Sambo teaching. What is sambo? Features of martial art

Sambo is a unique domestic martial art, popular all over the world.
Sambo is an international sport worthy of becoming an Olympic sport.
Sambo is the only sport in the world where the Russian language is recognized official language international communication.

Traditions and philosophy of sambo

Sambo is not only a type of combat sports, it is an educational system that promotes the development of a person’s moral and volitional qualities, patriotism and citizenship.

Sambo is the science of defense, not attack. Sambo not only teaches self-defense, but also gives rich life experience, forming solid male character, stamina and endurance, which are necessary in work and social activities.

Sambo promotes the development of self-discipline, forms internal moral support and a strong personal position in achieving life goals. Sambo forms the social support of society, people who are able to stand up for themselves, for their family, for their Motherland.

Sambo traditions are rooted in the culture of the peoples of Russia, in folk species struggle.

Sambo includes the best practices of national martial arts: fist fighting, Russian, Georgian, Tatar, Armenian, Kazakh, Uzbek wrestling; Finnish-French, free-American, English wrestling of Lancashire and Cumberland styles, Swiss, Japanese judo and sumo and other types of martial arts.

Such a system, aimed at searching for everything that is advanced and expedient, formed the basis of the philosophy of sambo - the philosophy of constant development, renewal, openness to everything better. Along with wrestling techniques, sambo also absorbed the moral principles of the peoples who passed on part of their culture to sambo. These values ​​gave Sambo the strength to go through the harsh tests of time, to survive and become stronger in them. And today, when children engage in Sambo, they not only learn to defend themselves, but also gain experience in worthy behavior based on the values ​​of patriotism and citizenship.

The history of sambo is closely connected with the history of the country, the history of victories. This is a living symbol of the continuity of generations.

The history of sambo - the history of Russia

The formation of sambo took place in the 1920s-1930s, when the young Soviet state was in dire need of social institution, ensuring its protection, uniting active members of society, and also capable of becoming an effective tool for the socialization of a huge number of homeless and neglected children and adolescents.

From the very beginning, sambo developed in two directions: as a mass sport and as an effective means of training personnel for law enforcement agencies.

Since 1923 in the Moscow sports society "Dynamo"V.A. Spiridonov cultivates a specific applied discipline - “self-defense”. At the Dynamo base, various martial arts were studied, including national types of wrestling of the peoples of the world, boxing and other striking techniques. This direction was closed and intended exclusively for training special forces.

During the same period, sports sambo, initially known as “freestyle wrestling,” was actively developing. Graduate of the Kodokan Judo Institute, holder of the second danV.S. Oshchepkov starts teaching judo as academic discipline at the Moscow Institute of Physical Education, but is gradually moving away from the canons of judo in search of the most effective techniques, enriching and improving self-defense techniques, forming the foundations of a new type of martial arts. Over time, Spiridonov’s self-defense system merged with Oshchepkov’s system, and with the direct participation of other founders (A.A. Kharlampieva, E.M. Chumakova ) modern sambo was formed, which retained two directions: sports and combat.

Since its foundation, sambo has been considered as an effective means of comprehensive physical development a person, increasing his agility, strength, endurance, nurturing tactical thinking, and developing civic-patriotic qualities. Already in the 1930s. Sambo is included in the standards of the GTO complex, developed with the active participation of V.S. Oshchepkova. Millions of Soviet citizens with early age learned the basics of self-defense without weapons, improved health, and developed character.

On November 16, 1938, the All-Union Committee on Physical Culture and Sports issued Order No. 633 “On the development of freestyle wrestling (sambo).” “This wrestling,” the order says, “formed from the most valuable elements of the national types of wrestling of our vast Union and some of the best techniques from other types of wrestling, is an extremely valuable sport in its variety of techniques and applications.” A decision was made to organize a system of training sambo wrestlers in all republics of the USSR, and the “All-Union Section of Freestyle Wrestling (Sambo)” was created, which later became the Sambo Federation. Next year the first national championship in the new sport will take place.

The beginning of the Great Patriotic War interrupted the holding of the USSR championships. But the war became a tough test of the viability of sambo in combat conditions. Athletes and coaches trained in Sambo defended their Motherland with honor, participated in the training of fighters and commanders, and fought in the ranks of the active army. Sambo wrestlers were awarded military orders and medals, many of them became Heroes Soviet Union.

In the 1950s, sambo entered the international arena and repeatedly proved its effectiveness. In 1957, fighting against Hungarian judokas, Soviet sambo wrestlers won a convincing victory in two friendly matches with a total score of 47:1. Two years later, the sambo wrestlers repeated their success, already in meetings with judokas of the GDR. On the eve of the Olympic Games in Tokyo, Soviet sambo wrestlers, fighting according to the rules of judo, defeated the Czechoslovakian team, and then defeated the European judo champions, the French team. In 1964, Soviet sambo wrestlers represented the country at Olympic Games in Tokyo, where judo makes its debut. As a result of the triumphant performance of the USSR national team, which took second place in the team competition, Japan’s own sambo federation was created the following year. An exchange of coaches and athletes is organized, and methodological literature on sambo is translated into Japanese. The process of actively using methods of training sambo wrestlers and methods of conducting a fight in sambo to improve judo begins.

In 1966, at the congress of the International Amateur Wrestling Federation (FILA), sambo was officially recognized as an international sport. The popularity of sambo began to grow steadily around the world. The very next year, the first international sambo tournament took place in Riga, in which athletes from Yugoslavia, Japan, Mongolia, Bulgaria and the USSR took part. In 1972, the first European Open Championship took place, and in 1973, the first World Championship, in which athletes from 11 countries took part. In subsequent years, European and world championships and international tournaments are regularly held. Sambo federations are being created in Spain, Greece, Israel, the USA, Canada, France and other countries. In 1977, sambists competed at the Pan American Games for the first time; In the same year, the World Sambo Cup was played for the first time. In 1979, the first World Youth Championships were held, followed two years later by the first World Women's Championships. Also in 1981, sambo entered the Bolivarian Games of South America.

Despite all the active development and growth of international popularity in the 70-80s, sambo was not included in the program of the Olympic Games.

In the 70-80s, continuing the traditions of mass development, sambo was widely spread in the country's universities. A large number of students passed through the sambo sections of universities and institutes of the Soviet Union, the sports society "Burevestnik", who now, having become successful statesmen, athletes, military men, scientists, form an active part of the all-Russian sambo community. At the same time there was active work on the development of sambo at home and in institutions additional education sports orientation, training of highly qualified athletes.

In 1985, the USSR State Committee for Physical Culture and Sports adopted a resolution “On the state and measures for the development of sambo wrestling”, which contributed to a significant increase in the number of sports schools cultivating sambo, an increase in the total number of students, and improved training of highly qualified athletes. Under the auspices of the USSR State Sports Committee, sambo competitions were held among military-patriotic clubs for prizes of the USSR National Olympic Committee. Sambo wrestling became the only non-Olympic sport that received broad government support.

The 1990s were a difficult period for sambo. Under the conditions of perestroika, various types of martial arts became especially popular, which was greatly facilitated by Western cinema, which promoted the spectacular techniques of karate, aikido, wushu, etc. Previously banned by the state, these martial arts have become especially attractive to the population. But already in the late 1990s - early 2000s, a new discipline was emerging - combat sambo.

In combat sambo, sports sambo techniques are allowed to be used, as well as actions permitted by the competition rules of all existing martial arts (including striking techniques).

The formation and development of combat sambo made it possible to objectively assess the effectiveness of sambo against the background various types and martial arts styles, became a powerful incentive for the improvement of sambo. In 2001, the first Russian Combat Sambo Championship took place. In 2002, the State Committee of the Russian Federation for Physical Culture and Sports issued a decree approving the new discipline “combat sambo”.

The 2000s became a time of active development of sambo, primarily due to the strengthening regional federations sambo, increasing the level of government support, increasing funding, improving the level of training of athletes, developing a system of sports events.

In 2003, by the decision of the State Sports Committee of Russia, sambo was officially recognized as a national and priority sport in Russian Federation.

Sambo is a domestic sport of Russia

Today in Russia sambo is one of the most popular sports. Due to its availability (does not require expensive sports facilities and equipment) and role in the social life of society, sambo is developing in 72 constituent entities of the Russian Federation.

More than 300 thousand Russians practice Sambo, including 60 thousand young athletes in 589 branches of sports schools and clubs throughout Russia.

The main places of initial preparation and training sessions for young amateur athletes are clubs at the place of residence, Sport halls educational institutions, institutions of additional education, sports clubs and sections, gyms of voluntary sports societies, etc. An extensive network of organizations and institutions that implement activities to attract children and adolescents to regular classes serves as the basis for increasing the popularity and mass participation of sambo.

The most developed network of sambo departments is in sports schools in the Altai, Krasnodar, Perm, Primorsky territories, the Republic of Bashkortostan, Samara, Saratov, Sverdlovsk, Kemerovo, Nizhny Novgorod, Orenburg regions, St. Petersburg, Moscow and the Moscow region.

A lot of work on the popularization and development of sambo, the preparation of a sports reserve, and the organization of mass sports events is carried out by unique sambo centers that have no analogues in the world: “World Sambo Academy” (Kstovo, Nizhny Novgorod region), “Sambo-70 Education Center” (Moscow city).

More than 100 high-class athletes improve their sports skills in the departments of sambo schools of the Olympic reserve of the Republic of Buryatia, the Chuvash Republic, the Primorsky Territory, the Irkutsk, Kurgan, Kemerovo, Novosibirsk, Omsk, Penza, Saratov and Sverdlovsk regions.

Every year more than 12 thousand athletes fulfill the standards for mass sports categories.

Every year, more than 150 competitions are held at the all-Russian level - Russian championships among men and women, championships among juniors, boys, juniors and girls, among veterans, as well as championships among students; Russian cups, tournaments dedicated to the memory of the country's outstanding athletes, significant dates in the history of the Fatherland. The annual holding on the eve of Victory Day in one of the hero cities of the international youth sambo tournament ‘Victory’ among national teams of hero cities and federal districts. Russia regularly hosts the most prestigious international tournaments, such as the Presidential Sambo Cup of the Russian Federation, the A.A. Memorial World Super Cup. Kharlampieva" and others. Russia has repeatedly received the honor of hosting European and World Championships.

Sambo is an integral element of physical and special training of personnel of the Russian security forces. Thus, sambo is used to train employees of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, FSB, and GRU special forces.

Championships of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the Main Internal Affairs Directorate, and the Internal Affairs Directorate are held regularly in the constituent entities of the Russian Federation; in 2010 it was combined for the first time with the championship of educational institutions of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia. Also, since 2010, the FSB of Russia championship has been held.

Legendary athletes

The Russian national sambo team maintains the prestige of the Fatherland in the international sports arena, confidently winning victories in the team competition. Russians regularly become prize-winners of European and world championships, and in many weight categories Russian athletes are the strongest in the international sports arena. Honored Masters of Sports - eleven-time world champions - glorified their form of martial artsMurat Khasanov AndIrina Rodina , seven-time world championRais Rakhmatullin , six-time world championsSergey Lopovok, Svetlana Galyant , four-time world champion in combat sambo, multiple world champion in mixed style fightingFedor Emelianenko , winners of the First World Martial Arts GamesMarianna Alieva, Ekaterina Onoprienko AndBair Omoktuev (Combat Sambo).

Sambo in the world: Olympic prospects

One of the greatest achievements of the past decades has been the formation of a close-knit sambo community. Both in Russia and in the world, thousands of people who have undergone and live Sambo are united by its values, principles and ideals. The accessibility, entertainment, and high effectiveness of sambo as a form of martial arts have allowed it to gain wide international recognition. Today people all over the world practice sambo, on different continents - Europe, Asia, America, Africa, Australia. Sambo is developing in 77 countries of the world, in 66 countries there are national federations that are part of the International Amateur Sambo Federation (FIAS).

Currently, sambo has a solid foundation for active development.

Sambo is included in the official program of the World Martial Arts Games “SportAccord” and the World Summer Universiade 2013, along with Olympic sports.

The number of amateur and professional athletes is growing every year. The main task on a global scale is to join the Olympic family. The Sambo community is working hard and painstakingly to recognize Sambo as an Olympic sport.

The art of sambo wrestling was created as a separate sports discipline in Soviet Russia in the early 1930s. The birthday of this type of hand-to-hand combat is considered to be November 16, 1938. On that day, the resolution of the Committee on Physical Culture and Sports of the USSR “On the development of freestyle wrestling” was published. This is what this martial art was called at first, but over time it began to be called “sambo” more and more. This is an abbreviation of the words “SELF-DEFENSE WITHOUT WEAPONS.” So what is sambo?

It incorporates the achievements of other martial arts, such as Japanese judo and jiu-jitsu. The arsenal of sambo techniques includes techniques from the national sports of Russia and other republics of the former Soviet Union, namely Georgian wrestling chidaoba, Tatar and Uzbek kurash, Armenian kokh, Moldavian trynta, Yakut khapsagai, etc.

The fate of the creator

The actual founder of wrestling was the brilliant Russian judoka Vasily Oshchepkov. For a long time he studied judo in the famous Kodokan under Jigaro Kano himself and was one of the first three Europeans to receive II dan from his hands. Oshchepkov and a group of enthusiasts from the Moscow sports club Dynamo began work on creating a fight that could be used by the Soviet Army and intelligence services. A group of enthusiasts traveled around the country, studying the national martial arts of the peoples of the USSR and describing their techniques. This made it possible to create a complex system and present it as a new, separate discipline.

Oshchepkov himself did not live to see the birth of a new type of wrestling. The wide wave of Stalinist purges and repressions affected many capable, intelligent and educated people. In 1937, Vasily Oshchepkov was arrested and accused of spying for Japan. He died (not without the active participation of NKVD officers, who trained their martial arts skills on him) on the 10th day of arrest. After this, the word “judo” was taken out of use for a long time in the Soviet Union.

Sambo development

The work begun by Oshchepkov was continued by Anatoly Kharlampiev. After the death of his teacher, he headed the All-Union freestyle wrestling section. Kharlampiev was used by Soviet propaganda, which called him the sole founder of a new type of martial arts.

Undoubtedly, his role in the development of this system, the development and description of Sambo wrestling techniques, training, systematization of knowledge and preparation of literature, and the education of many masters of this sport is enormous. However, he was not the only creator of the system, but only the most famous. Kharlampiev was an outstanding person and had favorable conditions to develop your sports and coaching skills. He devoted a huge part of his life to the development of sambo.

An important achievement of Kharlampiev was the systematization of techniques for this type of wrestling and the development of a methodology for teaching it. The book “Sambo Wrestling,” published in 1949 by the state publication “Physical Culture and Sport,” became the bible of the new martial art. It explained what sambo is, described fighting techniques, methods of physical training, and rules of combat. In subsequent years, Kharlampiev and his students published a number of books on various aspects of wrestling, but this one still remains the main textbook for adherents of this type of martial arts.

The popularity of sports sambo was greatly facilitated by a government decree, which prescribed the creation of sections of this martial art in all republics of the USSR, the teaching of self-defense and the holding of tournaments at all levels. The state morally and financially supported the development and popularization of this sport. The same thing is happening in today's Russia.

History of the combat variant

Before perestroika and then the collapse of the Soviet Union, this type of sambo was practiced exclusively by the special services, police and army. This knowledge was considered forbidden to ordinary citizens and was guarded as a "secret weapon" against the enemies of socialism. The origins of the combat version of sambo were NKVD officer Viktor Spiridonov, who began studying Japanese jujitsu wrestling before the 1917 revolution. He was also considered an outstanding expert in English boxing and French savate.

Sambo is an art open type, it willingly accepts into its arsenal methods and techniques from various martial arts cultivated in the world. This is a struggle that is constantly and dynamically evolving. That is why it progresses not only based on its own achievements, but also thanks to other martial arts.

History of the organization

In 1939, the first championship of the Soviet Union was held in Leningrad. And in 1940, after the outbreak of World War II, the next sambo championship took place in Moscow. No competitions were held from 1941 to 1946. In 1946, the First Soviet Section was created in Moscow, which in 1959 was renamed the USSR Sambo Federation. The organization trained coaches, published literature, developed rules and principles of sports competitions, and organized championships of the Soviet Union.

Attempts to go international began in the 1950s. In 1957, an official match between USSR sambo wrestlers and Hungarian judokas took place in Moscow. In 1966, the International Federation of United Styles (FILA) awarded sambo the status of an international sport and created a corresponding section. A year later, the first international fights took place in Riga (Latvia) with the participation of representatives from Yugoslavia, Bulgaria, Mongolia, the USSR and Japan. In these and other international tournaments, Soviet athletes were the most successful.

In 1984, sambo wrestlers left FILA and formed the International Amateur Sambo Federation (FIAS). In 1991, the European Federation was created in Turin (Italy). What sambo is, with the exception of the republics of the former Soviet Union, was not known anywhere. The situation changed with the advent in Western Europe, North America, Australia and Israel in the late 1990s, a large group of Russian emigrants. Soviet sambo wrestlers began to create clubs there and popularize various types of sambo.

Today, wrestling is experiencing a revival in Russia, where in 2003 it was officially recognized as a national sport. Russian President Vladimir Putin himself has been a master of sports in sambo since 1973 and a black belt holder in judo.

This is a complex system, which for practical reasons is divided into 2 main types.

What is sambo: sports version

Self-defense without weapons has in its arsenal a large set of throws, grabs, sweeps, holds and techniques for arms and legs. The latter are not allowed in judo, unlike strangulations, which are not allowed in sports sambo. Most of the techniques are similar to those used in judo, but there are techniques borrowed from other forms of wrestling by the founders and their successors. This is the advantage of sambo: it is a constantly evolving martial arts, open to new techniques and solutions. Sambo wrestlers develop their own methods and study other martial arts of the world, pragmatically borrowing their techniques and tactics into their arsenal.

Sports uniform

Sambo uses special clothing (usually blue or red). The jacket has additional elements- “wings” on the shoulders and reinforced holes for the belt. In sambo (photos of uniform samples are posted in the article) it is shorter than the kimono in judo. The length of the jacket below the waist cannot exceed 15 cm. The set also includes briefs and soft sambos or wrestling shoes.

Basic Rules

The match is held on a mat identical to a wrestling mat, with a round field in which the fight takes place. In judo, wrestling is fought on a rectangular and harder tatami. The duration of the fight depends on age and gender and ranges from 3 to 5 minutes.

Players try to knock the opponent to the mat (on the ground) using throws and other techniques. A certain number of points are awarded for this. The player wins if, during the time allotted for the fight, he receives more points, forces the opponent to surrender by applying a painful technique (lever, knot, pinching the muscles and joints of the arms and legs) or wins ahead of schedule, scoring 8 points more. You can also end the fight with a clear victory by throwing your opponent on his back while remaining on his feet. Holding the enemy for 10 s is awarded 2 points, and for 20 s - 4. Throwing him onto his back and causing the attacker to fall is awarded 4 points; on the side - at 2; on the chest, pelvis, shoulder, abdomen - 1. For performing techniques without falling, the points are doubled.

The rules provide for the division of athletes participating in competitions into 7 age groups, as well as 12 weight categories.

Combat option

Kharlampiev called this type of fighting an invisible weapon that is always with you. It was liberated from the monopoly of the special services and the army in the 90s. last century, during Gorbachev's perestroika. In 1994, the first Russian combat sambo championship took place in Moscow. Unlike sports, in addition to throws, holds, removing the opponent from a state of balance, levers, knots, etc., strikes are used here, the purpose of which is to quickly and effectively eliminate an aggressive opponent. Applied martial arts use techniques to fight unarmed and armed (knife, pistol, stick, etc.) opponents.

The study of combat sambo takes place in 4 main areas: military, police, everyday life and sports. It uses all the techniques of the sports version, as well as punches and kicks (including knees and elbows), both standing and on the ground, and choking. Combat Sambo is part of mixed martial arts (MMA). Sambo wrestlers often participate in international competitions MMA, K1, Pride, etc. One of the most famous professional MMA wrestlers is Fedor Emelianenko.

In addition to the standard uniform (jacket, shorts, shoes), sambo wrestlers use boxing helmets, short gloves with open fingers and shin pads, a mouth guard, and a bandage.

The goal of the competition is to score more points using various holds, strikes, etc. You can also defeat your opponent by knocking him out or forcing him to give up due to the inability to continue the fight.

Prohibited tricks

In combat sambo, the range of technically applicable methods is very wide, but there are also limitations. Not allowed:

• biting and scratching;
• press on the eyes and hit them;
• use grips that cause pain in the spine and cervical vertebrae;
• grab the enemy’s nose, ears, genitals;
• hit with a fist or elbow in the area of ​​the cervical vertebrae and the back of the head;
• grab the opponent's fingers and toes;
• kick a lying opponent while standing over him;
• grab hair;
• hit a lying opponent in the head;
• sticking fingers into opponent's mouth;
• use in battle dangerous objects that interfere with the normal course of battle.

For the first prohibited action that does not cause injury to the opponent, the player receives a reprimand. In case of repeated violation, the participant will be disqualified.

Popularization

Sambo wrestling is very popular in the Russian Federation and many republics of the former Soviet Union. In 2003, Sambo was declared a national sport in Russia, and in given time there is a struggle for recognition of it as Olympic. For many years, countries such as Bulgaria, Hungary, the Czech Republic, Serbia, Greece, France, Mongolia and Japan have had national clubs and federations. And thanks to immigrants born in the former USSR, sambo is developing in North America, Western Europe and Australia.

Sambo is a combat sport, as well as a system of defense without weapons. Many believe that Sambo has absorbed and continues to absorb the most effective techniques of defense and attack, which are carefully selected from various types of martial arts. Along with wrestling techniques, sambo also absorbed the moral principles of the peoples who passed on part of their culture to sambo.

International Sambo Federation (FIAS) - non-governmental public non-profit organization, uniting national sambo federations.

History of origin and development

Throughout its existence, sambo has developed in two directions: as a mass sport and as a means of training personnel for special forces and law enforcement agencies. Since 1923, at the Moscow Sports Society "Dynamo", V. A. Spiridonov began to develop an applied discipline - self-defense. At Dynamo, various martial arts and national types of wrestling of the peoples of the world were studied. This direction was closed and was intended for training special forces.

A graduate of the Kodokan Judo Institute and second dan holder V. S. Oshchepkov begins to develop sports sambo. At this time, he teaches judo as an academic discipline at the Moscow Institute of Physical Education, but gradually moves away from the canons of judo in search of the most effective techniques, and is engaged in improving techniques self-defense, forming the foundations of a new combat sport.

Over time, Spiridonov’s self-defense system merged with Oshchepkov’s system. A great contribution to the development and dissemination of the system of self-defense without weapons was made by A. A. Kharlampiev (one of Oshchepkov’s students) and E. M. Chumakov.

November 16, 1938 is considered to be the birthday of Sambo. It was on this day that an order was issued by the All-Union Committee for Physical Education and Sports, in which sambo was recognized as an “extremely valuable sport in terms of its variety of techniques and defensive significance.” A decision was made to organize a training system for athletes in all republics of the USSR, and the All-Union Sambo Section was created, which later became the Sambo Federation.

In 1939, the first national championship in the new sport was held, and in the 50s international competitions began to be held.

In 1966, Sambo was officially recognized as an international sport. The first European Open Championship took place in 1972, and the first World Championship took place in 1973. In subsequent years, European and world championships and international tournaments are regularly held. Sambo federations are being created in Spain, Greece, Israel, the USA, Canada, France and other countries. Today sambo is represented in two directions: sports and combat.

Sambo rules

Competition participants are divided into age groups, and a participant’s age group is determined by their year of birth.

• Younger age (11-12 years);
• teenagers (13-15 years old);
• middle age (15-16 years);
• older age (17-18 years);
• juniors (19-20 years old);
• adults (20 years and older);
• veterans (35-39, 40-44, 45-49, 50-54, 55-59 years old, over 60 years old).

In sambo it is allowed to use throws, holds and painful techniques on the arms and legs. Throws can be carried out using the arms, legs and torso.

In sambo, points are awarded for throws and holds. A throw is a technique with which a sambist throws an opponent off balance and throws him onto the mat on some part of the body or on his knees.

If a sambist, pressing against an opponent with any part of his body, holds him in this position for 20 seconds, then this technique is called a hold.

In sambo there is the possibility of early victory; for this you need to throw the opponent on his back while remaining in a standing position, perform a painful hold, and score 8 points more than the opponent.

Principle of scoring:

4 points are awarded:

• for throwing an opponent onto his back with the attacker falling;
• for throwing an opponent on his side without the attacker falling;
• for holding for 20 seconds.

2 points are awarded:

• for throwing an opponent on his side with the attacker falling;
• for a throw on the chest, shoulder, stomach, pelvis without the attacker falling;
• for holding for 10 seconds.

1 point is awarded for throwing the opponent onto the chest, shoulder, stomach or pelvis with the attacker falling.

A painful hold is a technical action in prone wrestling that forces the opponent to give up. In Sambo it is allowed to use levers, knots, pinching joints and muscles on the opponent’s arms and legs. The duration of a bout in Sambo is 3-5 minutes of pure time.

Sambo equipment

At all official competitions, the use of uniforms is permitted in accordance with the requirements established by these Rules and the Sports Regulations of the All-Russian Sambo Federation.

Sambo equipment includes: a jacket (red or blue), boots (wrestling shoes), shorts and a belt. Participants are provided with a white T-shirt.

Sambo jackets are made of cotton fabric. The sleeve of the jacket should reach the hand, the width of the sleeve should provide at least 10 cm of clearance between the arm and the fabric along its entire length. The hem of the jacket should be 25-30 cm below the belt line, the length of the ends of the tied belt should not exceed the length of the hem of the jacket .

Sambo boots in red, blue or combined (red-blue) colors are made of soft leather or synthetic fabric and have a soft sole. All the seams of the boots are hidden inside. The ankles and feet in the area of ​​the big toe joint are protected by pads covered with leather on top.

Sambo shorts are made from wool, wool blend or synthetic knitwear. From above they should reach the belt line, and from below they should cover the upper third of the thigh.

Vasily Oshchepkov is the first ever Russian holder of a black belt in judo. He studied with Jigoro Kano himself and brought Japanese wrestling to his homeland. This man laid the foundations for self-defense without weapons in Russia.

“Born in a Tsarist prison to die in a Stalinist prison” - this is the title under which martial arts historian and journalist Mikhail Lukashev published material in 1998. The author took on the difficult fate of the repressed Vasily Oshchepkov - an intelligence officer, translator, holder of a black belt in judo and one of the founders of sambo. Lukashev laments that the memory of Oshchepkov has almost been erased. And the laurels of the one who stood at the origins of the domestic combat system went to Oshchepkov’s student, Anatoly Kharlampiev.

Lukashev wrote a note in the anniversary year for sambo. He expressed the hope that Oshchepkov would be remembered at least in the martial arts master’s native Far East and a memorial plaque would be installed. Only in 2012 did a bust of a judo master appear in Vladivostok. And in 2016, a whole sculptural composition rose in the city center: young Oshchepkov receives a black belt in judo from the hands of its founder, Jigoro Kano.

Opening of a memorial complex to the founder of the Soviet judo school Vasily Oshchepkov and his teachers by sculptor Pyotr Chegadayev in Vladivostok.

Oshchepkov was born in 1893 in the city of Aleksandrovsky post (now Aleksandrovsk-Sakhalinsky) to a convict mother exiled to the Far East for attempting to escape. Before that, she served her sentence in Perm. In 1902, the boy was left without a father. And two years later Oshchepkov became an orphan: his mother also died.

At the age of 14, life gives Oshchepkov a chance: among other orphans from the Far East, he is sent to study at a theological seminary in Tokyo under the wing of Archbishop Nicholas of Japan.

There Oshchepkov became acquainted with Japanese judo. The basics of wrestling were taught to teenagers along with calligraphy, Japanese history and other disciplines. Young Vasily demonstrated perseverance and extraordinary ability to learn martial arts. Oshchepkov’s teacher decided to help him get to the judo Mecca - the Kodokan school, where the legendary Kano was still teaching at that time.

According to the recollections of one of the students, Oshchepkov told how he was given a hint. She helped him get noticed by Kodokan representatives. While screening potential recruits, the founder of judo gave a speech to the young men. Filled with important and correct words, but incredibly boring. Oshchepkov felt his legs go numb, and he couldn’t wait to change his position. But he continued to sit on his heels, as is customary among the Japanese. After all, I knew that the way you listen to the sensei is closely watched. An unsuccessful turn of the head could be considered disrespectful.

Oshchepkov became the first Russian in the Kodokan. And, given the not very friendly relations between the Russian Empire and Japan, the attitude towards Vasily on the part of other students was special. There were more than enough people who wanted to cling to his kimono tighter. But Oshchepkov was only tempered by the Japanese’s persistent dislike for strangers. He mastered judo in his own way, avoiding crude copying and imitation.

In 1913 he achieved first dan in judo. He becomes the first Russian citizen to receive the right to wear a black belt. With the status of the first Russian judo master, Oshchepkov returns to his homeland.

By this time he already spoke Japanese and English languages. A rare combination allowed him to get a job as a translator in the tsarist counterintelligence. Being back in his native land, he not only continued to practice judo: Oshchepkov already began teaching and promoting this martial art.

In 1914, he opened a judo section in Vladivostok. Almost fifty people attended training with the master, including local Japanese. Oshchepkov continues to live in two worlds, sometimes going to Japan on counterintelligence assignments. He also held Russian-Japanese meetings along the lines of struggle. Soon he receives the second dan (in judo at that time there were five of them, not ten, as today).

But on the other end Russian Empire The country is undergoing rapid changes. Oshchepkov’s life takes a somersault again. Oshchepkov in the early 1920s - a man with a film projector in his native Aleksandrovsk. He shows and narrates silent films.

The master's outstanding track record attracted Soviet intelligence. Under the pseudonym “Black Monk” (and later simply “Monk”) Oshchepkov began collecting intelligence data from southern Sakhalin occupied by the Japanese military. Already for the Soviet regime. He visited China, Manchuria. Over time, he settled in Tokyo, which was no stranger to himself.

There Oshchepkov was helped by his second dan. Such a status, especially for a European, evoked honor and respect among the Japanese public. And the Kodokan past helped to acquire connections. The monk worked subtly, trying not to arouse suspicion among the traditionally mistrustful Japanese. But the Soviet leadership did not share his approach.

They demanded quick results from Oshchepkov. They called for using blackmail and establishing contacts with local Bolsheviks. But he knew Japanese customs too well to take risks.

In 1926, Oshchepkov was recalled from Japan. This ends his intelligence career. The next challenge awaits the judo master. He is promoting the Japanese struggle with renewed vigor. This time, the Soviet military is paying attention to him precisely as an expert. In 1929, Oshchepkov was called to Moscow. He begins teaching hand-to-hand combat at the capital's Institute of Physical Culture. Lays the foundations for what will later develop into unarmed self-defense, or sambo.

Oshchepkov's judo was not an exact copy of Japanese masters. Despite the fact that at that time judo was still a very young form of martial arts, which grew out of the more archaic Japanese jiu-jitsu, Oshchepkov saw its shortcomings, what prevented this martial art from being most effective in a real fight. Vasily pays Special attention other types of wrestling: American and other national varieties. In his opinion, the throwing technique of freestyle wrestlers is effective for wrestling with clothes on.

Oshchepkov has a hand in creating methods for training soldiers. But it soon becomes dangerous to remember his contribution to the popularization of judo and the creation of sambo. First, in 1937, judo itself was deleted from the list of disciplines in institutes and technical schools of physical education. Adepts of the martial art got rid of the Japanese name and continued their training with caution.

Meanwhile, the Japanese past becomes Oshchepkov’s curse. In 1937, he became the victim of a night arrest. Then Soviet authority pursued the "Harbinites". A judo master who lived in the Far East for a long time was accused of spying for China and Japan.

By this time, Oshchepkov had developed heart problems. I came to Butyrka as a sick person. He was never destined to see the fruit of his own labors. He died 10 days after his arrest.

In 1957 , thanks to the efforts of Oshchepkov’s widow, Anna Ivanovna (Kazembek), he was rehabilitated.

In the 2000s, sambo clubs and tournaments were organized in various regions of Russia in memory of V. S. Oshchepkov, including the All-Russian youth combat sambo tournament in memory of V. S. Oshchepkov.

In 2017, a street in Moscow was named in honor of sambo wrestler Vasily Oshchepkov on the territory of the Moskvichka residential complex in the settlement

Oshchepkov Vasily Sergeevich (1892-1937 )
- the founder of domestic judo and one of the founders of sambo wrestling. Born at the end of December 1892 (the exact date of birth is unknown) in the village. Aleksandrovsky post on Sakhalin Island. Illegitimate son of convict M. Oshchepkova. After Russia's defeat in the Russo-Japanese War of 1905, Southern Sakhalin was torn away from Russia, and young Oshchepkov unwittingly became a subject of the Land of the Rising Sun.

Oshchepkov’s mother died when her son was 11 years old. Archbishop Nikolai of Japan, a man of broad views, took part in the boy’s fate and managed to create an Orthodox spiritual mission in Japan. To one of educational institutions This mission, a seminary in Kyoto, brought the fourteen-year-old orphan Vasya Oshchepkov. Among the disciplines studied at the seminary was judo wrestling. Once a year, the seminary selected the best students to study at the famous Kodokan Judo Institute, headed by the founder of judo, Jigoro Kano. On October 29, 1911, Oshchepkov was admitted to this educational institution, about which a corresponding record has been preserved in the Kodokan archives. Vasily left the seminary in Kyoto and moved to Tokyo, where the Kodokan Institute was located. On June 15, 1913, Oshchepkov received the first master's degree - sedan (first dan) - and belted his kimono with a black belt. Soon he passed the exams for second dan. Oshchepkov became the first Russian and fourth foreigner to earn a master's degree in Kodokan judo.

Returning to Russia in 1914, Oshchepkov worked as a military translator at the headquarters of the Amur Military District in Vladivostok. At the same time, under the auspices of the Vladivostok Sport Society, Oshchepkov organized the first amateur judo study group in Russia. The circle existed until 1920.

At the end of the Japanese occupation of the Far East, Oshchepkov headed to Sakhalin Island, and then to Tokyo, where, under the cover of the film business, he conducted intelligence activities. The information he supplied was mainly assessed in the USSR as “valuable” and “very valuable.” However, in the official description of the intelligence department, his views were assessed as “Smenovekhovsky,” and in 1926 Oshchepkov was recalled to the Soviet Union.

In 1928, by order of the Revolutionary Military Council of the USSR, Oshchepkov was appointed as a military translator in one of the departments of the headquarters of the Siberian Military District and moved to Novosibirsk. He taught judo at the Novosibirsk police school and the headquarters of the Siberian Military District.

Soon Oshchepkov was transferred to Moscow, to the Directorate for Combat Training of the Red Army. At the end of 1929, the Directorate organized instructor courses for training military personnel in hand-to-hand combat for the commanding staff of the Moscow garrison. Oshchepkov was appointed head of the courses and author of the training program. At the very beginning of the 1930s, a physical training complex was established for the civilian population, called “Ready for Labor and Defense.” As one of the standards of the GTO of the second stage, self-defense techniques were provided for men and women. Oshchepkov was entrusted with developing this TRP standard.

In 1929 Oshchepkov became a teacher at the State Central Institute of Physical Culture. Work at the Institute of Physical Education gave Oshchepkov a unique opportunity to get acquainted with the wrestling systems of the peoples of the USSR, whose representatives studied at his department. He analyzed international combat sports, Chinese wushu and a number of national types of wrestling from the point of view of their applicability in combat. Based on judo, Oshchepkov began to create more advanced applied wrestling, which later became known as sambo.

Among his students were V.G. Kuzovlev, V.V. Sidorov, N.M. Galkovsky, I.V. Vasiliev, R.A. Shkolnikov, A.A. Kharlampiev and many other masters. In 1932, Oshchepkov organized the first open judo competitions at the Institute of Physical Education. In 1935, the championship of the Institute of Physical Education and the first championship of Moscow took place. At the same time, the Moscow and All-Union sections of “freestyle wrestling judo” were organized, of which Oshchepkov became the chairman.

In 1937, judo, as a system that emerged from capitalist Japan, was excluded from the curricula of physical education institutes and technical schools. On September 29, 1937, the Lubyanka issued a resolution: “Vasily Sergeevich Oshchepkov is sufficiently exposed that, while living in the USSR, he is engaged in espionage for Japan... Citizen Oshchepkov should be brought as an accused under Article 58, paragraph 6. A measure of suppression of methods of evading investigation and the court to choose detention." On the night from October 1 to 2, 1937, Oshchepkov was arrested on charges of espionage for Japan and ten days later he died in a cell in Butyrka prison.

Spiridonov Viktor Afanasyevich
(founder of Sambo)

Before the revolution, Spiridonov was a career officer. But not a colonel, and not a guard. He began serving as a private, having joined the army at the age of seventeen - as a volunteer, in modern terminology - as a volunteer. He received non-commissioned officer badges and was sent to the Kazan Infantry School. The cadets were still mastering tactics and fortification, stabbing a scarecrow with a bayonet, and the Varyag’s guns were already thundering over the Yellow Sea near Chemulpo. In 1905, in brand new officer's uniform, Spiridonov went to where the battles of the infamous Russo-Japanese War, to Manchuria.

The newly minted officer had a very short period of front-line life, but the second lieutenant must have had a real soldier's acumen: he returned home with the cross of Anna and Stanislav. Viktor Afanasyevich was familiar with the version of jiu-jitsu, which was brought to Europe after the Russo-Japanese War, during the period of world triumph of this system of self-defense. The time of universal fascination with jiu-jitsu was not in vain for Spiridonov. He was a dexterous and strong man, a great specialist in military-applied gymnastics, knew French wrestling, English boxing, and without much difficulty thoroughly studied Japanese techniques, although, most likely, he only used descriptions in various manuals published in Russia and abroad. abroad. Despite his front-line merits, Spiridonov's career successes, like those of any army infantry officer, were small: the past ten years brought him a promotion of only one rank.

From the very first days of the world war, he was again on the front line. The second war for the infantry company commander, Lieutenant Spiridonov, ended on the very day when Austrian shrapnel exploded above his head in a battle near the Lashev settlement. Severely shell-shocked and wounded, he spent a year in hospitals, and then was “dismissed from service with promotion to the next rank and rewarded with a uniform and a pension.” The pension, however, was meager. And wasn’t it during those hungry years that the wounded officer had to learn how to sew ladies’ shoes? In general, he had the confident grip of a good Russian craftsman: if necessary, he could repair water tap, also took on other plumbing work.

Spiridonov met the revolution in Moscow. The times were not easy for the former officers: they were seen as potential enemies and suspected of treason. The retired staff captain had to feel this for himself... In 1919 he worked in the Main Armor Directorate of the Red Army. And soon, having recovered from the consequences of the shell shock, he became a teacher at the Moscow district courses for sports instructors and pre-conscription training, one of those educational institutions that were destined to become the founders of Soviet sports. Among the many disciplines studied by the cadets was also “defense and attack without weapons.” The position of chief leader in this subject was held by Viktor Afanasyevich.

In those distant years, sports, and most importantly, its teaching, were at a very low level, especially in Russia, where Physical Culture has not yet received sufficient development. But if in almost any of the sports that were cultivated in our country at that time there already existed, albeit a small, but nevertheless some kind of experience, then in self-defense there was not even this. Moreover: the greedy and ignorant crowd of self-proclaimed commercial jiu-jitsu experts managed to compromise this system so much that many sports specialists simply no longer took it seriously. Many, but not Spiridonov. The conspicuous shortcomings of Japanese self-defense could not prevent him from seeing its undoubted advantages and understanding its “rational grain.” And he was not intimidated by either the complexity or the amount of work that had to be done. And we had to start not just from zero, but, if you like, even from negative. He was entering an area where everything was unclear and often deliberately confusing. There was no trace of any teaching methodology. And what kind of methodology is there, when the only thing Spiridonov started with was a couple of dozen techniques, not all of which were reliable enough. Everything, absolutely everything, had to be found and decided independently: exactly what techniques he would select and show to the cadets, how he would explain it, and in what sequence he would structure the training. The main leader meticulously selected only the most reliable and simple techniques that could be relied upon in any trouble. He will invariably follow this rule in the future, throughout all twenty years of his activity. And it is not surprising that when looking through modern self-defense manuals you will certainly come across more of what Spiridonov once focused on. The work, of course, was carried out, as they say, by touch, almost blindly. Not everything went smoothly. There were many mistakes and misconceptions. And could they not exist under such difficult conditions?

The main thing is that from the very beginning Spiridonov manages to take the path along which the development of the entire modern art of defense and attack without weapons will go: the creation of a new, “synthetic” system, composed of the best techniques already existing systems. And then, only after the end of the second year of work, Viktor Afanasyevich already had reason to talk about the techniques he taught as “tested by experience, in life, by persons who had previously studied.” And later he recalled: “At the beginning of my work, I fell into error when determining the value of certain techniques in the sense of applying them to life, but in 1921, thanks to practical study, I managed to realize the error of the system that existed at that time. At the same time, a detailed study of all the techniques that were used in our reality indicated a new and, it seems to me, the right path.” In 1922, law enforcement officers were given the task of constantly improving their shooting skills and physical training. After all, these qualities were not only among the components that ensure the success of operations, but even guaranteed, to a certain extent, the life of a security officer in dangerous situations. (If, of course, there could be any guarantees at all during such a grueling and inhumanly intense service!)

The soon-created sports society “Dynamo”, uniting in its ranks athletes-chekists, border guards and police officers, took upon itself a solid job of fulfilling the assigned tasks. Naturally, this society, among other things, had to lead the work in the field of such a specific applied sports discipline as self-defense without weapons. And indeed, the Dynamo defense and attack section soon became an all-Union center for the development of techniques, tactics, teaching methods and the promotion of self-defense. And it was, of course, Spiridonov who started all this activity and directed it in the future. He was among the very first sports specialists to come to work in the newborn society. And this was probably the most natural thing. In 1923, Viktor Afanasyevich was the most knowledgeable, if not the only specialist in his field. By that time he was also a member of the capital’s sports community.

All this, undoubtedly, predetermined his arrival at Dynamo, but it still seems that the main reason was different. As before, the very logic of his character led Spiridonov to the forefront. It’s not for nothing that they say that this former front-line officer, on his own initiative, more than once participated in operations to liquidate dens of thieves together with his students from the criminal investigation department. He was some kind of, maybe a little old-fashioned, but, truly, a knight without fear or reproach... Spiridonov now received a huge all-Union audience, very attentive and very much in need of his harsh science. And Viktor Afanasyevich did not disappoint her expectations. Despite the immeasurably increased volume of work, he worked with his characteristic energy and, as always, with complete dedication. Teaches combat techniques to security officers, police officers, commanders and fighters of border troops. He hands them the very “invisible weapon” that was so necessary in their dangerous work. And more than one hefty bandit has been amazed that he was pinned down by a short, seemingly weak security officer. His activities at Dynamo not only made new and increased demands, it gave Spiridonov even greater scope for the implementation of all, even his most daring plans. The task of teaching self-defense on an all-Union scale could only be solved by training hundreds of well-trained instructors. And now Spiridonov is also working on the problem of training instructors.

Within a few years, a whole line of his best students stood next to him, capable of training not only ordinary sambo wrestlers, but also skillful teachers. Two of them especially stood out: D. A. Davydov and M. I. Solomatin, whom Viktor Afanasyevich with gratitude and respect called his “constant assistants in the difficult and new task of creating a coherent system of self-defense.” One after another, three books by Spiridonov are published - about the basic principles of his system. Self-defense sections (as they were called then - self-improvement groups) begin to function not only in Moscow, but also in many Dynamo organizations: in Leningrad, Rostov-on-Don, Sverdlovsk, Ukraine, Siberia and Transcaucasia. A restless patriot of his cause, Viktor Afanasyevich traveled all over the country, promoting self-defense techniques. He was always very willing to perform in security and police clubs, institutions and military units. An excellent storyteller, he knew how to be interesting to any audience. A. A. Kharlampiev, who came to Dynamo after Spiridonov, recalls: “The propagandist was very good. Wherever I had to go, everywhere I met the spark of interest in sambo, kindled at one time by Spiridonov.” Viktor Afanasyevich set himself only practical purposes: formation of a self-defense system. It happened, however, that it was this system that became the very first stage in the creation in our country of a new applied type of wrestling in clothing, in which the use of painful holds was allowed. The type that we today call sambo wrestling. The fact is that the combat skills acquired in training were best consolidated and improved in freestyle combat. “The competition is like the highest degree of training and the last stage of a fighter’s improvement in the study of self-defense,” this was the opinion of Viktor Afanasyevich. And his students went out onto the mat in jackets, wrestling boots (and more often just in tunics and socks) and held training bouts. The sport that accidentally appeared turned out to be very interesting and exciting. Gradually, competitions and even championships began to be organized according to specially developed rules by Spiridonov. The wrestlers were divided into seven “weight groups”, and painful holds were allowed not only as now, when wrestling while lying down, but also in a standing position. In addition, various chokeholds were used. All this, of course, made the fights relatively dangerous and determined high demands on composure and self-control of athletes. “Competitors are strictly forbidden to get excited during a fight, no matter how fast it happens,” the rules prescribed and threatened violators with immediate disqualification. It is worth noting that this warning, formulated with naive straightforwardness, to the “hot ones” was subsequently included in the very first all-Union rules of sambo wrestling. In February 1929, the Dynamo Moscow championship in a new type of wrestling was held for the first time. The posters, however, for greater accessibility indicated: “jiu-jitsu.” Due to the limited number of participants, the championship was played in only four weight categories. And although it was believed that these competitions closed type, during all three days while stubborn fights took place on the mat, the gym of the Higher Border School and the old Dynamo hall on Tsvetnoy Boulevard were crowded. The self-defense masters could not complain about the lack of attention from the fans.

It is interesting that even six months before this championship, Spiridonov’s students, who by that time were already good fighters, managed to receive a baptism of fire in the first and only international jiu-jitsu meeting in the history of Soviet sports. On the fine autumn days of 1928, all of Moscow lived with sports competitions. On the busy, crowded streets, colorful National costumes envoys from all republics. Every now and then foreign speech was heard: workers-athletes from many countries arrived in the red capital to participate in the Spartakiad. The German delegation included several jiu-jitsu specialists. The Germans performed exhibition fights in Moscow parks, demonstrating lightning-fast throws and irresistible grabs. The Japanese system was then new even to the European countries that set the tone in sports. And of course, the German athletes were very surprised that in distant and still experiencing difficulties Moscow, there were their own masters of self-defense. And not only did they appear, but they even dared to challenge them. However, the biggest surprise awaited the guests ahead. Although they strictly followed all the instructions of the Japanese professors with purely German accuracy, the Moscow boys still managed to defeat them in this significant friendly match. Spiridonov carefully agreed on the terms of the meeting with the Germans.

The only surviving participant in this historic match, honorary Dynamo player V.S. Kharitonov, recalled with what excitement they prepared for the competition. The fight continued until the first successful move. Partners were selected of approximately equal weight. Only three pairs competed - from light to heavier weights. The first of the Dynamo players to enter the mat was the short, energetic Pronin and, despite understandable excitement, managed to perform a winning painful hold. The second to enter the competition was Kharitonov, whose outwardly leisurely style of fighting was jokingly called “melancholy” by his comrades. This “melancholy style” determined the victory of its owner and the victory of the entire Soviet team. All the guests could do now was to escape the defeat with a clean sheet, and they realized this opportunity: the third member of the Dynamo team - Vasilenko - left the mat defeated. The style of wrestling that the German athletes encountered in Moscow, although far from becoming Sambo wrestling as we see it today, was no longer Japanese jiu-jitsu in the strict sense of the word. Spiridonov’s eight years of hard work were not in vain. This man could not remain an orthodox copyist. Knowing well all the advantages of jiu-jitsu, Spiridonov, however, was never a thoughtless adherent of this famous system. His opinion is categorical and unequivocal: “The art of self-defense helps to win victory by all available means, therefore, in self-defense, one cannot adhere to any one system, which never covers all the numerous and varied situations in life’s collisions, but it is necessary to use everything useful from other systems, since it leads to victory.”

And Spiridonov boldly introduces into practice the best techniques from freestyle and classical wrestling, including dangerous ones that are forbidden, adopts strikes from English and French boxing, and painstakingly searches for original techniques born from combat and everyday practice. Understanding very well that any technique “works” only with the required speed of execution, he begins (almost for the first time in the practice of domestic wrestling in general) to time the time spent on their implementation. With all this, he creates not some abstract system, not self-defense “in general,” but one clearly oriented specifically to our conditions.

For this reason, in particular, the Japanese’s favorite pressing on “sensitive points” turned out to be mostly mercilessly thrown out. The type of our clothing, significantly different from the Japanese, negated the effectiveness of such techniques. And so, as a result of Spiridonov’s many years of work, an original self-defense system was born, which had only the name in common with jiu-jitsu. Naturally, it also had to be abandoned in the end. At first, Viktor Afanasyevich simply called his system “self-defense.” Subsequently, paying tribute to the then fashionable abbreviations, he called the system “Sam”. But, probably, this name was not the most successful. Among Spiridonov’s students, new variants of it are born: “samoz”, and, finally, the ringing abbreviation “sambo” - “self-defense without weapons”, which replaced all the others. But although the prehistory of sambo begins precisely with Spiridonov, he himself hardly ever thought about it. He considered the “Sam” system of self-defense without weapons to be his life’s work. For the Dynamo veteran, this system was like his personal contribution to the fight against crime. One of Spiridonov’s students said that Viktor Afanasyevich died right on the sambo mat, when, during the most difficult war years, he taught the techniques of our saboteurs before throwing them into the German rear. The narrator named the city where this supposedly happened. And although everything was not so, although in reality Spiridonov died at home from an incurable disease, did not the birth of such a legend show that the old sambo wrestler, despite death itself, remained in service, like a soldier forever included in the lists of his company.