Sambo
Where did Sambo originate?
Wrestling
Sambo (martial art) Igor Yakimov Sambo (martial art) Alexander Emelianenko Omari Akhmedov
Sambo_(martial_art)-Styles Igor_Yakimov-Biography Sambo_(martial_art)-Champions_1 Alexander_Emelianenko-Martial_arts_training Omari_Akhmedov-Sambo
There are three FIAS recognized competitive sport variations of Sambo (though Sambo techniques and principles can be applied to many other combat sports). Sport Sambo (, "Bor'ba Sambo", " Sambo Wrestling (eng)") is stylistically similar to Olympic Freestyle Wrestling or Judo, but with some differences in rules, protocol, and uniform. For example, in contrast with judo, Sambo allows some types of leg locks, while not allowing chokeholds. It focuses on throwing, ground work and submissions, with (compared to Judo) very few restrictions on gripping and holds. Combat Sambo (, "Boyevoye Sambo"). Utilized and developed for the military, Combat Sambo resembles modern mixed martial arts, including extensive forms of striking and grappling where (unlike Sport Sambo) choking and bent joint locks are legal. Competitors wear jackets as in sport sambo, but also hand protection and sometimes shin and head protection. The first FIAS World Combat Sambo Championships were held in 2001. Freestyle Sambo – uniquely American set of competitive Sambo rules created by the American Sambo Association (ASA) in 2004. These rules differ from traditional Sport Sambo in that they allow choke holds and other submissions from Combat Sambo that are not permitted in Sport Sambo as well as certain neck cranks and twisting leg locks. Freestyle Sambo, like all Sambo, focuses on throwing skills and fast ground work. No strikes are permitted in Freestyle Sambo. The ASA created this rule set in order to encourage non-Sambo practitioners from judo and jujutsu to participate in Sambo events.  
Igor Yakimov, a former Soviet Army officer, is the head trainer of Sambo Canada and United Federation of Russian Sambo (UFRS) Canada President. Igor is a graduate of Russian Military College where he was trained in sport and combat sambo. He was twice national Sambo Champion of Russia, and world Sambo Champion. He is also the 2001 world judo champion in the Masters Class. Igor is a Master of Sports in sambo. Igor is also the Canadian representative of Federation International Amateur de Sambo (FIAS), the largest Sambo sanctioning body in the world. When Igor came to Canada he originally lived in St John's Newfoundland and trained at the Memorial University Judo Club, then run by Dr. Yves Legal. 
  Fedor Emelianenko, four-time World Combat Sambo Champion and six-time Russian national Combat Sambo Champion in the +100 kg division. Two-time Russian national Judo bronze medalist, he was the last heavyweight champion of the former PRIDE Fighting Championships and was the consensus #1 ranked Heavy weight MMA fighter in the world for over seven years. Rasul Mirzaev, World Combat Sambo Champion in Tashkent 2010. Igor Kurinnoy, a Merited Master of Sport, three time Sambo World Champion, a five time Sambo World Cup Champion and director of Borec Sports Club. Umar Shokhzodayev former Russian sambo champion ranked kandidat master in the sport sambo and long time champion in the country  Andrei Arlovski, former UFC heavyweight champion. He was also the Junior World sport Sambo Champion, as well as a silver medalist in the World Sambo Championship and World Sambo Cup. Vladimir Kjullenen, 1972 European Champion and USSR Champion, 1975 World Champion and USSR Champion. Ahad Rajabli, World Champion and multiple champion of Azerbaijan. Ron Tripp, 1994 World Champion and 7 times World Medalist capturing 8 US National Titles and 6 Pan Am Golds during his career (both FIAS East and West). A Judo champion and current general secretary of USA Judo. Tripp was promoted to 10th degree in Sambo in 1995 and became America's first International Distinguished Master of Sport in 1996. Also in 1996, he served as World Team Coach at the Tokyo World Championships. At the 1993 U.S. Sambo Championships, he scored a total victory throw victory over Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu legend Rickson Gracie. Clinton Burke, NCAA wrestling finalist and All-American from the University of Oklahoma, was a four-time finalist in world competition beginning in 1987, when he earned a silver medal in the World Cup in Tokyo. He won World Championship silver medals in three different weight classes (62 kg, 68 kg, and 74 kg), closing his career in 1993 as runner-up in the World Championships in Kstovo, Russia. Lance Campbell Sport Sambo World Champion (FIAS West). One of only eight grapplers selected to compete in the Ultimate Submission Showdown. Martin Clarke, The Father of British Sambo, Multiple time FIAS British Sambo Champion, World Games Silver 1985, World Silver 1986, World Masters Silver 1997. He is the only person in Great Britain to receive the FIAS Gold Medal for services to FIAS. He holds the rank of Grand Master in Combat Sambo and Sport Sambo. Amy Ehlenfeldt, an accomplished US judo player; she won the 1991 FIAS World Championships in Montreal, Canada, becoming the first American woman to achieve victory over a female USSR competitor. Aleksander Emelianenko, Fedor's brother, is a five-time Russian national Combat Sambo champion and three-time world Sambo champion in the +100 kg divisions. Jason Gabrielson, Three-time World champion, one-time World Cup champion, Pan-American Games champion, Sixteen-time US Champion competing in all age groups (FIAS West). Only US lifetime undefeated champion. Was nominated for (but did not win) the American Sambo Association's Pioneer of American Sambo award. Is also a champion wrestler and judo competitor. James Chico Hernandez, the first Sambo Champion to be featured on a box of Wheaties Energy Crunch. He is a 2000 FIAS West World Cup Vice-Champion, 1987, 2000 AAU United States National Sambo Champion and a three-time British FIAS Sambo silver medalist, First Sambo Wrestler to appear in CNN/SI “Faces In the Crowd”. Scott Sonnon, Honourable Master of Sports in Sambo from the AASF, was nominated for (but did not win) the American Sambo Association's Pioneer of American Sambo award, World University Sambo Games Silver Medalist (not an official University games event), USA Grand National and Pan-American Sambo Champion, and USA National Sambo Team Coach. Zurab Bekochvili, World Sambo Champion, Russian/U.S. Sambo & Judo Champion & a leading Sambo authority in Florida, USA under American Sambo Federation. Zurab Bekochvili holds a notable victory in a 1993 Sport Sambo match against Scott Sonnon  Igor Yakimov, World Judo Champion, as well a world Sport Sambo Champion and a medallist at the Combat Sambo world championships  Irina Rodina, Russian women's sport Sambo champion, Judo Olympian, and mixed martial artist  David Rudman, USSR, champion of the first International Sambo Tournament, at 70 kg, and first World Champion in the weight category up to 68 kg. Yury Rybak, Belarussian sport Sambo champion, and World Judo silver medalist  Andrei Kazusionak, Belarussian sport Sambo champion, European Judo champion, and Olympian  Blagoi Ivanov, Won the over 100 kg Combat Sambo gold medal at the 2008 World Sambo Championships,at 22 years of age he notably defeated Fedor Emelianeko, 4 time World Combat Sambo Champion. Sergej Grecicho, two time Lithuanian combat Sambo champion, mixed martial artist  Rumen Dimitrov, Bulgarian combat Sambo champion, and mixed martial artist  Rosen Dimitrov, Bulgarian combat Sambo champion, and mixed martial artist  Genrikh Shults, 6-times Soviet Sport Sambo champion (85 kg), the first capitan of the USSR national Judo team, European Judo champion (80 kg)  Vladimir Putin, KGB officer, former Prime Minister of Russia and current President, is Master of Sports in both Sambo and Judo.  
Emelianenko started martial arts training at a very early age: his older brother, Fedor, often had to babysit him, and since Fedor did not want to miss his Sambo practice, he took young Alexander with him. At first, Emelianenko only observed the older kids, but soon he started mimicking their movements. He started his formal Sambo training when he joined elementary school, training with Vladimir Mihailovich Voronov. Besides Sambo, Emelianenko practiced judo, wrestling and boxing and he also participated in other sports like basketball and football. At 16 years old, when he was in training school, his mother forbade him from training boxing but Emelianenko kept doing it in secret. Also at 16 years old, Emelianenko became a Russian Master of Sport in judo. In 1999, Emelianenko won the European Sambo championships. In 2003 he won the World Combat Sambo championships and repeated this feat in 2004 and 2006. In 2010, during February 19–22, Emelianeko took part in the Russian Cup of Combat Sambo representing Saint Petersburg, winning the heavyweight tournament (his brother Fedor injured his hand during the tournament) and earning the right to represent Russia at the World Championships. Emelianenko participated in sambo at Sportaccord Combat Games 2010 in Beijing, where he won the silver medal in the +100 kg category. Emelianenko has famously said of his fighting prowess, "My punches are like electric trains, if I miss, my opponent would catch a cold" 
 Combat Sambo Federation of Russia *Dagestan Combat Sambo Champion  