Sambo (Russian: самбо) -- (also called Sombo in the US and sometimes written in all-caps) is a modern martial art, combat 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.

The word Sambo is an acronym of САМозащита Без Оружия (SAMozashchita Bez Oruzhiya) meaning "self-defense without a weapon" in Russian.
The founders of Sambo were Vasili Oshchepkov (who died during the political purges of 1937 for refusing to deny his education in judo under its founder Kano Jigoro) and Viktor Spiridonov. They independently developed two different styles, both with the same name.

Sambo was developed to be maximally effective in fighting, sporting and combat situations. Big advantage of Sambo lies in its unlimited techniques, as it absorbed the most effective moves from self-defense systems around the world. Sambo has its roots in traditional folk wrestling styles of former Soviet republics, as well fighting styles from Japan, China, Mongolia, India, and Africa.

Sambo’s arsenal includes takedowns, ground and submission fighting.

Combat Sambo (Russian: Боевое самбо, Boyevoye Sambo). Utilized and developed for the military, Combat Sambo includes practice with weapons, including disarming techniques.

Combat Sambo resembles modern mixed martial arts with extensive forms of striking, throws, takedowns, submissions, chokes, weapon removal and defense against multiple attackers.

Judo (柔道, jūdō), meaning "gentle way", is a modern Japanese martial art (gendai budō) and combat sport, that originated in Japan in the late nineteenth century. Its most prominent feature is its competitive element, where the object is to either throw one's opponent to the ground, immobilize or otherwise subdue one's opponent with a grappling maneuver, or force an opponent to submit by joint locking the elbow or by applying a choke. Strikes and thrusts (by hands and feet) - as well as weapons defenses - are a part of judo, but only in pre-arranged forms (kata) and are not allowed in judo competition or free practice (randori).

Russian Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) is a full contact combat sport that allows a wide variety of fighting techniques and skills, from a mixture of martial arts traditions and non-traditions, to be used in competitions. The rules allow the use of striking and grappling techniques, both while standing and on the ground. Such competitions allow martial artists of different backgrounds to compete.

 

Combat Sambo Combat Sambo (Russian: Боевое самбо, Boyevoye Sambo). Utilized and developed for the military, Combat Sambo includes practice with weapons, including disarming techniques.
Combat Sambo resembles modern mixed martial arts with extensive forms of striking, throws, takedowns, submissions, chokes, weapon removal and defense against multiple attackers.