Sambo was invented by the
Soviets during the time just after the Revolution in Russia, and was seen as an example of the Socialist dream to reinvent traditional arts on a scientific model. Sambo is similar in many ways to
Judo and
Jujutsu, but is also said to incorporate traditional Russian wrestling techniques as well. The man generally credited with teaching and introducing Sambo in Russia was
Vasili Oschepkov, who was also one of the first Russians to learn Judo. Oschepkov taught these techniques to Russian Special Forces and Commandos during the period between the two World Wars.
The name “Sambo” derives from an acronym in Russian which means “combat without weapons.” These techniques were used by soldiers initially and gradually formed a sport sanctioned by the Soviet Union as beneficial to the people’s movement and a shining example of Socialist advances. The Soviets promoted the sport Sambo through
Eastern Block sporting events in the manner that
Judo was being practiced competitively internationally. After the disintegration of the Soviet Union, the sport retained its popularity and tournaments in Russia, and began to have more of an international influence, as its teachers were then able to freely travel and teach Sambo abroad. Sambo is one of only four forms of wrestling practiced in international competitions, the others being Freestyle Wrestling,
Greco Roman Wrestling, and Judo. Sambo was also used by elite Soviet troops and KGB agents in the Cold War for hand to hand combat techniques.
