History :
Born at the following day from the October 1917 revolution from the synthesis of techniques as various as those from French boxing, Japanese jiu-jitsu and several styles of Russian wrestling, this Soviet art of combat finds its origins deep in the multiple martial methods practised all over the world.
Taught initially for the population of the Soviets to help it to maintain the governement during the period of civil war which follows the revolution, SAM system is very quickly reserved to the only members of the KGB who try out the frightening effectiveness then of it.
It is only in 1947 that it acquires, its founders forgive me the expression, its letters of nobility. Its modern rise is indeed allotted to Alexandre Kharlampiev who popularizes it at that time under the name of SAMBO, abbreviation of SAMozatchita Bez Orougia, iterally Self defense Without Weapons. He completes its codification and declines it under two aspects, a sporting one, and a defensive one.
Meeting since then a growing success, in particular in France and in the United States, the sambo slowly climbs the steps which will perhaps allow him a day to reach the very closed circle of the Olympic disciplines.
Last born of the grappling sports, sporting sambo is connected first of all with judo and all-in wrestling. It has in common the jacket and color belt indicating the ranks from the first, the shorts and flexible leather shoes from the second.
But there stops the comparison because sporting sambo is characterized by original and varied techniques, in particular of very effective articular keys and jumped revolving sequences which make of it the most complete and most innovative of all the existing grappling sports to date; the number of techniques having been indexed exceeding the 5000.
In these times of increasing insecurity it is an activity which one should not unfortunately neglect. Far from forming new " rambos ", the self defense objective is to perfect the control of the body obtained in sporting sambo while developing apprentice's right defensive reflexes.
For that one uses, as in sporting sambo, active pedagogy where put in situation and confrontation are required. Indeed, rather than misleading the student while learning to him beautiful inapplicable techniques in real combat, one prefers to call upon his potential of survival (that which one uses in the event of aggression) in order to reinforce it and to sharpen it. It is only afterwards that technical refinement can intervene, people coming to self defense do noy have ten years to devote before being able to ensure a little their own safety.
Factor of a greater wellness and a perfect control, SAMBO, like any well undertaken activity, leads to the blooming of the individual while contributing to the harmonious development of its qualities.
Fédération Française Amateur de Sambo - Défense Personnelle
National Internship documentation Manosque, October 1996
Jean-Marc LIGER