Sambo is a Russian martial art also called Sombo or Cambo. It is a modern martial art and self-defense art that has been recognized as an official sport since 1938. The word Sambo stands for SAMozashchita Bez Oruzhiya which means self-defense without weapons. The sport has its roots in Chinese Shuaijiao, Japanese Judo and traditional wrestling styles such as Armenian Koch.
The founders of this martial art are Vasily Oshchepkov and Viktor Spiridonov. They independently developed two different styles, both with the same name. Spiridonov's style was a soft, aikido-like style. Anatoly Kharlampiev, a student of Spiridonov, is officially considered the founder of the sport.
Sambo styles
- Sport Sambo: In style it is similar to amateur wrestling or judo
- Self-defense Sambo: In style it is similar to jiu-jitsu
- Combat Sambo: was developed for the military
- Special Sambo: developed for the commandos
- Freestyle Sambo: style developed by the American Sambo Association
Uniforms and degrees
A practitioner of this Russian martial art normally wears a red or blue jacket, a belt and trousers of the same color. He also wears sambovki, special shoes. The uniform is not linked to a specific grade. In Russia there is a ranking linked to matches fought. Some schools now use colored bands to indicate differences. The points system used in Russia is known as the Unified Sports Classification System. The athlete with the highest score is called the Master of Sport.
