Sambo Vs Judo – what are the differences?

If you’re experienced in the world of stand up grappling, then you may have pondered what the actual differences are between Judo and Sambo. In short, there’s a lot of similarities and in many ways they’re very alike. However, if you’ve actually trained both of these martial arts then you’ll also know they’re very different and have their own unique styles. Here we shall be looking at each martial art in a neutral setting and accessing the key differences between them. Read on for more information.

Origins of Sambo and Judo

Judo began in 1882 in Japan and was a hybrid martial art, that combined Japanese Ju Jitsu with traditional wrestling. At the time, Ju Jitsu had some submissions and trained using the gi. Here, takedowns would involve the use of the wrists and jacket as well as lots of submissions whilst standing up. Wrestling involved more of a brutal but effective strategy to takedown opponents but lacked submission fighting and didn’t use the gi.

Creator Kano Jigoro combined these two martial arts and used them to inspire Judo. Since then, a lot has changed in the Judo world, but one thing remains the same – and that is taking your opponent down to the floor.

The creation of Sambo was much more recent and started in the 1920s by the Soviet military. This was used by KGB agents to enhance their fighting skills without weapons. In this sense, it’s kind of like Krav Maga in Israel, as it was designed solely with intentions of military use. However, since then it has grown into a sport and has even been used in the Olympics.

Going back to its roots though, it is shaped by the necessity to win fistfights at all costs. This means that unlike Judo, Sambo also has elements of striking which aren’t involved in Judo at all. At the same time, this is only used in Combat Sambo, whereas regular sports Sambo does not involve punches or kicks.

What is better, Judo or Sambo?

This is a question often posed by someone who is weighing up on what martial art to pursue. If you’re looking at two local schools that offer Judo and Sambo, then you’re a very lucky person as they both have lots of positives and will improve your takedowns. However, actually answering this question is near impossible. Really, it’s down to the individual and what they find as a personal preference.

For instance, if you’re after more submissions and faster action, then Sambo may be more appealing. Having said that, if you’re after more traditional throws and control on the ground, then Judo would be the better option. Imagine a top Judoka competing against a top Sambo practitioner. In Judo, the Judoka would almost always win, whilst in Sambo the Sambo fighter would almost always win. This sums it up really, and proves they’re similar in terms of effectiveness. It should also be noted that in many areas, the two are also very similar – often using a lot of similar throws and set ups.

In other words, both have certain pros and cons but are both towards the top of the food chain where grappling is concerned. Let’s face it, it’s not like we’re comparing Judo or Sambo with Aikido!

What is harder on the body, Judo or Sambo?

Whilst neither martial art is particularly soft on the body, the hardest is probably Sambo – with Judo coming in a close second. The reason for this is because the rules dictate a faster tempo in Sambo. Therefore, movements may be done at a quicker pace which means injuries are more likely to occur if people are landing harder.

Having said this, one area that can be hard on the body that Judo has over Sambo is with positions such as Kesa Gatame. This can potentially break ribs if done hard enough and is a brutal pin at times. As a result, you could argue that Judos pins are tougher on the body, whilst Sambos throws are harder on the body. In all reality, it mostly depends on what gym you train at though and the culture of each place is different.

Leglocks!

One of the main differences between the two martial arts is the use of leg locks as submissions. In Judo, leg locks are deemed as too dangerous and so they aren’t taught or practiced whatsoever. However, in Sambo, leg locks are very much welcome. It’s not just leg locks either. In general, Sambo has a much more lenient outlook on submissions and is less safety conscious in this regard. Whether you agree or disagree with this, the result is that Sambo will feature more submissions and is less position focused compared to Judo.

For example, in Sambo you can hit submissions such as kneebars and toeholds, whereas in Judo this is strictly prohibited. Sambo also allows use of the infamous Kani Basami takedown which is linked with knee injuries. In general, the use of leg locks in Sambo has shaped the art so that it’s very different compared to Judo, with Sambo practitioners being very wary of the legs whilst in Judo it’s not an issue.

Rules and legalities

As mentioned, Sambo has different rules when it comes to submissions and especially with leg locks. However, in general it has fewer rules as well with certain throws that are allowed, which are banned in Judo. One of the biggest differences in rules is that in Sambo you can touch the legs of the opponent. This allows for double leg and single leg takedowns whereas in Judo this is banned. These rules shape each respected martial art, meaning that Judo is mostly an upper body system that also uses leg reaps, whilst Sambo is less specialized.

The second rule is that Sambo spends less time on the ground as it likes to emphasize stand up rather than Judo. Here, you may only get a few seconds to complete a submission. However, in Judo, you’ll have 30 seconds to complete a pin and hold it. This means that whilst Judo may lack in the submission department, it ultimately gears its practitioners towards control on the floor, rather than rushing for submissions. You could argue that because of this, Judo is less scrappy and sometimes less explosive.

Uniform

Typically, Judokas will wear either a blue or white uniform which is a standard example of the Japanese gi or kimono. This will be accompanied with a belt and gi pants, with no footwear allowed. Perhaps the reason for no footwear dates back to traditional reasons, but generally it’s not quite known.

The Sambo uniform is a little different and is called the Kurtka. Here, the top is like the Judo gi but has a fold between the shoulders, allowing for you to get stronger grips in this area. The reason for this was to mimic the army jackets used at the time. Also, Sambo doesn’t have trousers and instead uses tight, wrestling shorts. This is to discourage griping any material on the legs. It also involves wearing wrestling shoes for grip, and if you’re doing Combat Sambo, then you can wear MMA gloves, shin pads and headgear too. Lastly, the Kurtka is available in red and blue, with opponents wearing opposite colors.

It should also be noted that the belt system is different as well. In Judo, you will compete wearing your own belt rank which can be anywhere from white belt to black. In Sambo, the competitor wearing the blue Kurtka wears a blue belt, whilst the competitor wearing the red Kurtka wears a red belt.

Popularity

Globally, Judo is far more popular than Sambo and this may be due to its age. Another reason for this could be that Judo is a staple of the Olympic games, which effectively serves as a commercial for the martial art. Because of this, culturally Judo is far more popular almost everywhere outside of Russia and its neighboring countries. On average, there are millions of global Judokas, whereas the number of Sambo practitioners isn’t quite known but will be far less.

As a result, if you ask your average person what Judo is, they will have a rough idea. However, asking them what Sambo is will be met with confusion. This means that whilst Sambo may be known about in grappling and martial arts circles, it’s still very obscure in terms of mainstream appeal. This is also seen by the amount of gyms available that offer Sambo. In the west, most cities and towns will have at least one Judo dojo. This isn’t the same for Sambo, where it can be very difficult to train it outside of major cities. One day, Sambo may become more popular, but for now it is in the shadow of Judo and is playing catch up.

Cultural differences

Due to its age, Judo can be considered a traditional martial art. This means that it has certain customs that you’d expect with the far east. These include traditions such as bowing when entering the mat or addressing a senior rank. It also means using Japanese terminology to name the throws and techniques. As you can imagine, a big element of Judo is based on respect and so there’s a lot of formalities.

Looking at Sambo, this also has respect but is much more modern. This means the atmosphere is a bit more laid back in some places, but remember it also has a military background so sometimes that isn’t always the case. In Sambo, you’re also going to use more Russian terminology which again is down to its country of origin.

Conclusion

Overall, there are quite a few differences between Sambo and Judo when you look at the two arts closely. These may be subtle things such as slight nuances in the uniform, or they may be very different with areas such as rules and certain submissions differing. As mentioned, these have big connotations for the sport and change the way sparring is done and thought about by the practitioner.

Ultimately, as the saying goes ‘good grappling is good grappling’ and in all honesty, both of these martial arts are fantastic for both self defense and from a fun point of view. Whilst they both require physical and mental toughness, you will reap the rewards with whatever art you choose to pursue, and really we shouldn’t be looking at the negatives of either art and instead should be celebrating them for their contributions to grappling and martial arts.

If you want to learn more about the throws used in both Judo and Sambo, then check out this book by the legendary Steve Scott.