today over which of the three individuals, Kharlampiev, Spiridonov, or
Oshchepkov, was most responsible for the actual formation of the art.
Given the bloody nature of the Soviet regime during the 1930s, it is un-
likely that there is a simple or direct answer to this question.
In part because of the chaotic situation in the post-Revolutionary So-
viet Union, combined with the horrific human toll of World War II, the ac-
tual history of sambo is a contentious issue in the newly democratized
Russian Federation. There are supporters of Kharlampiev, Oshchepkov,
and Spiridonov, each advocating their own “founder’s” position. Further,
there exist different branches of the art, each often contending with the
others as to sambo’s actual foundations. As with many martial arts, even
recent ones, the actual development and history may always be a cause for
speculation.
Sambo is recognized as a syncretic martial art that borrowed tech-
niques from several styles. The founders of the art were versed in different
fighting systems, and attempts were made to integrate them together. From
the Baltic states of Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia, which had extensive ties
to Western Europe, Greco-Roman wrestling and freestyle wrestling were
observed and studied. From Greco-Roman wrestling, several powerful
throws were incorporated into sambo, most notably those using the hips.
Leg techniques were added from freestyle wrestling. In the Caucasus Re-
public of Georgia, traditional jacket wrestling was studied. Jacket wrestling
involves the competitors wearing a tight-fitting jacket, which can be
grasped to throw a person. The jacket is supposed to represent clothing and
thus help develop a person’s ability to defend oneself in a street situation.
This practice may have influenced the sambo uniform and taught sambo
practitioners how to use the clothing of an opponent for techniques. Osse-
tian grappling arts were also studied. Ossetia is another region of the Cau-
casus where wrestling is intensely practiced for both sport and self-defense.
Other arts that may have been incorporated into sambo included the
Turkish wrestling practiced in Azerbaijan. Azeri/Turkish wrestling resem-
bles the Icelandic sport of Glimain many respects, most notably the pants
that are worn by the competitors, which can be grasped for throws (in
Glima, the pants are represented by a belt). This practice may have led to
the idea of grasping the belt in sambo for use in throwing the opponent.
Khokh,the national Armenian wrestling system, was probably also stud-
ied. In addition, native Russian techniques were also incorporated into this
system, including arm and leg locks.
Armlocks are attempts to hyperextend the elbow joint beyond its ca-
pacity. If this is done, the opponent’s arm is broken. Leg locks are similar in
that they attempt to hyperextend the knee joint or twist the opponent’s an-
kle into a break. This can break the leg. These combat techniques may have508 Sambo