Russian martial arts

Last updated

There are a number of martial arts styles and schools of Russian origin. [1] Traditional Russian fist fighting has existed since the 1st millennium AD.[ citation needed ] It was outlawed in the Russian Empire in 1832.[ citation needed ] However, it has seen a resurgence after the break-up of the Soviet Union.

Contents

During the Soviet era, the government wanted to create both military hand-to-hand combat systems and combat sports, resulting in the creation of sambo. During the 1980s and after the fall of Communism the interest in the folk martial arts was reawakened. Through ethnographic study, many new styles based on the folk styles appeared.

Russian fist fighting

Russian fist fighting (Russian - Кулачный бой Kulachniy boy "fist fighting, pugilism) is the traditional bare-knuckle boxing of Russia. The earliest accounts concerning the sport date to the 13th century. [2]

Sambo

Sambo (Russian:са́мбо,IPA: [ˈsambə] ; САМозащита Без Оружия) is a Russian martial art and combat sport. [3] [4] The word "SAMBO" is an acronym for SAMozashchita Bez Oruzhiya, which literally translates as "self-defense without weapons". Sambo is relatively modern since its development began in the early 1920s by the Soviet Red Army to improve their hand-to-hand combat abilities. [3] Intended to be a merger of the most effective techniques of other martial arts, sambo has roots in Japanese judo, international styles of wrestling, plus traditional folk styles of wrestling such as: Armenian kokh, Georgian chidaoba, Romanian trântă, Tatar köräş, Uzbek kurash, Mongolian khapsagay and Azerbaijani gulesh.

The pioneers of sambo were Viktor Spiridonov and Vasili Oshchepkov. Oshchepkov died in prison as a result of the political purges of 1937 after accusations of being a Japanese spy. Oshchepkov spent much of his life living in Japan and training in judo under its founder Kano Jigoro. The two Russians independently developed two different styles which eventually cross-pollinated and became what is known as Sambo. Compared to Oshchepkov's judo-based system, then called "Freestyle Wrestling," Spiridonov's style was softer and less strength dependent. This was in large part due to Spiridonov's injuries sustained during World War I. [5]

Anatoly Kharlampiev, a student of Oshchepkov, is often considered the founder of sport sambo. In 1938, it was recognized as an official sport by the USSR All-Union Sports Committee.

Systema

Systema (Система, literally meaning The System) is a Russian martial art. [6] Training includes, but is not limited to: hand-to-hand combat, grappling, knife fighting, and firearms training. Training involves drills and sparring without set kata.

ARB

ARB (Russian:Армейский Рукопашный Бой; Armeyskiy Rukopashniy Boy; 'Army Hand-to-Hand Combat') is a Russian martial art of training for protection and attack receptions that incorporated many functional elements from an arsenal of individual hand-to-hand combat and martial arts from around the world, and has been used in real fighting activities.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Grappling</span> Range of techniques used in many disciplines, styles and martial arts

Grappling is a fighting technique based on throws, trips, sweeps, clinch fighting, ground fighting and submission holds.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Judo</span> Japanese modern martial art

Judo is an unarmed modern Japanese martial art, combat sport, Olympic sport, and the most prominent form of jacket wrestling competed internationally. Judo was created in 1882 by Kanō Jigorō as an eclectic martial art, distinguishing itself from its predecessors due to an emphasis on "randori" instead of "kata" alongside its removal of striking and weapon training elements. Judo rose to prominence for its dominance over established jujutsu schools in tournaments hosted by the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department, resulting in its adoption as the department's primary martial art. A judo practitioner is called a "judoka", and the judo uniform is called "judogi".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Martial arts</span> Codified systems and traditions of combat

Martial arts are codified systems and traditions of combat practiced for a number of reasons such as self-defence; military and law enforcement applications; competition; physical, mental, and spiritual development; entertainment; and the preservation of a nation's intangible cultural heritage.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Submission wrestling</span> Fighting style

Submission wrestling, also known as submission grappling, submission fighting or simply grappling, is a competitive martial art and combat sport that focuses on ground fighting and submission techniques. It is a hybrid discipline that incorporates elements of various grappling arts such as various wrestling styles, judo, and Brazilian jiu-jitsu. Submission wrestling is practiced both as a competitive sport and as a training method for self-defence and mixed martial arts (MMA).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wrestling</span> Combat sports

Wrestling is a martial art and combat sport that involves grappling with an opponent and striving to obtain a position of advantage through different throws or techniques, within a given ruleset. Wrestling involves different grappling-type techniques such as clinch fighting, throws and takedowns, joint locks, pins, and other grappling holds. Many different wrestling techniques have been incorporated into martial arts, combat sports, and military systems. Wrestling is genuine competition; professional wrestling is athletic theatre.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sanda (sport)</span> Chinese self-defense system and combat sport

Sanda, formerly Sanshou, is the official Chinese boxing full-contact combat sport. Sanda is a fighting system which was originally developed by the Chinese military based upon the study and practices of traditional Chinese martial arts and modern combat fighting techniques; it combines boxing and full-contact kickboxing, which includes close range and rapid successive punches and kicks, with wrestling, takedowns, throws, sweeps, kick catches, and in some competitions, even elbow and knee strikes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sambo (martial art)</span> Martial art sports

Sambo is a martial art with Soviet origins, an internationally practiced combat sport, and a recognized style of amateur wrestling included by UWW in the World Wrestling Championships along with Greco-Roman wrestling and freestyle wrestling.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hand-to-hand combat</span> Fighting without ranged weapons

Hand-to-hand combat is a physical confrontation between two or more persons at short range that does not involve the use of ranged weapons. The phrase "hand-to-hand" sometimes include use of melee weapons such as knives, swords, clubs, spears, axes, or improvised weapons such as entrenching tools. While the term "hand-to-hand combat" originally referred principally to engagements by combatants on the battlefield, it can also refer to any personal physical engagement by two or more people, including law enforcement officers, civilians, and criminals.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Combat sport</span> Competitive contact sport involving combat

A combat sport, or fighting sport, is a contact sport that usually involves one-on-one combat. In many combat sports, a contestant wins by scoring more points than the opponent, submitting the opponent with a hold, disabling the opponent, or attacking the opponent in a specific or designated technique. Combat sports share a long history with the martial arts.

Hybrid martial arts, also known as hybrid fighting systems or sometimes eclectic martial arts or freestyle martial arts, referred to as mixed martial arts or fighting systems that incorporate techniques and theories from several martial arts. While numerous martial arts borrow or adapt from other arts and to some extent could be considered hybrids, a hybrid martial art emphasizes its disparate origins.

This martial arts timeline is designed to help describe the history of the martial arts in a linear fashion. Many of the articles for particular styles have discussions of their history. This article is designed to help visualize the development of these arts, to help better understand the progression of the separate styles and illustrate where they interrelate.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jujutsu</span> Japanese martial art

Jujutsu, also known as jiu-jitsu and ju-jitsu, is a family of Japanese martial arts and a system of close combat that can be used in a defensive or offensive manner to kill or subdue one or more weaponless or armed and armored opponents. It was designed in the 1530s and is coined by Hisamori Tenenuchi when he officially established the first school of Jiu-Jitsu in Japan. A subset of techniques from certain styles of jujutsu were used to develop many modern martial arts and combat sports, such as judo, aikido, sambo, ARB, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, and mixed martial arts.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Anatoly Kharlampiyev</span> Russian wrestling and martial arts researcher

Anatoly Arkadyevich Kharlampiyev, was a Russian researcher of various kinds of national wrestling and martial arts, Merited Master of Sports of the USSR, and Honored Coach of Sports of the USSR. He was one of the founders of Sambo, a martial art technique developed in the Soviet Union. Kharlampiyev worked as a physical education trainer at the Communist University of the Toilers of the East, and also was a student of boxing, fencing, acrobatics, and mountaineering. In 1938, Kharlampiyev presented Sambo to the USSR All-Union Sports Committee, which recognized the martial art as an official sport.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">ARB (martial art)</span> Soviet martial art

ARB is a Soviet martial art which was developed for the military in the late 1970s and tested with the Soviet Airborne Troops, utilising both striking and grappling techniques with an emphasis on stand-up fighting and use of throws to take an opponent down quickly. It incorporated many functional elements from an arsenal of army-style hand-to-hand combat and martial arts styles from around the world, and has been intended for use in a combat environment. It is a relatively modern and quickly developing style of martial arts, and, as a combat sport, it has become popular for its full-contact sparring while offering a relatively modest risk of injury. Contrary to Combat Sambo contests, which are being held at a standard wrestling mat, ARB contests require a 10×10 m (33×33 ft) tatami-like squared area.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vasili Oshchepkov</span> Russian martial artist (1893–1938)

Vasili Sergeyevich Oshchepkov was a Russian and Soviet researcher of different types of national wrestling and martial arts. He was ranked as a Merited Master of Sports of the USSR and an Honored Coach of the USSR. He was one of the founders of Sambo, a martial art developed in the Soviet Union. During the Great Purge, Oshchepkov was arrested in 1937 and accused of being a Japanese spy; he was executed in prison as a result.

Viktor Afanasievich Spiridonov was a researcher of various kinds of wrestling and martial arts, a Merited Master of Sports of the USSR, and a Honored Coach of the USSR. He was one of the founders of Sambo, a martial art developed in the Soviet Union.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kūdō</span> Japanese martial art

Kūdō is a Japanese hybrid martial art. It is a full-contact combat sport that aims to achieve safety, aggression, & practicality, a style of mixed martial arts practised with headgear and gloves. It features stand-up striking, with throwing and grappling techniques being also allowed in the competition, including restraint, locks and chokeholds.

<i>Legends of Sambo</i> 2023 Russian film

Legends of Sambo is a 2023 Russian biographical sports-drama which tells the story of the origins of the Soviet martial art Sambo.

References

  1. "Russian Martial Arts". Completemartialarts.com. Archived from the original on January 24, 2017. Retrieved 2014-05-23.
  2. Russian Fist Fighting. "Летописцы наши говорят об ней, еще в начале XIII в. [Our sources talked about it already at the 13th century.]"
  3. 1 2 Schneiderman, R.M. (June 19, 2010). "Once-Secret Martial Art Rises in Ring's Bright Lights". The New York Times .
  4. "Once-secret KGB martial art fights for recognition". Time Live. Archived from the original on July 28, 2013. Retrieved December 4, 2010.
  5. "Биография Виктор Спиридонов". Peoples.ru. 2013-03-07. Retrieved 2015-10-15.
  6. "Systema at Black Belt magazine website". Black Belt. Archived from the original on January 29, 2017. Retrieved 2014-02-06.