Sambo, Judo and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu (BJJ) are close cousins. Anyone who knows the history of Sambo, Judo and BJJ know that they have common roots—Mitsuyo Maeda was a Japanese Judoka, who transmitted the art to Brazil. Over the years, the three systems have diverged, with Sambo being about throws, armlocks and leg attacks, Judo being more of a stand-up art, while BJJ emphasizes controlling the opponent on the ground.
Because they have become highly specialized, an increasing number of BJJ practitioners cross train in Judo and Sambo to improve their takedown game, while Sambists and Judoka train in BJJ to improve their newaza (the Japanese term for ground techniques).
Ivan Vasylchuk, is a former world champion in Sambo from Ukraine. He is a Master of Sports, and Sambo World Champion, and gold medalist at the SportAccord World Combat Games. He is also a purple belt in BJJ.
In this video, he share TOP 5 reasons why it’s difficult for a sambist to train and compete in brazilian jiu jitsu. This video will help many sambists and judokas to adapt.
If you’re ready to add more Sambo to your leg lock entries and your BJJ in general check out Vlad Koulikov’s new Sambo for BJJ instructional from BJJ Fanatics. What you will find is that Sambo may be the perfect compliment to your BJJ as Vlad will share the takedowns, positions, and submissions that will make your progress skyrocket whether you are a young competitor or the average practitioner who has to go to work in the morning, who is looking for an edge on the mats.
