Famous Russian Sambo Wrestlers

Sambo wrestlers around the world celebrate the birthday of their sport on November 16.
I’d like to present the most famous Russian champions in “self-defense without weapons”.
Sambo, a kind of martial arts, was developed in the USSR. The official date of its birth is considered to be November 16, 1938, when the USSR All-Union Sports Committee recognized Sambo as an official sport. Its development began in the early 1920s by the Soviet Red Army to improve their hand-to-hand combat abilities. The pioneers of Sambo were Viktor Spiridonov and Vasili Oshchepkov.

The basis of Sambo technical arsenal is the complex of the most effective defense and attack methods, selected from various types of martial arts. In the late 1990s – early 2000s Combat Sambo was formed. In 2001, the first Combat Sambo championship was held in Russia and in 2006 Sambo Cup of the President of Russian Federation was established.
Most famous representatives of the Russian Sambo.
Emelianenko brothers

To date, Fedor Emelianenko is the most famous Russian sambo wrestler in the world, a multiple world champion in mixed martial arts, six-time Russian national champion. From 2003 to 2010 he was the strongest fighter, according to many publications.
Fedor has younger brother Alexander Emelianenko, who is also a professional athlete in this area, but not so talented as his eminent brother. Aleksander is a five-time Russian national Combat Sambo champion and three-time world Sambo champion.

Vladimir Putin

Russian President Putin was engaged in sambo and judo at the age of 11. He is a multiple champion and Master of Sports in both Sambo and Judo. He has a black belt in karate. In September 2006 he became honorary president of the European Judo Union. And in 2010 Vladimir received an honorary degree Doctor of Judo by Korean Yong In University.

David Rudman

Rudman became the first world champion in sambo and champion of the first International Sambo Tournament. He is also a six-time USSR Sambo champion. David is a founder and honorary president of the Educational Center Sambo-70. Rudman is a two-time European champion in judo, the first ever European to become the winner of the world championship in judo. By the way, he is the head of the American Federation of Judo and Sambo and the first president of the International Sambo Federation FIAS.

Eugene Chumakov

Being a four-time champion of the USSR , Chumakov was a coach of such brilliant athletes as Oleg Stepanov (eight-time USSR champion), Eugene Gloriozov (five-time champion of the USSR in Sambo), Vitaly Darashkevich (two-time champion of the USSR in Sambo), Alexander Lukichev (two-time champion of the USSR in Sambo). Chumakov is an author of over 200 publications on Sambo.

Igor Kurinnoy

Famed Soviet and Russian sambo and sumo wrestler.He is a three-time World Champion in sambo, a silver medalist of the World Games, a five-time European champion in sambo, a three-time bronze medalist at the Sumo World Championships, a three-time European champion in sumo. Besides, he is a five-time World Cup champion in sambo, Honored Master of Sports in Sambo and Sumo. Igor is a director of Borec Sports Club.

Irina Rodina

She is 11-time world champion in sambo, Honored Master of Sport in judo. For outstanding sporting achievements she received the Order For Services to the Motherland II degree in 2002.