The Russian combat sport of Sambo is a relatively young martial art. Developed in the early 20th Century, Sambo drew from other martial arts in addition to developing its own techniques. Sambo focuses more on throws and less on grappling than say jiu-jitsu does. Masters of Sambo are still quite successful in MMA with their groundwork, however, particularly with leg locks and other submissions.
Sambo groundwork involves the following:
- Leg Locks
- Leg Knots
- Knee Bar
- Toe Holds
- Heel Hooks
- Chokes
- Ground and Pound
- Pins and Passivity Rules in Sambo
Sambo Leg Locks
Leg locks are a very important part of Sambo groundwork. Many BJJ practitioners also add a version of the “Sambo leg lock” into their arsenals. A version of this submission can be obtained from the mount position. From this position, you might want to grab onto the arms of your opponent and make it look like you are going for an arm bar. From there, take your right-leg and hook it around your opponent’s leg on the same side. Your next movement will be to adjust your hips almost like you are going to sit on your backside to the left of your opponent. You want your torso facing across them while still having your leg locked around your opponent’s. Then pull in on your opponent’s ankle and bend it back across your leg to obtain the submission.
Sambo Leg Knots
Another commonly used Sambo technique is the Sambo Leg Knot. While there are numerous variations and techniques associated with these, one method begins in your opponent’s guard. For this method, you will want to ensure that both of your feet are hidden from a possible counter-attack. This could involve hooking your feet around the thighs of your opponent rather than sticking a foot out that your opponent can grab. From full guard you want to grab your opponent’s left leg and hook your foot under the kneecap of their left leg. Then as you sit back, raise your opponent’s left leg off the ground with your foot and grab a hold of their ankle with your left hand. At this point, take your outside leg and feed it under your other leg. Then pull your top leg out and shoot it over your opponent’s ankle. Then roll onto your side so your weight is on your right hip. This should leave your opponent’s leg completely trapped within the knot you have tied with both you and your opponent’s limbs.
Sambo Leg Knot From Standing Position
Sambo leg knots can also be initiated from a standing position. To execute this when both you and your opponent are on your feet, you want to fall to the ground with your right leg in between your opponent’s legs. Then throw your leg around your opponent’s left leg while your left leg pushes against their knee. At this point, grab a hold of your opponent’s sleeve and bring them to the mat. Once your opponent is on their back, take your right leg and put it under your opponent’s knee and then cover your opponent’s shin with your left leg from the outside. Pull on your opponent’s lapel and straighten your knees to obtain the submission.
Sambo Knee Bar
Knee bars are also a popular ground technique for Sambo practitioners. One method of this submission can be obtained while in your opponent’s half-guard. From half-guard you want to attack your opponent’s outside leg rather than the one that is between your legs. First you will want to posture up from half-guard and you might even decide to land some strikes from this position while you are there. Then, swing your left leg around your body, spin 180 degrees so you have your opponent’s left leg in between yours and your back facing your opponent’s upper body. You should end up sitting on their hip bone. While you are doing this,bring your right arm under your opponent’s left leg. Take your left hand and grab your opponent’s left ankle and pull up. At this point you will want to fall to your opponent’s left side while still clutching the leg. Then pull back on the leg as you arch backwards to obtain the submission.
Toe Holds In Sambo
Another popular technique in Sambo are toe holds. Toe holds don’t count as small joint manipulation as you are not actually bending or attacking your opponent’s toes. You are going to be grabbing that part of your opponent’s foot but the actual pressure of the move comes in the ankle and foot. A Sambo toe hold is almost like a kimura but for your opponent’s ankle. From a half-guard position, you want to press down on your opponent’s leg with your left arm while you wrap your right around your opponent’s foot. Your left hand then grabs the top of your opponent’s foot. Then clasp your right hand to your left arm and pull back to obtain the submission.
Heel Hooks In Sambo
Heel hooks are some of the most popular submissions in Sambo. How you grasp your opponent’s foot is going to make all the difference in the world for this submission. With your opponent on their back and you standing or on your knees, you will want to grasp your opponent’s foot to your side just below your armpit. Your opponent’s toes should not be visible and sandwiched between your arm and your ribs. Your opponent’s heel should be touching your bicep and arm. Then you will want to clasp your hands together and turn your body against how their ankle bends naturally to obtain the submission.
Chokes In Sambo
Sport Sambo does not allow chokes but Combat Sambo does. Making these rules even less clear, however, is the fact that Combat Sambo now has regular competitions. Regardless, many chokes have been developed in the discipline. Combat Sambo also allows soccer kicks, groin strikes, and headbutts whereas Sport Sambo does not.
A lot of Sambo chokes make use of your opponent’s lapel, so they don’t transfer well to no-gi martial arts disciplines. A lapel choke in Sambo involves grabbing your opponent’s lapel and turning it across their body. Then you basically want to move as much of your opponent’s body as you can in the opposite direction. From the turtle position, you want to grab your opponent’s lapel with one hand and control their arm with the other. Then you want to step over your opponent’s back in a position that MMA fighters would find advantageous for a rear-naked choke. Roll your opponent over until you are in a sitting position and your opponent’s head is in your lap. Pull back on the lapel to obtain the submission.
Ground and Pound In Sambo
Khabib Nurmagomedov has let the world know Sambo practitioners have excellent ground and pound. Combat Sambo practitioners will make use of headbutts and groin strikes as well. A lot of the ground and pound you see in Sambo are meant to set-up submissions but that is not to say they aren’t effective in their own right. While much of the ground and pound seen in MMA involves a fighter posturing up and reigning down blows as best they can, Sambo ground and pound is often more about putting your opponent in the most vulnerable position, tying up their limbs and hammering them with strikes they are not in a position to block.
Pins, Passivity, and Other Rules In Sambo
The unique rules for Sport and Combat Sambo can often create very aggressive combat athletes. This is due to the passivity rules in the sport. A referee can issue a warning for passivity pretty much at their discretion and groundwork must happen quickly or else the competitors will be reset. After taking your opponent down, a Sambo competitor only has 5-7 seconds to obtain a pinning position or painful hold. This means there is no stalling on the ground in Sambo. As a result of this, you may notice that MMA fighters with strong Sambo backgrounds are more aggressive on the ground, wasting little time in getting an advantageous position or submission.
Another rule in Sambo is that competitors can score points for pinning their opponents shoulders to the mat for 10-seconds or more. This rule means some competitors with a strong background in Sambo may not be as well-versed off their back or operating from within full guard, similar to wrestlers who also need to avoid pins in their discipline.
As with many martial arts, it is the rules from competitions that can lead to unique tendences from athletes. Pins and passivity rules in Sambo change how combat athletes work on the ground but so do the scoring rules for throws in Sambo. A bout can actually end if a competitor executes a perfect throw. Throws also receive more points based on how well they are executed. The emphasis Sambo places on throws and the restrictions on passivity while competitors are on the ground create a unique fighting style for Sambo athletes. These tendencies may help or hinder a competitor in other martial arts competitions.