Is Combat Sambo Effective for Self-Defense and Street Fighting?
Combat Sambo is a Russian martial art designed for the purpose of the military. The main goal was to create a system that would improve the hand to hand fighting abilities of Russian soldiers. The final result was a martial art called “Sambo,” a mix of various grappling and striking put into one system. But how effective combat Sambo is in a real fight?
Combat Sambo is an all around system that works really well in real life. In fact, it is often seen as one of the most practical forms of combat. However, it is not that present in the western world as Sambo is not that popular outside of Russia.
In short, Sambo trains you to fight at all ranges, in all places, and how to use all limbs as weapons to attack or defend. On top of that, it teaches military dirty tactics and even weapon based training which adds to the realism of this martial art. Keep reading this article to learn more about the effectiveness of combat Sambo.
How effective is combat sambo?
Combat Sambo is a military system and with that, it is very practical in any type of freestyle fight. If you have any doubts, just take a closer look at how dominant Sambo fighters are in MMA. They are among the best fighters and more than capable of beating athletes from any other style. But what makes combat sambo so effective?
Versatility
First of all, Sambo is a versatile martial art created as a hybrid mix of wrestling and judo, boxing, Muay Thai, and other striking techniques. In training, students learn how to strike using all limbs as weapons, and grapple with take-downs, trips, and throws.
One thing to note is that the striking aspect is a bit less important. The emphasis is on explosive grappling attacks and finishing the fight on the ground.
- Take the opponent down with trips, throws, take-downs, and sweeps
- Strike with punches, kicks, knees, and elbows
- Fight inside the clinch and get into a dominant position on the ground
- Submit people with chokes and joint locks
On top of that, it also enables you to utilize brutal moves like (not in competition ):
- Headbutts
- Groin strikes
- Eye gouging
- Various other self-defense moves
Emphasizes finishes
Combat Sambo is a very aggressive fighting style where the main goal is to finish the fight as fast as possible. Although matches include points, the main goal is to always push for a finish. This is the main reason why fighters tend to swing power punches from the opening second of the fight and burn a lot of energy in a couple of minutes. They all compete at a relentless pace and have vicious ground and pound skills on the ground.
Hard methods of training
Training in Combat Sambo is a grueling full-body workout that is as intense as it gets. Each Sambo gym embraces a hard method of training and a lot of sparring. On one side, this is very hard on your body, but on the other, is the best method to prepare for a real fight. Sparring is crucial when it comes to timing, feeling for distance, and developing automatic reactions.
Dirty tactics
Unlike some other hybrid systems, combat Sambo involves dirty tactics and weapon based training. Students learn how to deal with various weapons, and apply dirty tactics like groin strikes, eye gouging, and of course, the infamous headbutts. Although brutal, these tactics are highly effective when you are fighting for your life.
Is Combat Sambo good for self-defense?
Sambo is one of the best martial arts when it comes to self-defense and street fights. In some way, it is very similar to MMA but maybe even better since it focuses more on real scenarios you may face on the streets. On top of that, it includes more weapons and teaches you how to deal with multiple attackers and even weapons. Yes, there is a sports version of combat Sambo, but most gyms also include pure self-defense drills.
Aggression — in the initial form, Sambo was created for intense self-defense scenarios. Thus, it trains you to be aggressive in your approach and always push for a finish. This is huge for street fighting where there are no judges, referees, or rules to follow. Each second that passes means more trouble so it is crucial to have skills to finish the fight quickly.
Advanced grappling — is very important as most people don’t know how to defend against these attacks. Defending a take-down or escaping from the bottom is all about leverage, balance, and technique and you can’t muscle your way out of it. Instead of striking and causing injuries, you can always use Sambo skills to take the fight to the ground and subdue the opponent without any injuries.
Covers all the places and ranges — is crucial as most other martial arts are limited in this aspect. Students learn how to fight at distance using kicks and long-range punches, strike inside the pocket or in the clinch, and of course grapple and fight on the ground. No matter where the fight goes, you will have weapons and skills at your disposal to defend.
Realistic training — is what separates Sambo from most other martial arts. Yes, it does include competition where you have to obey the rules. But, students also do advanced self-defense drills where they go through scenarios that you may encounter on the streets.
Is Combat Sambo good for MMA?
Sambo stands for a great MMA base as it fits well within the rules of the sport. In fact, Sambo as a concept is very similar to cage fighting, which is the main reason why its fighters have so much success in the UFC for instance.
Most other martial arts like boxing, BJJ, or Muay Thai are one-dimensional. Or in other words, focus on just one element, either striking or grappling. But Sambo is one of the rare systems that mix these two elements together. This makes it very practical as it trains you for the most scenarios that you may face in MMA. Like MMA, it only includes the most effective techniques from arts like:
- Wrestling (take-downs, throws, pins)
- Judo (throws, trips, sweeps)
- Boxing (head movement, blocks, angles, footwork)
- Muay Thai (clinch, kicks, knees, and elbows)
On top of that, the sambo style is a bit different, and fighters from the western world are not familiar with it. This makes Sambo fighters in MMA a tough matchup for anyone because it is very hard to prepare for such a relentless style. Just look at three key Sambo figures in MMA:
- Khabib Nurmagomedov
- Islam Makhachev
- Fedor Emelianenko.
All of these fighters are trained in Sambo, and as dominant as it gets in MMA. Inside the cage, they are awkward, always pressing forward, and mauling people with insane grappling skills and top control. They are not technical on the feet, but at the same time, their skills are more than effective.
Their timing, feeling for distance, top control, finishing instincts, and ability to stay aggressive for the entire duration of the fight makes them one of the most capable athletes.
Sambo vs Combat sambo — what is the main difference?
There are two main styles of sambo called “Sports Sambo” and “Combat Sambo”. Here is how these two styles differ from one another:
- Sports Sambo — is a sports version that focuses only on grappling. It is a mix of wrestling and judo where the emphasis is on hard throws and leg locks. But, this form does not allow the usage of choke holds or any type of strikes.
- Combat Sambo — is a more brutal version designed for the military. It includes both striking and grappling, and there are very few restrictions when it comes to grips and holds. Matches are very similar to modern MMA fighting and there are very few differences in rules. Training also includes brutal moves such as headbutts, groin strikes, and other brutal moves that are very effective in real life.
What are the downsides (cons) of Combat Sambo?
Sambo might be one of the best martial arts, but, it is not ideal. Here is a list of all the major downsides of Sambo:
Not popular outside of Russia
Sambo is more than present in a lot of countries outside of Russia, but not enough. You might have a hard time finding a gym to train in, notably in the western world like the US or South America. Even if you do, the quality of classes and coaching staff might not be on the same level as in Russia. This might change in the future, however, with the rapid rise of Sambo fighters in MMA.
Matches are short
Sambo is very similar to MMA in terms of most rules and skills. But, Sambo matches are actually much short and last only 5 minutes. This is much less than in MMA where matches are 15 minutes, or 25 minutes if the title is on the line. Short matches are also the main reason why Sambo fighters are so explosive as they don’t have to worry too much about the gas tank.
Not as advanced on the ground
Sambo puts a lot of emphasis on ground fighting. However, it is not as versatile as some other systems, like BJJ for example when it comes to weapons. There are far fewer submissions, sweeps, and escapes.
