Student Level 3

Weight Categories for SAMBO Competitors by Discipline, Age, and Gender

Wrestling is a martial art in which opponents seek to overcome each other's resistance through technical and tactical actions permitted by the rules.

Since ancient times, wrestling has been regarded as physical exercise that promotes balanced personal development. It builds strength, speed, endurance, agility, and flexibility; develops courage, decisiveness, persistence, and self-control; and provides basic self-defense skills.

For centuries, many peoples cultivated wrestling as a sport. In different historical periods, each people brought its own customs and cultural features to it. Different techniques for achieving victory emerged, together with distinct rules and technical systems. Because these differed among peoples, numerous independent styles of wrestling developed over time.

At first, technique and rules developed together and complemented each other. Later, the rules began to influence technique more strongly by defining the limits of the actions permitted for achieving victory. Today, every wrestling style is governed by its own rules, which differ in several respects:

• What constitutes victory and how technical actions are scored.

• Permitted methods of achieving victory and the positions in which wrestling takes place.

• The wrestler's uniform.

• Bout duration.

The most important distinctions are what constitutes victory and the permitted ways of achieving it; the uniform also plays a significant role. Bout duration has less influence on technique but determines the pace and intensity of the contest.
The wrestling styles that have achieved the greatest international recognition are Greco-Roman wrestling, freestyle wrestling, judo, and SAMBO.

All past and present wrestling styles can be divided into six groups according to the techniques permitted by their rules:

Wrestling in a standing position without leg actions or grips below the waist.

Wrestling in a standing position with leg actions but without grips below the waist.

Wrestling in a standing position with leg actions and grips below the waist.

Wrestling in standing and ground positions without leg actions or grips below the waist.

Wrestling in standing and ground positions with leg actions and grips below the waist.

Wrestling in standing and ground positions with leg actions, grips below the waist, and painful holds.

The names of wrestling styles usually come from the language of the people who created them: the Georgian word for wrestling is "chidaoba," the Tajik word is "gushti," the Turkish word is "gures," and the Kazakh word is "kures"; Armenian wrestling is called kokh, Uzbek wrestling kurash, and Mongolian wrestling barildakh, among others.

The rules of these styles differed, but almost all shared one element: the bout was contested in belted clothing.

The study of traditional wrestling styles led, in the 1930s, to the idea of creating a new form of wrestling that would help prepare young people for work and national defense while allowing SAMBO athletes from different peoples to meet in the same sporting arena. This was how SAMBO wrestling emerged: the foundation of a broader system of self-defense without weapons that also includes specialized techniques for effective defense and attack in hand-to-hand combat.

Prohibited Techniques in SAMBO

For executing a prohibited technique, an athlete is given a Warning with a score awarded to the opponent. If the prohibited technique is repeated, the athlete is withdrawn from the bout.

Prohibited in All Disciplines

• intentional throw of an opponent on the head;

• painful hold after the whistle;

• throws with grips for a painful hold ("knot" or "lever");

• the "Nozhnitsy (Scissors)" technique on the knee joint or ankle joint;

• direct painful impact (pressure or hyperextension) on the spine or neck;

• painful holds on the toes, fingers, or hands;

• foot "knot";

• knee "lever" by bending the leg outside the plane of its natural flexion;

• direct impact with the hands, legs, or head on the opponent's face.

Additionally Prohibited in Sport SAMBO

• painful hold in a standing position;

• reverse shoulder knot with the forearm brought behind the back, except when the attacker's torso or thigh is between the forearm and the torso of the athlete being attacked;

• straightening crossed legs on the opponent's torso or head with intentional squeezing;

• chokehold;

• direct impact with the elbow or knee on any part of the opponent's body;

• kicks at the legs or rough fighting for a grip (rough conduct of the bout).

Additionally Prohibited in Combat SAMBO

• strikes with the palm or base of the palm;

• strikes from a standing position against an opponent in a ground position;

• strikes with the fingers;

• for men, head strikes and elbow strikes to the head in the ground position; for women, head strikes and elbow strikes to the head in both ground and standing positions;

• strikes to the back or crown of the head, throat, collarbone, or the joints of the arms and legs (elbow, knee, or arch of the foot) against their natural direction of flexion, as well as strikes delivered while the attacked limb is locked;

• strikes to the back, lower back, or tailbone;

• intentional strike to the groin;

• head strikes if either competitor's head is no longer protected by a helmet.

Additionally Prohibited for Cadets

• hip lever and hip knot, compression of the calf muscle across the attacker's shin, and reverse shoulder knot with the leg.

Competition is the main instrument for objectively evaluating athletes' level of preparation, identifying the strongest competitors, selecting athletes for national teams, and promoting an active lifestyle.

Aims of SAMBO Competitions

To identify the strongest athletes in specific disciplines and weight categories and/or the strongest teams.

To promote athletic development by helping athletes reach peak condition and test their skills in practice.

To promote SAMBO and attract spectators, young people, and new participants to regular sporting activity.

Objectives of Competitions

Sporting and methodological: to evaluate participants' physical, technical, and tactical preparation.

Selection: to form national teams for higher-level tournaments.

Educational: to develop willpower, discipline, respect for opponents, and team spirit.

Psychological: to help athletes adapt to stress and test emotional resilience under pressure.

Importance of Competitions

They provide the primary motivation for daily training.

They bring people together, strengthen social ties, and foster a culture of healthy living.

They support the development of the entire sports sector through the growth of organizations and infrastructure and the introduction of new training methods.

A SAMBO athlete's nutrition and hydration directly affect endurance, the speed of technique execution, grip strength, and, most importantly, safe preparation for the athlete's weight category. Wrestling requires substantial energy expenditure, so an athlete's diet must be carefully controlled.

Hydration

Water supports ligament elasticity, which helps protect against injury during painful holds, and reaction speed. When the body lacks water, the blood becomes more viscous and the heart must work harder during a bout.

The daily guideline is 35-40 ml of water per kilogram of body weight on ordinary days and up to 50 ml/kg on days with intensive training.

Before training: 400-500 ml of water 1.5-2 hours beforehand, plus another 100-150 ml 15 minutes before stepping onto the mat.

During training: 2-3 sips (about 100 ml) of plain still water every 15-20 minutes; the water should not be ice-cold.

After training: replace fluid losses within 2 hours, using about 600 ml of water for every 500 g of body weight lost.

For sessions longer than 60 minutes or training in a stuffy gym, replace plain water with isotonic drinks that replenish lost electrolytes, including potassium, sodium, and magnesium.

Nutrition

During the basic training period, the approximate ratio of protein, fat, and carbohydrate in a SAMBO athlete's diet is 1 : 0.8 : 4 (or 20% / 20% / 60% of daily caloric intake).

Carbohydrates are the main source of energy. SAMBO consists of explosive, high-speed work in short, intense bursts, and without carbohydrates the muscles quickly become fatigued and tight in the first minutes of a bout. Sources include oatmeal, buckwheat and pearl barley, brown rice, durum-wheat pasta, and whole-grain bread. Sugar, confectionery, and soft drinks should be limited because they provide only a brief energy surge followed by a sharp drop in energy.

Protein is the building material of muscle. It is needed to repair muscle fibers that inevitably sustain microtrauma during throws and ground fighting. Sources include chicken breast, turkey, lean beef, fish (cod, pollock, and salmon), eggs, cottage cheese with up to 5% fat, and legumes.

Fats must not be eliminated from the diet. They support hormone balance, including testosterone production, and joint health; the joints are subjected to substantial loads in wrestling. Sources include olive oil, flaxseed oil, nuts (almonds and walnuts), avocados, and ocean fish.

Nutrition and the Training Process

Eat a substantial meal containing carbohydrates and protein 2-2.5 hours before training. Wrestling on a full stomach is unsafe and may cause nausea or cramping.

Have a light snack 45-60 minutes before stepping onto the mat, such as a banana, a handful of dried fruit, or an energy bar.

Within the first 30-45 minutes after training, it is advisable to replenish carbohydrate and protein stores with a liquid amino-acid supplement, a protein shake, or a light snack such as a banana with drinkable yogurt. Eat a full dinner 1-1.5 hours later.

Weight Reduction Before Competition

This is the most critical stage of preparation and requires special care and supervision by the coach and a physician. The main rule is not to make weight through complete dehydration in the final days before competition.

Two to three weeks before the competition, gradually reduce simple carbohydrates and salt, which causes the body to retain water.

Reduce portion sizes but increase meal frequency to 5-6 small meals per day in order to support metabolism.

Completely avoiding water is prohibited. Extreme weight cutting depletes muscle glycogen, leaving the athlete weakened on the mat and at high risk of cramps and injury.

SAMBO's technical arsenal is divided into two branches according to discipline. Sport SAMBO includes throws, painful holds, and hold-downs; Combat SAMBO adds strikes and chokeholds.

Brosok (throws)

Throws move the opponent from a standing position to a ground position. In SAMBO, they are classified by the part of the athlete's body that primarily generates the action:

• throws performed primarily with the arms: off-balancing actions and single- or double-leg-grip throws;

• throws performed primarily with the legs: Podnozhka (trip), Zatsep (hook), Podsechka (sweep), Podsad (lift), Podkhvat (reap), and Throws over the head;

• throws performed primarily with the torso: brosok over hip, brosok over back, and brosok over chest.

Bolevoy priyom (painful holds)

Painful holds are a hallmark of SAMBO. Under Sport SAMBO rules, they may be applied to both the arms and the legs; by comparison, judo permits only elbow levers.

• on the arms: elbow and shoulder levers (hyperextension of a joint against its natural direction of flexion); straight and reverse shoulder and forearm knots (rotation of the arm at the shoulder and elbow joints); crushes of the biceps and other muscles;

• on the legs: hip, knee, and foot levers; Achilles-tendon and calf-muscle crushes; straight and reverse hip knots.

Uderzhaniye (hold-down)

Hold-downs keep the opponent's back against the mat. In Sport and Combat SAMBO, a 20-second hold-down scores points: 4 in Sport SAMBO and 2 in Combat SAMBO.

• hold-down from the side: the attacker presses the opponent's torso while positioned at the side;

• hold-down from the head: the opponent's torso is controlled from the side of the head;

• crossbody hold-down: the attacker's torso lies perpendicular to the opponent's torso;

• on top (mount position) hold-down: the attacker is positioned on top of the opponent's torso;

• hold-down from the legs: the attacker is positioned on the side of the opponent's legs.

Hold-downs may be direct or reverse.

Strikes Only in Combat SAMBO

Striking techniques in Combat SAMBO are drawn from boxing, kickboxing, and Muay Thai but are adapted to wrestling distance.

• Hands: straight punches, hooks, and uppercuts with the fist, as well as elbow strikes. Hand strikes are also permitted in the ground position.

• Legs: straight, roundhouse, and backward kicks, as well as knee strikes in a standing position and at close range.

• Head: while wearing a helmet, head strikes to the opponent's torso and head are permitted.

Udushayushchiy (chokeholds) Only in Combat SAMBO

Chokeholds are completely prohibited in Sport SAMBO but are an important technical element in Combat SAMBO.

Сhokehold with the forearm from behind: the classic neck grip applied from behind.

Chokehold using jacket lapels: a chokehold applied using the strong fabric of the opponent's SAMBO jacket.

Front head-and-arm chokehold: the neck and one of the opponent's arms are gripped from the front; this is often used when the opponent attempts a leg takedown.

Сhokehold performed with legs: the opponent's neck and arm are compressed with the legs or arms.

Combined variations of chokeholds are also possible.