Sambo

Source
www.sambo.net

Sambo wrestling is a composite style of jacket wrestling originally developed in Russia to serve as a common form of sport wrestling for the fifteen different republics of the former Soviet Union, each of which had one or more of its own distinct styles of folk wrestling, with widely varying rules. It was also used as a form of hand-to-hand combat preparation and training by Soviet military for use in unarmed combat. Sambo today is practiced in two flavors: Sport Sambo, the third style of international wrestling and a globally popular form of submission grappling; and Combat Sambo, a method of self-defense training. The term SAMBO is an acronym for the Russian phrase "SAMozashchita Bez Oruzhiya" or in English language, "Self-defense Without Weapons." Until the official adoption of the term "SAMBO" the sport had also been referred to as SAM, and then later SAMOZ. The correct, official Internationally recognized English transliterated spelling is SAMBO.

Although the roots of Sambo extend into ancient times of Rus and the various styles of folk wresting in the former Soviet republics, the birth of Sambo is generally considered to be 16 November 1938: the date upon which it was officially recognized as a sport by the USSR National Committee of Physical Culture. Sambo was accepted as an international sport and recognized as the third style of international wrestling by FILA, the International Amateur Wrestling Federation, as the FILA Congress held during the 1966 FILA Wrestling Championships held in Toledo, Ohio USA. The First World Sambo Championships took place in Teheran, Iran in 1972. Sambo was included in the Pan American Games in Caracas, Venezuela in 1983. Sambo separated from FILA and USA Wrestling in 1984 and under the presidency of Fernando Compte of Spain formed the International Amateur Sambo Federation (FIAS) to govern Sambo at the world level. In 1985 FIAS was accepted into the General Association of International Sports Federations (GAISF also known as AGFIS). FIAS was also accepted into the International World Games Association (IWGA) and appeared in the 1985 World Games in London and the 1993 World Games in Hague, Holland, a multi-level sport festival that features more than 30 non-Olympic sports (held every four years in the year following the Olympic Games). In 1978-79, Sambo was introduced into the U.S. by the Wrestling Committee of the AAU (AAU at that time was the National Governing Body) for wrestling in the United States.) Since 1994, Sambo in the United States has been governed by the American Sambo Federation. The ASF is also affiliated with the AAU and works with the AAU Wrestling Committee. Sambo also appeared in the World Youth Games in Moscow, Russia in 1998 for the first time. Since 1990, various countries (former Soviet states) split away and formed separate national federations., as well as in 1991 until 1997 there were two different international federations (FIAS and FMS). In 1997, during the World Championships in Tblisi, Georgia, FIAS and FMS were united and at the present time there is only one international Sambo organization, which is FIAS. The president of FIAS is Mr. Michael Tikomirov, who is also the president of the All-Russian Sambo Federation. The Vice-president of FIAS is Leonid Polyakov, who is also the president of the American Sambo Federation. In 1993, during the World Sambo Championships in Kstovo, Russia, Mr. Josh Henson lost his bid for FIAS presidency, and Mr. T. Horimai from Japan was elected FIAS president until 1997, when current FIAS president Mr. M. Tikomirov from Moscow, Russia was elected. As we indicated before in Tblisi, Georgia not only was a new FIAS president (Mr. M. Tikomirov) elected, but also both international bodies (FIAS and FMS) were united to form again the International Governing Body of Sambo: FIAS. In the United States of America at present time, many organizations claim to represent Sambo. However, the ASF, as mentioned earlier is the only officially FIAS recognized representative of Sambo in USA. Sport Clubs such as the USSA, ASF and many others are member sport clubs of the AAU (Amateur Athletic Union) because they pay their membership fees to the AAU. However, THERE IS NO LEGAL DOCUMENTATION nor has there ever been any official decision where USSA was "named" the USA Sambo NGB (National Governing Body) by the AAU. Only FIAS can recognize the NGB representative. Additionally, AAU recognized Sambo as a sport, but to date the United States Olympic Committee and the International Olympic Committee have not. All legitimate organizations take care to be honest and avoid confusing people who love this great sport of Sambo.

ASF EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
L. Polyakov - President (Biographical link)
S. Sonnon - Vice-president
M. Rusak - Secretary
R. Vees - Referee Chairman
L. Raykhstat - Head Coach of US Sambo Team
D. Derose - Combat Sambo Chairman
T. Milhoan - Athletic Representative

COMBAT SAMBO Combat Sambo is governed by the International Combat Sambo Commission for FIAS. The Vice-President of the ICSC for FIAS is General Alexander Retuinskih, who is also Deputy-Chairman of the Russian Combat Sambo Committee for the All-Russian Sambo Federation, President of the All-Russian Federation of Russian Martial Art and President of the All-Russian Federation of Russian Martial Art. In June of 1999, the Executive Committee of the American Sambo Federation elected Dayn Derose as the Combat Sambo Chairman to work in the development of Combat Sambo in USA in coordination with FIAS and the International Combat Sambo Commission. The ASF is working with Gen. Alexander Retuinskih and Dr. Leonid Polyakov, ASF President, and Dayn Derose, ASF Combat Sambo Chairman, to produce literature, standards, and materials on authentic Russian Combat Sambo.

SPORT SAMBO RULES OF COMPETITION UNIFORM:
A Sambo uniform comprises sambofki (special Sambo shoes) and both a red kurtka (special Sambo jacket) with a red belt and red shorts, plus a blue kurtka, belt and shorts. Jacket, shorts and belt must be matching colors (all red or all blue, not mixed). The kurtka should be made of canvas or other heavy material. Sleeves must extend to the wrists and wide enough to allow four fingers held side by side to fit into the end of the sleeve. The kurtka should be tight fitting and extend no more than eight inches below the belt. The belt must be wrapped snugly around the body and must pass through belt loops in the kurtka. Club or national patches may be attached to the left side of the chest area. The kurtka must have cuffs or epaulettes (braces) sewn onto the shoulder of the kurtka, perpendicular to the shoulder and the uppermost point of the arm. A judo gi (jacket) is not the same and is unacceptable at official competitions. Shorts should be tight fitting and cover at least one-third of the hip. Wrestling singlets (red or blue) may be used, although the strapless trunks are preferred. Sambofki (shoes) should be made of soft leather or other pliable material and should have a soft leather sole with seams inside. Rubber soled wrestling shoes are acceptable, although soft soled Sambofki are preferred and recommended for safety.

DURATION OF THE SPORT SAMBO MATCH The match is one period of six minutes in length for Senior, five minutes for Espoir and Junior and four minutes for Schoolboy and Cadet. Matches will be stopped and sportsmen returned to the center of the mat for a standing start (there is no ground or "par terre" position in Sambo) in the following situations: 1. Sportsmen are out of bounds (one foot touches protection area standing or half of body in submission hold); 2. Time out for injury or adjusting uniforms; 3. No activity by sportsmen while on the ground; 4. Sportsmen cautioned for illegal hold; 5. Total Victory or submission hold is earned.

WINNING THE SPORT SAMBO MATCH A match can be won in one of several ways: 1. Total Victory (a "perfect throw" or submission hold) which ends match immediately; 2. Technical Superiority (12 point difference in score), which ends match immediately; 3. Point difference at end of match duration. If there has been no Total Victory or Technical Superiority, the sportsman with the most points at the end of the match wins - no minimum point score required. Tie matches are decided by a one minute overtime period, or if there is no winner at the end of overtime, by majority decision of the officials.

ILLEGAL HOLDS IN SPORT SAMBO
Holds not permitted in Sambo include: 1. bending arms behind back (hammerlock or chicken wing); 2. submission on shoulder, wrist, neck, fingers or toes; 3. gripping the mat or the opponent below the belt or inside the sleeve; 4. pressure to the face; 5. twisting or squeezing the opponent's head; 6. punching or slapping; 7. driving the opponent's head into the mat; 8. standing or throwing submission holds; 9. gouging; 10. strangling or choking holds.

SCORING IN SPORT SAMBO
1. Hold Down: (Immobilization or Predicament) - Similar to a judo hold down or a long wrestling near fall. One sportsman must hold the back of the other sportsman toward the mat in a danger position (less than 90 degrees), with chest, side or back in unbroken contact with the chest of the opponent to score. A hold down is "broken" when contact between the athletes is broken when space is created between them, or the defending athlete turns over to the stomach or the side with an angle greater than 90 degrees. A Hold down may only be scored once in a match and will earn either 2 points for a ten second hold down or 4 points for a twenty second hold down. Once a hold down is scored, a sportsman cannot attempt
2. Submission Hold: A pressure hold (arm or leg lock) applied ot the arm or leg of the opponent which makes the opponent surrender or submit by calling out or by tapping the mat at least twice. Submission holds cannot be applied in standing position. A submission hold ends the match.
3. Throw: A throw is scored anytime one sportsman takes another to the mat in a single, continuous and uninterrupted action. A Sambo throw is more than a simple wrestling takedown, however. Like a judo or Greco-Roman throw, it must start with both sportsmen on their feet, one sportsmen must unbalance the other and take the opponent directly to the mat with one action without stopping. A throw must knock the defender off their feet either by lifting or tripping them, not merely dragging them down. A throw is scored based on two factors: How the thrown athlete lands and whether the thrower remains standing (scoring twice as many points if remaining standing). A Perfect Throw results in Total Victory and stops the match when a sportsman throws the other to his back while remaining standing. Other throws will score 4 points, 2 points, or 1 point, depending on the impact point of the thrown athlete. COMBAT SAMBO Combat Sambo has three main styles, each according to a particular founder: Spiridonovan-Style (or "Old Style" also known as SAM or SAMOZ), Oshchepkovan-Style and Kharlampievan-Style.