What is the difference between Combat Sambo and Sports Sambo?

Sambo is a Russian martial art that was formed to equip Russian soldiers with a style of fighting without weapons. Because of this, the term Sambo is a Russian acronym that roughly translates to ‘fighting without weapons’. In short, the art is similar to Judo in that it focuses on takedowns and throws, but it also has a strong submission emphasis, especially with leg locks.

With this said, it is fair to say that Sambo is based on grappling with the gi and is highly thought of as one of the most aggressive martial arts in the modern age. Due to its growth, Sambo has also been represented at the highest levels of MMA with the likes of Khabib Nurmagomedov and Fedor Emelianenko both using it successfully in the cage.

Interestingly, Sambo also has a strong focus on competition. Like Judo and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, Sambo has a strong competition scene which is seen as a good way of pressure testing any techniques that are learned in the gym. Generally speaking, there are three different forms of Sambo. The first is Combat Sambo, the second is Sports Sambo and lastly, there is Freestyle Sambo. Overall, most Sambists will practice Sports Sambo or Freestyle albeit Combat Sambo is also popular. Below we will analyze the difference between the two as well as any similarities.

What is Sports Sambo?

Sports Sambo is the most commonly taught form of Sambo outside the Russian military. This means that if you dropped into an average Russian Sambo gym, Sports Sambo would most likely be on offer. This is similar to Judo but has a few key differences. The first is that there are fewer restrictions on grabbing the gi. In Judo for instance, you can only grab the gi with one hand at a time. However, grabbing with both hands is legal in Sports Sambo.

Whilst some complain that Judo has been restricted by overbearing rules in recent years, Sports Sambo is a throwback to times were Judo had fewer complications and rules. One result of this is that Sambo focuses more on wrestling when compared to Judo. Not only this but Sports Sambo uses shorts instead of long pants. The reason for this is to emphasize upper body clinches, rather than grabbing the materials around the legs.

Points are scored in Sports Sambo by takedowns and sweeps. However, to achieve an instant victory (Ippon in Judo), you must either submit the opponent by making them tap or throw them to the floor whilst standing up. Sports Sambo has a number of submissions such as rolling Kneebars and Achilles locks that allow knee reaping.

What is Combat Sambo?

Combat Sambo is as it sounds. This means that in terms of a points system, it is similar to Sports Sambo. However, there is a key difference in allowing striking. With this, punches and kicks are legal as are elbows. Dependent on the rules, so are headbutts and groin strikes, although some competitions will not allow these. Usually, Combat Sambo also allows heel hooks and toeholds which are less common in Sports Sambo.

Because of this, Combat Sambo can be seen as far more aggressive and mixed compared to Sports Sambo which is primarily tailored towards grappling. It should also be noted that with any martial art when striking is added – the dynamic changes completely. To win in Combat Sambo, the same rules apply to Sports Sambo but you can also win by knockout, although sometimes strikes don’t contribute towards points.

Due to strikes, often Combat Sambo will use headgear as well as gloves and shin pads. In short, you could argue that Combat Sambo is similar to MMA in a gi with slightly different rules regarding groundwork.

Freestyle Sambo

Outside of Russia, Sambo is also popular in the USA which is where Freestyle Sambo was developed. This is a combination of Sports Sambo which also adds chokes. Typically, other forms of Sambo do not allow choking which is a unique part of the sport. However, this form does allow choking which once again changes the narrative. As there are a number of creative chokes allowed with the lapels of the gi, this opens up the game completely. With this said, Freestyle Sambo is akin to Sports Sambo which also has a mixture of submissions from Brazilian Jiu Jitsu.

What do Sports, Combat and Freestyle Sambo have in common?

So far, we’ve discussed the unique parts of each discipline and their differences such as strikes and certain submissions. Now we shall focus on what each variant has in common. Please note that this is based on a generalization and certain competitions may have specific rules that deviate from the norm.

Firstly, all forms of Sambo use the same uniform which is a gi, belt, and shorts. Secondly, all Sambo has the same rules when the action hits the ground. This means you will have 7 seconds to secure a pin or submission. For instance, if you grab an arm or leg to attack within the 7 second window then you will have a further 60 seconds to submit the opponent. Because of this, when the opponent is put on the floor, you have 7 seconds to pin or submit the opponent which pushes the action.

Some referees will give closer to 5 seconds however, dependent on their interpretation of how advanced the position is. This means that Sambists are often taught to throw opponents directly into pins or submissions which is different from BJJ, where the idea of the throw is merely to put the opponent on the floor, often without a specific pin or submission in mind.

Final Thoughts

Overall, you should pick what Sambo format best suits you and your individual goals. For instance, if you want to venture into MMA then Combat Sambo is the perfect place to start. It could be argued that Combat Sambo is perfect to transition into MMA as it offers an emphasis on takedowns, submissions, and striking into one. However, if you want a less dangerous form of combat then regular Sports Sambo may be beneficial.

Sports Sambo is still tough and has its fair share of injuries, however due to the lack of strikes it isn’t seen as extreme as Combat Sambo and will toughen you up with less chance of major injuries. Lastly, Freestyle Sambo is basically Sports Sambo with the creative element of chokes thrown in. Because of this, it merely adds more submission chances into the realms of Sambo and ventures away from tradition.

In summary, all forms of Sambo have their weaknesses and strengths. Having said this, ultimately they still have a lot in common and are still under the umbrella of Sambo. Because of this, if you want to learn takedowns and submissions with less of a restrictive framework than Judo with an emphasis on competition – then Sambo may be the perfect martial art for you.