo. Although quite similar to Judo there are some evident differences in rules, regulations, uniform etc. For example, in contrast with Jude, Sambo allows all types of leg locks, while not allowing chokeholds.  Self defense Sambo is similar to Aikijutsu, Jujitsu or Aikido and is based on self defense application, such as defending against attacks by both armed and unarmed attackers.  Many practitioners consider Self Defense Sambo as part of Combat Sambo and not a system into itself.  Combat Sambo utilized and developed for the military, this is arguably the root of Sambo as it is now known, and includes practice with weapons and disarming techniques. Extensive forms of striking and grappling are some of the older forms of Judo features, that competition in combat sambo resembles. The first FIAS World Sambo Championship was held in 2001.  Special Sambo developed for Army Special Forces and Rapid Reaction Police teams and other law enforcement formations.  The Special Sambo version differs from team to team due to different tasks and aims, however the base of any special system developed in that field is of course Sambo. Each technique for Sambo was carefully dissected and considered for its merits and found acceptable in unarmed combat, refined to reach Sambo's ultimate goal stop an armed or unarmed adversary in the least time possible.