Sambo, the Martial Art Behind the Iron Curtain
The word Sambo is actually an acronym for "SAMozashchita Bez Oruzhiya" or "Self-defense without weapons." It was developed by the Red Army in the early half of the twentieth century. It was created so that the military would have one standard hand to hand combat fighting system. Unlike Japan where Judo was practiced throughout the country, Russia had no common martial arts system and soldiers trained in whatever fighting style was common in their area.
