The difference between regular sambo and combat sambo. How different types of martial arts differ from each other?

Sambo is a native Russian form of martial arts, and therefore this sport is especially important for its development in Russia. It is not surprising that our athletes always try to be world leaders in this discipline. The best wrestlers regularly win the most prestigious competitions and glorify the national sport. Despite its relative youth (sambo appeared in the 30s of the 20th century), sambo already has worldwide recognition, is constantly being improved, and new techniques are being invented, of which there are now more than a thousand.

Sambo and combat sambo as sports disciplines

Classical sambo is a type of wrestling in which the main thing is effective defense. It is not for nothing that the full name of sambo is self-defense without weapons. This sport has weight categories, general rules have been developed, and points are awarded for techniques in competitions. In sambo, you can also win early thanks to a painful hold or an effective throw.
Unlike classical or sports sambo, combat sambo for a long time remained the prerogative of exclusively special forces fighters. This type of martial art is a whole complex of techniques from more than fifty types of martial arts. In addition to throws, grabs and techniques, a wide variety of strikes are also used here. It is not surprising that a fight in combat sambo can end in a knockout or knockdown. Such battles, as a rule, are quite fleeting and the main goal is to defeat the enemy at any cost.

Distinctive features of sambo and combat sambo

The difference between combat and sports sambo is quite significant. So in its combat form, strikes with both hands and feet are allowed, whereas in the classic version they are prohibited. The rules for conducting a duel also differ. In combat sambo, many more techniques are used, including possible strangulation of the opponent. Not surprisingly, there are more opportunities to earn points here.
Combat sambo is more dynamic, but also more dangerous than classical sambo.
If classical sambo is considered a sport in its purest form, then combat sambo is practiced not only in competitions, but by the military and special services. The main goal of sports sambo is self-defense, while combat sambo is to attack the enemy.

In 2009, Fedor Emelianenko won the Russian Sambo Championship, spending a total of 41 seconds on three opponents (photo: wikimedia.org)

What to choose?

When choosing to study these disciplines, as a rule, there is a fairly clear distinction. Even small children can be enrolled in sports sambo, because this is an excellent opportunity to develop their physical fitness, strength and endurance.
Most often, already accomplished masters who want to improve their skills come to combat sambo. Therefore, it is not uncommon for champions in sports sambo to then switch to the combat style of this type of martial arts and achieve serious success there. The most striking example is the legendary Fedor Emelianenko, who became the winner of the most serious sambo competitions, and then became a champion in MMA.
In any case, the prestige of Sambo and Combat Sambo is constantly growing in the world of martial arts, and all because this effective training system, developed back in the USSR, is still considered one of the best on the planet. This is confirmed by the numerous victories and achievements of our famous athletes.

In the USSR, judo and sambo always developed together - all wrestlers fought in competitions and performed categories in both types. The result of this is logical - a common core of techniques has been developed that allows one to achieve results in both types, the terminology of techniques is used in sambo, and training methods are often merged. The reasons are obvious - after the inclusion of judo in the program of the Olympic Games and the beginning of its active development in the USSR, judo did not develop from scratch, but precisely through the retraining of sambo wrestlers.

However, even modern judo and modern sambo are internally very different systems. Let me formulate my vision this way: a wrestler can be trained in the sambo system and expand his skills using judo, or trained in the judo system and expand his skills using the sambo system, but it is impossible to teach sambo and judo to a beginner at the same time. Even an athlete trained in both disciplines determines the basic basis within himself - “I am a sambo wrestler, I can fight in judo,” or “I am a judoka, I can fight in sambo.”


The question of the roots, continuity and levels of community of sambo and judo provides a very wide field for theorizing. In this case, the following presentation scheme is chosen:
The version of the origin of Sambo directly from judo is taken as the basic premise, as the most convenient for comparison.

Next, based on individual “points of difference,” an assessment or reconstruction of the transition from the principles of judo to the new principles adopted in sambo is carried out.


Cultural and educational component
The enormous popularity of judo in Japan has several levels, and a very important point up to this day is the authority of judo as a school of education in the spirit of traditional and universal values, applicable and useful in everyday life, “intellectual jujutsu” with its positive principles:
diligence, flexibility, economy, good manners and ethical behavior are great benefits to everyone;
the principle of seiryoku zen'yo, the most effective use of spiritual and physical energy for purposes of attack or defense, applicable to all areas of human life
the principle of "mutual prosperity" ji-ta kyoei.
harmonious development of body and spirit as a priority of judo in contrast to traditional jujutsu or European sports;

And so on.
All the things that gave judo its “Do” part.

This part was not accepted at all in Russia a century ago, and is not particularly perceived now. Judo was interpreted as a certain type of wrestling - that's all.

Moreover, if with the later spread of karate, at least the external attributes of training were borrowed - terminology in Japanese, bows, kimonos, attributesZen practices, etc. (even without understanding the essence, with perception at the level“exotic component”, but were borrowed), then in Russian sambo even this did not take root, and in Russian judo it turned out to be very “samboized”.

The system created for the harmonious development of the individual, as opposed to European sports, has turned into European sports. That is, the values ​​embedded in it as basic, at the preschool level, were either not appreciated or were not perceived by judo students at the most basic level, at the level of cultural differences. Now, when, thanks to martial arts, Russian followers began to study Zen Buddhism and the Eastern tradition, this is happening in completely different disciplines.

Theoretical basis of struggle

Judo as a harmonious and integral system of conducting a duel, built on the logical and beautiful principle of unbalancing and throwing.

A small digression. In general, one gets the feeling that the Japanese mentality is characterized by ordering the surrounding world based on the principle of “sufficient minimalism.” Just as in traditional painting, “the main thing is not the ink, but the empty space,” or how the hieroglyph “simplicity” is used for the concept of “beauty.”
Japanese styles - judo, aikido, and karate - have their own understandable and clear aesthetics of movements, which does not allow them to be confused with each other and with other styles, and it is based on a relatively small set of principles. Yes, you can throw a person through the hip or with a pick-up - but this will not be aikido. Or you can twist your wrist with both hands - but it won’t be judo.

In this case, a rather interesting situation arises - at first a martial arts system was created based on the main principle, but since it did not allow solving the entire range of combat tasks, “non-classical techniques” were additionally studied (like strikes and wrist techniques in judo). This technique allows you to prepare a more universal fighter, but all the time it seems to remain outside the brackets, without disturbing the harmonious beauty of the system itself.

The theory of classical judo was built by D. Kano on the basis of the rejection of the traditional idea of ​​​​"ki movement" in favor of European logic and principles of physics - for a throw it is necessary to move the projection of the body's center of gravity beyond the area of ​​its support. D. Kano widely used clothing grabs and the principle of leverage, essentially considering a person as a kind of cylinder on a plane. If the enemy behaves differently, then it is necessary to bring him into this state with a restraining grip. Which doesn’t always help - probably, everyone who has studied judo has come across a fairly natural “newbie” defense technique that appears - “limping” the body in combination with bending in the mobile lower back. It is then very easy to overwhelm a person by twisting or “yard” pushing, but using the classical technique, it is almost impossible to throw.
“All classical judo techniques are performed from the classic grip - lapel - sleeve, and everything else is adapted to judo in the process of solving the problem of “who will win.” Actions that constantly take judo away from its classical version into another type of martial arts are constantly being fought by changing the rules (prohibiting grabs by the belt, pants, on one side of the kimono, etc.) It is correct to unbalance these grabs practically impossible, and therefore these holds are considered defensive. ..."

So, in the theoretical scheme of judo, the impact occurs at two levels - on the axis of the shoulders and on the fulcrum, which entails a canonical bilateral grip (by the sleeve and the opposite lapel). Hence the two main principles of throwing - fixing the axis of the shoulders with knocking out the support and fixing the support with pulling off the axis of the shoulders. Accordingly, forward, backward, sideways - but according to this principle. A separate group - throws based on lifting from the fulcrum - are included, perhaps, because in terms of the mechanics of movements and the required grips they are well combined with the techniques of the basic principle.

Such is the laconic beauty of the theory of judo throwing technique. Really neat design.
But this scheme did not transfer to sambo either. Russian enthusiasts take a hold, but do it with a belt grip and a leg grip. Or with a one-sided grip. That is, borrowing the form of the technique without borrowing the theoretical basis of the struggle. There is no laconic beauty of style - everything that was carefully studied by its creator D. Kano and discarded as superfluous, not corresponding to the principles, suddenly returns to Sambo and is declared equal.
Why?

In general, the very logic of the changes made is interesting - the “archaic kimono” was replaced by a jacket, which “was made of denser fabric and had sewn-on belts. This made it possible to make the grips tougher and the fight more forceful.” Question: why “wage a more forceful fight” when the main principle of “ju”, from which Kano derived an elegant theory of the effectiveness of judo, is precisely the rejection of the priority of using force in favor of using the moment and movement of the opponent? Moreover, D. Kano cites the principle of “ju” not just as a way by which a physically weaker person can defeat a stronger one, but as a principle of rationality: “If I had more strength than my opponent, I would simply crush him. But even if I had the desire and strength for this, it would still be better for myself to first yield to the enemy, since such actions significantly save my strength.”

That is, the Russian followers of Sambo have not only abandoned the socio-cultural part of “Do”, but also the main wrestling principle of “Ju”. The basics of “Nippon Den Kodokan Judo”, as it was written on the Kodokan qualification certificates, which means “the best budo of Japan”.
Incident? Or misunderstanding? The basic principle of judo wrestling is not understood? Or neither? Moreover, in modern sambo the fight is really much more powerful than even in modern judo; sambo has taken an “illogical” path, even if you do not link the analysis to the above quote.

In this whole transformation one can see a completely sound logic, if we proceed from the situation that the people who studied and developed judo were not new to wrestling. For example, they had their own methodological base, which they did not consider worse or less correct. And new technical actions are simply built into the existing base, regardless of distortions in form and essence.

The existence of its own methodological base makes clear the rapid abandonment of the dojo, tatami, kimono in favor of the gym, wrestling mat, wrestling mats, including the significantly increased role of wrestling on the ground (and the term itself comes from there). For Russian wrestlers, the base was most likely classical (or rather, then French wrestling + freestyle American, which was replaced over time by the trio classical - freestyle - sambo). For wrestlers who are accustomed to long and persistently earning points on the ground in the classics, it is natural not to miss the opportunity to “tinker” and “pressure” the opponent, since the ability to tightly control the opponent “on the ground” has already been developed. In classics - and sambo - stand and ground as technical actions are not opposed. Unlike judo, in which D. Kano recommended studying the prone wrestling technique only after acquiring thorough experience in throwing wrestling (“throwing is more valuable for both physical development and spiritual preparation”), and in the absence of sufficient time to master all the techniques - study only throwing technique.

This difference even between modern judo and sambo is manifested even now even at the level of methodology and technique being studied. All modern books on judo cite choking, holding and painful techniques as ground techniques - that is, attacks only from a “revealed” opponent. In Sambo textbooks, preparatory actions are discussed in great detail - coups, transfers, etc., including without grabbing clothes.

It is precisely the presence of “your own” wrestling base that is a reasonable explanation for abandoning the principlecontrol of the enemy along the “shoulder axis”, developed by D. Kano. Otherwise, one should accept the point of view that V. Oshchepkov’s students simply did not understand anything about the strict and logical system, or did not appreciate it at all. Moreover, they “did not appreciate” not in the eastern sense instilled in Japan (the priority of the value of judo over the value of a fighter - “the highest value of judo in itself does not change from personal victory or defeat”, in which the technique being studied is “canned” for the sake of preserving tradition), but at the level of effectiveness of a wrestling match.

And here there is already a moment of connection with the cultural factors mentioned above - they were not appreciated due to a different understanding of the nature and essence of the confrontation. For Europeans and Russians, wrestling is a struggle, the main thing in it is to determine the winner, and “measuring one’s strength” and “flexing one’s muscles” are an indispensable component of the European understanding of wrestling, perhaps since the times of heavy military equipment. In the classics, a wrestler who simply steps back or is knocked to his knees loses a point, even in the wrestling treatise of F. von Aueroswald (Saxony, 1537) such actions are called “advantageous step” and are combined into a whole group. That is, throws are not the whole fight, but its culmination, the highest part.

In judo, wrestling is not a measure of strength, but a competition in the level of mastery of technique. Not competition, but development is the main thing in randori; D. Kano even requires performing randori in a high stance, which facilitates the development of classical techniques, although it weakens the defense. The competition is held in the level of mastery of the ju principle, in the degree of progress along the path of knowledge “Do”, and the factor of continuity of traditions is of great importance.

Different understandings of the goals of wrestling and the meaning of its study seriously determined the fundamental motor scheme and composition of the techniques of the two types of wrestling. What was borrowed was borrowed on the principle of complementing what was available, without replacing it, just as in the case of the socio-cultural background of judo. It is difficult to find an appropriate term for this level of difference, but tentatively it can be said that the two types of struggle differ strategically.

Selected technical issues. Unbalanced. Combination and reception.
Let us dwell in more detail on the rather narrow difference in the technique of unbalancing. The fact that in sambo a one-sided grip and even a grip with only one hand are considered equivalent leads to the use of disequilibrium by “overhanging” and “crushing” for the entire arsenal of throws - sweeps, trips, grabs, holds.
Another thing is more interesting - the different mechanism for unbalancing in a bilateral classical grip. In sambo, the same mechanics of movements are used in both bilateral and unilateral grips - bringing the elbow under the armpit of the opposite hand.
In classical judo, this method is an exception - it is only available in the seoi-nage throw. For all grabs and trips, in the process of unbalancing, the elbow of the arm is moved up and to the side, both when throwing backwards and when throwing forward.

It is from here, plus the rigid fixation of the jacket with a belt and a tighter cut of the jacket,
This also results from the technique of “sticky wrestling” in sambo, which is absent in judo. Since, after being unbalanced by placing the elbow under the armpit, a throw is possible forward and backward, a pattern of a long attack appears, back and forth, back and forth from this “half position” without the attacker returning to the original stance. The transition in an attack back and forth (for example, front step - back step) in judo occurs with a relative loss of grip control, due to the same three reasons. In addition, viscous power wrestling is facilitated by the use of low stances and one-sided grips, which allow you to load one of the opponent’s shoulders with both hands.

This is exactly what sambo wrestlers mean when they talk about combination wrestling, which is absent in traditional judo. And that is why pure judoists do not understand them - in order to see the difference, you need to have experience in sambo fights. What constitutes rentsoku-waza in judo - 2 techniques in combination - is not yet combination wrestling for sambo.

In modern judo, a fighter from the first category level, in response to a sticky fight in the sambo style, will simply throw the judogi off his shoulders, bowing his head. An experienced wrestler certainly does not tie up his judogi tightly and does this throwing off playfully. And that’s it, there is no hard pinning grip, the end of the combination fight. Add to this the longer average duration of bouts in sambo due to the greater difficulty of a clear victory, and as a result, judo and sambo differ tactically.

In traditional judo, fights were not fought in the viscous sambo style; the aesthetics of movements and fights are different, very different.

In “The Genius of Judo” by A. Kurosawa, it is reproduced demonstratively - wrestlers jump to the right - left - forward - back, fighting for a grip (again, I can’t resist mentioning the technique of releasing a grip by kicking the foot). After a long struggle for capture, a single throw follows - and that’s it. For the remainder of the film, the losing wrestler is treated or immediately buried.

All this has been preserved in traditional judo, as a judoist who lives and trains in France beautifully formulated on one of the forums: “we have a bias towards focusing on ippon to the detriment of tactics.”

Moreover, this difference in approaches to combat tactics has long historical roots. S.V. Mishenev, in his excellent book “The History of European Fencing,” provides data from an analysis of the remains at the site of the Battle of Visby (1361), where the skeletons of 1,185 fighters were discovered: “In Ingelmark, after conducting a thorough analysis, he revealed interesting patterns. The majority of blows - 65% - are delivered to the left leg, mainly to the shin, and these are not the strongest blows. The blows to the hands are somewhat less represented... and these are also not the most powerful and single blows. But the majority of blows to the head are delivered with extreme force, and in 20% of cases in series...
The conclusion is clear. The warriors, fighting with each other, delivered rare economical blows to the most accessible places of the body... and having achieved an advantage, they unleashed powerful and well-aimed blows on the enemy who had lost control, putting all their strength into them.
This principle of combining disruptive and finishing blows is generally characteristic of European fencing and later times.
For comparison, we note that ... the skeletons found in Japan under Saimokuza bear traces of a single, mostly diagonal or horizontal, blow to the head.”

To be continued.

Classes in sambo and judo sections are becoming increasingly popular. It is no secret that the security forces of almost all countries use the techniques of these particular martial arts. And the parents of the younger generation are racing to send their child to one of the above sections. Indeed, in the modern world it is very important to be able to stand up for yourself. And playing these sports will very soon teach you all the necessary self-defense techniques. The peculiar philosophy of these directions will help strengthen character. And since these martial arts are quite similar to each other (at first glance), it can be difficult to decide on the choice of section. Now judo and sambo sections are opening everywhere, especially since adults are not lagging behind children in their desire to practice these martial arts.

So what is sambo?

Sambo is characterized as “ self-defense without weapons“You must agree, this name says a lot. The USSR became the parent of this type of martial arts. Despite the fact that sambo appeared in 1920, only 18 years later this wrestling received the status of a sport.

Sambo wrestlers train in special suits consisting of a jacket with a belt and shorts. Special boots are required on your feet. There are even protective bands available to protect particularly vulnerable parts of the body.

Sambo can be described as “ vinaigrette styles“, because in the combination of techniques of this fight, there are the most effective techniques selected from various martial arts. And a considerable number of attack and defense techniques that came to this popular sport from the East make the Sambo style quite fast and even a little cruel. A big plus is that Sambo cares not only about the beauty of the body. The unique philosophy of this type of martial arts can cultivate in a person the following qualities:

1. Self-discipline.
2. Persistence in achieving any goal.
3. Strength of character.
4. Vitality.

So, in addition to the ability to stand up for yourself and your loved ones, sambo strengthens the will to overcome any difficulties in life and gives tremendous faith in oneself. And these are the most important components of the character of a successful person.

Characteristics of judo

The foundation of such a martial art as judo is rooted in the Land of the Rising Sun. After all, it was the Japanese master who created the basic rules and principles of training for this martial art. The first judo school was founded in 1882 in Japan; this year is considered to be the year of the founding of this type of martial arts. This type of martial arts came to us in 1914. Since then, judo has developed and gained popularity.

Judo is based on three essential principles:

1. Mutual assistance and understanding
2. Maximum control of body and spirit
3. Give in to win.

There are two types of judo: traditional and sporty. This type of martial art is rich in painful holds, throws, choking, etc. You don’t need to have any special physical strength to master the judo technique perfectly. After all, the main thing in this fight is technical maneuvers, which are countless here. It should be added that since 1964, competitions in sports judo have been included in the program of the Olympic Games.

What are the main differences between judo and sambo?

At first glance, judo and sambo are very similar in grips, painful holds and numerous throws. But upon closer examination, it becomes obvious that these two types of martial arts are too different.

Namely:

1. The country is the parent of the martial arts school:

• Judo came from Japan.
• The birthplace of sambo is the USSR.

2. Date of Birth:

• Judo - 1882.
• Sambo - 1920.

3. Clothes for classes:

• Sambo is a special suit (shorts, jacket, belt, special boots).
• Judo - kimono (jacket, pants), belt and legs - nothing.

4. Competition mat:

• Judokas have a square tatami.
• Sambo wrestlers have a round tatami.

5. Olympic Games:

• Sambo is not an Olympic sport.
• Judo has been a regular participant in the Olympic Games since 1964.

6. Chokeholds:

• You can't do it in sambo.
• There are quite a lot of them in judo.

7. Painful techniques aimed at the legs:

• In sambo - you can produce.
• In judo it is prohibited.

8. The role of physical strength:

• It is welcome in Sambo.
• In judo, physical strength is not that important.

9. “Viscous wrestling” technique:

• Occurs in sambo (the use of low stances facilitates this).
• Judo does not have this technique.

10. Philosophy:

• In sambo, the highest priority is physical strength and an aggressive desire to win. Based on this, the philosophy is unique, Soviet.
• Judo has its own philosophy, which first of all teaches you to respect your opponent.

11. Culture of behavior in a training room:

• Bowing to the coach and your opponent on the tatami distinguishes judokas.
• Sambo does not provide for such traditions.

It is difficult for an amateur to understand how the combat sport of sambo differs from judo. For an ordinary person there is no difference between them. Let's try to find out what their differences are.

What is sambo

The type of martial arts Sambo (Self-Defense Without Weapons), the defining principle of which is self-defense without weapons, was developed in the USSR. Wrestling was created on the basis of judo and other types of martial arts. Sambo, which is a hundred years younger than judo, is divided into combat and sports. Combat is used in the armed forces of the CIS, strikes are allowed in it. Competitions are held in both sports and combat sambo.

Japanese judo

Wrestling, whose homeland is Japan, has gained popularity among domestic athletes and fans. Fights between judokas look more spectacular than competitions in all other types of martial arts, including sambo. This applies to both the athletes’ equipment and the techniques used. Entertainment and beauty have made judo very popular in our country. Main directions: sports and traditional.

Distinctive features of sambo and judo

Unlike Soviet, Japanese wrestling is included in the program of the Olympic Games. Sambo techniques are used by French police officers, and judo is used by American policemen and army personnel.

The tatami on which sambo wrestlers fight is round, while that of judokas is square. more open, sambo wrestlers perform in sports shoes. Judokas fight barefoot.

Sports sambo and sports judo have a lot in common. The difference between them is visual and in the rules of the fight. In sambo, in contrast to Japanese wrestling:

• Painful techniques can be used on the leg joints;
• a point system is used (activity, a throw not on the back - 1 point, a throw on the back and a successful hold - 4 points, a successful submission, lifting the opponent above the waist, and a throw on the back - 12 points);
• a thinner kimono with holes for a belt, worn with shorts;
• Physical strength is of great importance;
• The sambist has a lower stance.

There are no fundamental differences in sports sambo and judo, so judokas can participate in sambo competitions, and vice versa.

To summarize, we note the key points that distinguish the two types of struggle:

1. Soviet sambo was based on Japanese judo and some other types of martial arts.
2. The rules of combat and wrestling techniques have some differences.
3. Sambo is not an Olympic sport.
4. The equipment of a judoka differs from that of a sambist.

When choosing a sport for a child, many choose wrestling. Sambo and judo, unlike impact martial arts, have priority, because impact loads can cause harm to a fragile child’s body. If you are planning

Are you choosing between sambo and hand-to-hand combat? There will be no clear answer as to which sport is better. These techniques are similar in spirit, but solve different problems. The main function of sambo wrestlers is protection. You improve your self-defense skills, make sweeps, trips and throws, but practically do not attack.

The difference between hand-to-hand combat is in active attacking actions. This tactic is ideal for keeping the enemy at a distance. And you can’t win with Sambo techniques if you don’t let the attacker get as close as possible.

There are differences in other aspects: basic sports techniques, methods of scoring during competitions, equipment. We will talk about two sports and at the end we will summarize: which is better, sambo or hand-to-hand combat.

Army hand-to-hand combat: distinctive features

ARB is a set of techniques aimed at defense and attack. In most countries this concept has a collective character. Military is a type of full-contact martial art that is as close as possible to a real fight. This sport is quite tough and rough.

The main thing that distinguishes it from Sambo is the ability to finish off opponents who have fallen on the tatami with hands and feet from a standing position. A direct blow to the head is not prohibited.

Equipment

At hand-to-hand combat competitions, athletes wear kimonos and wrestling shoes with heel and foot protection. The equipment also includes shin pads, shells for the groin area, protective vests, gloves, knee pads and elbow pads.

The helmet with a metal visor deserves special attention. On the inside it is equipped with pads made of soft fabrics to protect the face during strong impacts. All equipment is worn under the kimono.

Combat Sambo

Combat sambo is a type of Soviet martial arts aimed at self-defense, which has become a symbiosis of the best eastern and other world techniques. In its modern form, sambo is no less tough a sport than army combat. The main difference is the absence of a visor on the helmet. In this there is a similarity between this type of wrestling and boxing.

Technically, sambo includes two groups of techniques: those aimed at disarming the enemy (combat section) and sports wrestling. In the combat version of sambo, all basic techniques are allowed, including elbows, kicks, hands and choking techniques.

Equipment

Sambo wrestlers wear jackets (samboks), belts and short shorts. On his feet are wrestling shoes. To protect the groin area, men wear bandages with shells. Women - bras and one-piece swimsuits.

The main differences between ARB and SAMBO

As you can see, the main differences in these sports are not the rules (in both hand-to-hand combat and sambo they are quite loose), but in the combat equipment. In terms of level of protection, athletes who practice ARB feel better during an attack.

Sambo wrestlers have a greater risk of injury, since the helmet does not have a visor and the face is almost open. The slightest tangential blow leads to bleeding and difficulty breathing. On the contrary, in an EPIRB, some blows can be taken on the head.

So if you are looking for a less dangerous indoor sport, choose hand-to-hand combat. If you want better protection in street fights, you won't see much of a difference. The only thing is that sambo is more aimed at long-term “survival” - fights in sections last 5 minutes, and not three, as in ARB.