Such martial arts are widely known in the world as karate, aikido, taekwondo, etc. But recently, the martial art form developed in the USSR - sambo is rapidly gaining popularity. Why, for a long time, many did not even realize that there was a domestic alternative to eastern and western martial arts, and what was unique about sambo?
History of creation
What type of martial arts was developed in the USSR? This question may baffle the bulk of people, but film buffs will probably answer in which country kung fu, karate or judo appeared. So far, they haven’t made a movie about sambo wrestlers, but the history of sambo (the full name sounds like “self-defense without weapons”) began in the 1920s. XX century
In the young state - the Soviet Union - then special units of law enforcement agencies, which needed special training, were just beginning to form. The government actively supported various experiments in this area.
V. A. Spiridonov (one of the founders of the Moscow sports society Dynamo) proposed mandatory self-defense training (discipline "self-defense") for security officers. He approached the development of the self-proclamation program in a non-standard way: in addition to boxing techniques and other widely known martial arts, the most effective techniques from various national types of wrestling, characteristic only for certain peoples of the world, were studied.
Around the same time, the active activity of another founder of sambo - V.S. Oshchepkova. A former Soviet intelligence officer, the first in the history of Russia, the owner of the second judo and a talented trainer, Vasily Sergeyevich taught Japanese martial art, well known to him, at the Moscow Institute of Physical Education. But at some point he, moving away from the strict canons of martial arts, using the best techniques of ju-jitsu and judo, began to develop a completely new "free-style wrestling without weapons."
The achievements of Spiridonov and Oshchepkov eventually merged into a single system, called “sambo”. What kind of martial arts was developed in the USSR, it became known all over the world after the 1950s: Soviet sambo wrestlers at international competitions and friendlies began to “smash” national teams of judokas from other countries, and quite often by a wide margin in the score (for example, 47: 1 in the case of Hungarian athletes).
In the Soviet Union, the government strongly supported the development of domestic martial art, but with the collapse of the state in the 1990s, difficult times came for sambo: the focus of the athletes shifted to the eastern martial arts, which looked so impressive in foreign films.
Only in the 2000s did interest in mixed wrestling techniques return, and athletes again recall what kind of martial arts was developed in the USSR, and all its advantages.
Sambo philosophy
Sambo is not just a type of martial arts in the USSR, it is a certain philosophy that helps a person to cultivate the best moral and volitional qualities, develop stamina and endurance, learn to achieve goals, and most importantly - protect at the right time both your family and your homeland .
Back in 1965, the Japanese were the first to decide to adopt the sambo technique and created their own sambo federation in their country. In Europe, they did not just know what kind of martial arts was developed in the USSR - there, according to the example of Japan, also associations of sambo wrestlers were created.
The interest in the newly developed military equipment is easy to explain: it was a unique quintessence of the best techniques from judo, sumo wrestling, fist fighting, national Russian, Tatar and Georgian wrestling, free-american, etc. Sambo technique does not stand still - it is from Year to year is developed and supplemented by new elements. Openness to all new and better, improved efficiency - this is the cornerstone of her philosophy.
Dress
There is a special uniform for sambo classes:
- sambovka jacket;
- belt;
- short shorts;
- specialist. footwear;
- protective groin bandage (for women - a protective bra).
Development prospects
In 1966, the world sports community did not just know what the type of martial arts was developed in the USSR: sambo was recognized as an international sport.
To date, international tournaments and competitions in this sport are regularly held: world, Asian and European championships, tournaments of categories "A" and "B", as well as a series of stages of the World Cup. However, the main desire of sambo athletes, representatives of whatever country they are, is to get the opportunity to speak at the Olympic Games, that is, to achieve the inclusion of sambo in the list of Olympic sports.