The Best Books for learning Russian Sambo

If you’re serious about training Sambo then reading literature on the subject can massively help improve your technique and speed up your development as a result. Because of this, a lot of people turn to books to supplement their training. Another reason for turning to literature is because Sambo is still relatively uncommon outside of Russia and its surrounding countries. Similarly, if you train a different martial art and want to simply learn more, then books are a great place to start. Therefore, picking up a book on the subject is a great idea and thankfully there’s enough Sambo content out there to keep even the biggest of enthusiasts occupied. Here’s a list of the top 10 Sambo books to help improve your training.

The Sambo Encyclopedia by Steve Scott

You may know of Steve Scott from Youtube where his channel is a goldmine for Sambo and Judo techniques. Steve has trained for decades and is also a Judo black belt who is incredibly knowledgeable on the subject. Therefore, it’s only right that he’s written a literal encyclopedia on the subject. This book is complete with over 1200 photo demonstrations as well as sections dedicated to throws, holds, and arm locks. In short, whether you’re new or experienced when it comes to Sambo, this is a great reference point and an excellently presented book.

Sambo Wrestling by Reilly Bodycomb

Reilly Bodycomb is probably the most successful American Sambo practitioner ever, so this book needs no introduction. He’s also highly skilled when it comes to leg locks and so for that area alone, this book is worth picking up. It’s also worth noting that this book is 92 pages in length, so is a relatively short read. Nonetheless, it’s a case of quality over quantity with this one and you know you’re in safe hands when it comes to Reilly Bodycomb and Sambo.

Sambo Wrestling: Physical and Cultural Sports, 1949 by John Lehmann

It should first be acknowledged that this book isn’t solely based on techniques and so shouldn’t be purchased as a training manual. Instead, Lehmann takes on a different approach which is based on the history of the martial art as well as practical throwing skills. Here, he delves into its creation which began during the cold war and was formulated by the KGB. Therefore, if you want to learn more about the art and the culture surrounding it, this book is a good place to start.

Sambo: the basic throws by Alexander Kovalchuk

This book is based on the basic throws that are found in Sambo. With this in mind, there’s nothing particularly fancy taught in this book, but the moves are also incredibly practical and effective. This is Sambo after all, which is based on working and substance over style. If you’re new to the art then this is a great read and looks at the fundamentals. You could argue that it provides you with the building blocks and foundations to begin your Sambo training with.

Championship Sambo: Submission Holds and Groundfighting by Steve Scott

Steve Scott returns and this book was released back in 2006. Still, its principles and philosophies still apply as much today as they did back then. As this book title suggests, this is based on the ground game of Sambo. Although the bulk of Sambo takes place standing, the floor techniques are just as important as this is often when a match is won or lost. Here, Steve focuses on arm and leg locks as well as pins and general control.

Sambo: The Ultimate Guide To Starting Sambo and Combat Sambo by Jeff McCall

Simply put, this is a great book for beginners and is really useful if you’re just starting out. A lot of questions are answered here, such as how to deal with cauliflower ear, what are the Sambo belt rankings and many other commonly asked questions. Interestingly, the book is also devoted in part to Combat Sambo. This is Sambo with strikes (kicks and punches) and is the most popular variant of regular Sambo. In short, McCall answers widely asked questions in his book and does so in great detail.

Wrestling Sambo by Gintas Bukauskas

Gintas Bukauskas is the owner of an MMA gym and knows his stuff about fighting. As a result, this book is written with a self defense and MMA angle, which is sometimes not as commonly mentioned in regular, sport Sambo. At 140 pages in length, it’s a good read and shows a variety of throws and different techniques. This book is useful as a general guide to Sambo and offers enough detail for everyone and anyone.

Combat Sombo 1962 by John Lehmann

Lehmann returns, this time focusing on the combat element of Sambo in a military setting. Ideal for those who want to learn more about Combat Sambo, this book is well written and is once again written with the historic aspect of the art in mind. Therefore, if you like Sambo whilst also like a bit of history, this combines the best of both worlds. This isn’t just a trip down memory lane though, as Sambo can be quite brutal at times as it also offers a look at realistic, practical moves and techniques.

Mastering Sambo for Mixed Martial Arts by Scott Sonnon

This book is exactly what it says it is; teaching Sambo in an MMA setting. As has been proven by the likes of Russian MMA stars Fedor Emelianenko and Khabib Nurmagomedov – Sambo is massively effective in MMA and is arguably the best martial art to be used in the cage. This book teaches the correct takedown techniques, as well as submission moves such as heel hooks. A bit part of this book is also based on defending strikes whilst applying these submissions, so it has a good balance of defensive and offensive ground work.

Sambo: tactics of throws by Alexander Kovalchuk

Alexander Kovalchuk returns, this time teaching the tactical side of throws. Too often, people will learn moves and mindlessly try them in sparring without understanding the tactical side of the game. This book looks to right those wrongs and teaches how to set moves up and think about what is going on during the stand up part of sparring. Here, Kovalchuk delves deep into concepts such as weight distribution, leverage, fakes, and timing. All of these are massively important when going for throws and this book does a great job at analyzing their importance.