RUSSIAN MARTIAL ARTS - SAMBO & ROSS (SYSTEMA/SISTEMA)

SAMBO is an acronym from the Russian SAMozashchitya Bez Oruzhiya, meaning "Self-protection Without Weapons".^[1]

In 1918, Lenin created an organization responsible for training the Red Army. 

A number of years later, Stalin ordered a high ranking political official, named Voroshilov, to organize research into human combat.

Voroshilov brought together Spiridinov, Oschepkov and Kharlampiev to investigate the endemic, native combatives of USSR neighbours.^[2]

It is thought that Kharlampiev traveled West, absorbing the Euro-Asian and Afro-Baltic combative systems; Oschepkov traveled to Japan; and, Spiridinov traveled to Mongolia, China, and India to study the Mongol-Vedic martial traditions. The course of this investigation is thought to have lasted approximately 10 years.^[5]

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During the 1920s, Spiridinov 's system “Sam” became popular with Soviet policemen and borderguards. In 1928, Spiridinov’s students won a match against German judo wrestlers (2:1).^[7]

Although Spiridinov never publicized the Japanese influence in his system, he also never denied this.^[8]

Vladimir.A. Spiridinov, was an officer of the pre-Soviet Russian Army. He came to army as volunteer, rising to officer, during Russia-Japan war 1904-05. After the war he began to study a European version of Jujitsu.

During WWI (1914-1919), he was injured and retired from active duty. Instead, he continued working in the field of military physical development and began to develop a new system of self-defence.<sup>[9]


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Vasilii Sergeevich Oschepkov was born in 1892 on the Japanese controlled island of Sakhalin. Oschepkov was an orphan and was raised in the Russian Orthodox (Pravoslavie) mission of Saint Nicolas on Sakhalin island.

Oschepkov studied judo at the Kodokan Institute where he received his black belt from Jigoro Kano himself. He was the first non-Japanese to obtain a black belt in Judo from the Kodokan Judo Institute. Official Kodokan files^[11] indicate that Oschepkov registered on 29 October 1911; obtained his 1st dan on 15 June 1913; and, obtained his 2nd dan on 4 October 1917.^[12]

As a young adult Oschepkov learned many wrestling and self-defense techniques. He amalgamated Judo with various Soviet and French wrestling styles into a system he called “self defense without weapon”. ^[13]

During the 1920’s, Oschepkov worked in China and in Russia (Vladivostok and Novosibirsk). Oschepkov later went to Moscow to help Spiridinov develop a new system of hand-to-hand army combat.^[15]

Oschepkov’s reputation grew and he was recruited to train state militia and security officers of the “Dinamo”.^[16] He also taught at the Moscow Institute for Physical Culture and devised breakthrough programs for self-defense, hand-to-hand combat, sport wrestling, and innovative systems of training.^[17] Oschepkov 's system was also adopted by Spiridinov for the purpose of creating a lethal sabotage art.

Oschepkov openly admitted the influence of Judo in his new system,^[18] however, the Soviet government sought to erase all foreign references and promote Oschepkov’s new system as uniquely Russian. Oschepkov refused to be silenced^[19] and wrote sharp letters to the All-USSR Sport Committee, Army's Inspection of Physical Culture and Sport, in Moscow, Leningrad, Ukraine and Beyond-Caucasus Institutes of Physical Culture.^[20]

Oschepkov’s behaviours were extremely controversial and considered dangerous. In 1937, the Soviet government believed that it was “better to arrest ten innocents then miss one spy”. As per clause 58 of article 6, treason included travel to foreign countries and having friends or relatives in foreign countries.^[21] 

On 29 September 1937, Oschepkov was “unmasked as a Japanese spy” for his “fraternization with imperialist foreigners.”^[22]. On the night of 1 October 1937, Oschepkov was arrested in his home for treason^[23] and sent to the gulags (prison camps).^[24] Ten days after his arrest ^[25] Oschepkov was shot in the head as a result of the extremist political purges of 1937.^[26] Oschepkov was 44 years of age.^[27]

Oschepkov’s school continued to train and his system was formerly named Sambo on 16 November 1938.^[28]

Anatolii Arcadievich Kharlampiev was born in 1907.^[30] Although the facts surrounding Kharlampiev are tinged with propaganda and myth, Kharlampiev is thought to have been introduced to Oschepkov after being commissioned to investigate combat systems with a third man, Spiridinov.

Kharlampiev would have been around 20 years of age when he first met Oschepkov.^[31] Kharlampiev later become Oschepkov’s first student. <sup>[32]


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Following Oschepkov’s arrest and execution for alleged treason in 1937, Kharlampiev distanced himself from his former teacher Oschepkov. Kharlampiev then claimed himself to be the creator and innovator of Oschepkov’s wrestling style.^[34]

Following World War II in 1945, Kharlampiev was the last surviving member of the three men who helped establish Sambo. Although he was a skilled fighter and a dedicated professional soldier, he lacked basic conscience and humility. Even after Oschepkov's name was cleared of treason, Kharlampiev continued to uphold himself as the creator of Sambo's. Worse still, Kharlampiev compounded his dishonesty with the lie that in 1922, he was ordered to create Sambo by hero of the revolution, N.I.Podvoiski. Such a claim is blatantly false as Kharlampiev was only 15 years old in 1922.^[35]

The knowledge acquired by Oschepkov, Spiridinov, and Kharlampiev, was taken as property of the Soviet State. This allowed the Soviet government to sanitize and distort the true history of Sambo in line with Communist Party objectives.

After Kharlampiev was renamed as “creator of Sambo”, he and his associates made great efforts to delete all similarities between Sambo and Oriental martial arts.^[36]

When Kharlampiev officially named Oschepkov’s system as Sambo (16 October 1938), Kharlampiev described it as the best of all Soviet wrestling styles, such as Georgian, Tadjik, Kazakh, Uzbek, Kirghiz and other Soviet systems.^[37]

Such a claim can easily be shown as false. The techniques and rules used in the various Soviet styles are extremely similar. There are many hip throws over and some leg tackles. However, strikes, kicks and tripping were never used.^[38] They also shared the same rules. Fights were finished when an opponent touched the ground during the “third point”. ^[39]

However, from 1930 to 1950 the Japanese influence on traditional Soviet wrestling was clearly apparent. Sambo martial arts textbooks increasingly incorporated Japanese style strikes, kick, trips and rules.^[40]

The collaboration and development of combat knowledge by Spiridinov, Oschepkov and Kharlampiev eventually resulted in three levels of Sambo.

The first level of Sambo was primarily devised by Spiridinov, with assistance from Oschepkov. This level was devised for sabotage, silent killing, personal combat and interrogation by the Soviet Special Forces, and was called ‘The System’ or ‘Combat Sambo Spetsnaz’. Spiridinov’s Sambo was highly classified and officially held not to exist. In reality, Spiridinov’s style was popular among NKVD officers.^[43] It is a ‘soft’ style and takes a great deal of time to master.^[44]

According to the Soviet government, Spiridinov was inspired to invent this softer style from the experiences he gained as a ‘sickly’ child trying to compete against peers.^[45] However, it is more likely that this system was based on the Oriental arts that Spiridinov encountered in Mongolia, China and India during his commissioned research. ^[46] In order to achieve the greatest results using the least amount of energy, this style employs the directness, efficiency and plasticity.^[47]

The second level of Sambo was created for the purpose of immobilization and crowd control by the Soviet Police. Whereas soldiers must kill their opponents, policemen must seek to restrain or immobilize citizens.^[48] The Soviet government acknowledged this system to the public and permitted its use by police and other public servants. This style is now most prevalent world-wide and comprises of wrestling training exercises to develop strength, speed, and finesse, with some additional Japanese techniques.^[49]

This system was purportedly created by Kharlampiev.^[50] However, it is known that Kharlampiev inherited this system from Oschepkov. ^[51] Furthermore, Oschepkov began training the police long before Kharlampiev took control of this system.^[52] It is possible that Kharlampiev later attempted to eliminate its Japanese influences.

^[53]

The third level of Sambo was intentionally diluted for competition and general fitness training for the military.^[54] This style designed was eventually recognized as an Olympic sport.^[55]

Whereas Spiridinov was the predominant contributor of first level Sambo, Oschepkov was the predominant contributor of third level Sambo. Oschepkov, was reared in a Japan and trained in the Kodokan-Judo. While in Japan, he became a close personal friend JuJitsu master Professor Jigora Kano (the creator of Judo).

Oschepkov and Kano agreed that the most effective method of mastery was through sequencing or kata, and coordinated their efforts at cataloguing the most common and frequent forms of attack.<sup>[56]

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ROSS is the Russian acronym for Rossijskaya Otechestvennaya Sistema Samozashchity. In English language, this can be translated as the “Russian Native System of Self-defense”.

ROSS is said to differ from Sambo in its history, philosophies and structure. It is the systemization of Slavic indigenous martial arts and health wisdom derived from the styles Tverian buza, Pskovan skobar and Vladimir Spiridonov’s samoz system.^[60]

ROSS developed as a war art, with its primary function to kill, rather than immobilize or defend. On the battlefield, fairness is considered an impediment that decreases survivability and skews the soldier's perspective of combative goals. In warfare, the objective is to kill the enemy in the most expedient manner.^[61]

The folk wisdom of ancient Slavic martial traditions dates to the activity of the proto-Indo-European nomadic warrior-hunters of approximately 5,000 BCE. Knowledge was passed from father to son in families for generations of pre-Soviet Russia, and later amongst the elite combat specialist subdivisions ("Spetsnaz") of the former USSR.^[63]

Between the 6^th and 10^th centuries, combative sports influenced the connection between tribal combat and hand-to-hand combat skill. A scholar by the name of Prokopiy Caesarean noted the Eastern Slavs to be fearless fighters and skilled in close quarter combat. During this same period, the Gothic historian Jordan, also wrote about the Slavs being courageous warriors.^[64]

The traditional Russian Sambo Systema (Systema Rukopashnii Boi) was developed by the early Cossacks, a highly trained paramilitary society more than a thousand years ago. Historical records of this fighting style can be dated back to 948AD.^[65] These ancient Slavic martial traditions, culminated from 1,500 years of practice and development.^[66] For Centuries Russia had to repel invaders from the north, south, east and west, each of which brought their unique martial skills, physical abilities and weapons.^[67]

The most infamous of Russia’s enemies was a man named Temujin. At the age of 40, Temujin established himself as the supreme leader of the hordes of Central Asia. Better known as Genghis Khan,^[68] Temujin unified the Mongol tribes and organized them into a superior army for the purpose of conquest. At the height of his campaign, his army numbered approximately 130,000 Mongols and 130,000 non-Mongol warriors.^[69]

The only people able to resist Genghis Khan were the Russian warriors of the Eastern plains. Unfortunately, the Russians were outnumbered and were unable to prevent the invaders from reaching the Adriatic Sea.^[70] It was not until 1481, that the grand dukes of Moscow were able to rally adequate numbers to defeat the Mongol occupation force.^[71]

Although the Russian martial arts have existed since the 10^th century, the Russians did not seek to expose outsiders to their cultural heritage, especially those involving defence.^[72] Later, leaders of the former Soviet Union outlawed all forms of traditional and unofficial forms of combat training.^[73]

In the early 1990's, ROSS was systematized by the RETAL (Russian Combat Skill, Consultant Scientific and Practical Training) Center under the direction of General Alexander Retuinskih.^[74] ROSS was primarily based on the lethal first level of Sambo developed by Spiridinov and Oschepkov for the elite Soviet forces.^[75] General Retuinskih combined his knowledge of combat systems with the study of physiology, biomechanics, human behavior and combat psychology to create a scientific self-defense and combat sport.^[76] ROSS therefore represents the amalgamation of ancient Russian and Asian martial arts traditions with modern Western science.

General Alexander Ivanovich Retuinskih is President of the Russian Federation of Russian Martial Art, Vice-Chairman of the International Combat Sambo Commission for FIAS (International Amateur Sambo Federation), Chairman of the Russian Combat Sambo Committee, General Director of the RETAL Center, General of the Cossack Military, Chief of Department of Hand-to-hand Combat, Master of Sambo and Judo, Honoured Coach of Russia, and inductee into the International Martial Art Hall of Fame.^[77]

General Retuinskih is currently the World Head of Family for the ROSS movement, an organisation he created and built. General Retuinskih's ROSS organisation is formally recognised by the Russian Government and the Olympic Federation of Russia.^[78]

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The basic maxims of ROSS are that “no techniques are good techniques” and “[avoid] techniques – pay attention to the principles”.^[81] Stances are relaxed and varied as are there no fixed stances. There are also no sequences or kata, no ranges, and no rules.^[82] Instead of teaching specific sequences of moves, the system encourages practitioners to create unique attacks and defenses for each specific context. Movements are derived from circumstances and practitioners are forced to develop their own style .^[83] This eliminates the need for repetition in order to formulate counter-attacks. Movements are employed in continuous motion until the complete neutralization of the assailant, with each motion following on from subsequent ones.^[84]

ROSS focuses on the notion of ‘plasticity’, equating to the absence of resistance, cooporation, non-violence, adaptability or pure malleability. “Stay loose. Stay fluid” is plasticity - it has to be quick and very loose.”^[85] Breathing should also be natural and free to maintain mental clarity. At all times the practitioner must remain relaxed and yielding, supple and pliable in movement.^[86] The part of your body an opponent intends to strike will be able to “disappear” and the strike will continue uninterrupted, making follow-up attacks and counters difficult.^[87]

The underlying rationale is that combat is dynamic and comprises infinite variables. There is research that shows an abstract physical movements require approximately 8,500 -10,000 repetitions before it is ingrained as a reflex. To ingrain a number of martial techniques therefore requires thousands upon thousands of repetitions.^[88]

The fighting philosophy of ROSS, is that people are intuitively capable of spontaneous, innovative, and original responses in every conflict situation.^[89] In order to defeat an adversary, one must be able to stand and move freely from any position, unadulterated by static training, without barriers and limitations. ROSS differs from kung fu, in that the centre of gravity lies in the solar plexus and not the dan tien or ‘lunar plexus’.^[90]

The ROSS close quarters combat was designed for soldiers to kill or neutralize the enemy silently and without firearms.^[93]

Sparring, fencing, grappling and ground fighting are undesirable measures on the battlefield. They are time-consuming, energy-sapping, clamorous, and a threat to awareness of the soldier.^[94]

Training is based on the survival practices of the elite combat subdivisions of the Russian Spetsnaz SpecOp units.^[95] Battleground factors are therefore considered.

These include low-light conditions, indeterminate and treacherous terrain, harsh weather and temperature, enemy and friendly fire, exhaustion and hunger, and the sheer fear of death.^[96]

Battleground factors create suffering, confusion, exhaustion and fear, leading to surprise, exhaustion and apprehension. The primary strategy of ROSS is not to decrease or avoid these elements, but to operate effectively within these conditions. This is why ROSS relies on enhancing intuitive startle or reflex responses rather than trained techniques. In combat conditions, emotional preparedness is far more important than technical efficacy.^[97]

In ROSS the goal is to use the least amount of your own force and take advantage of the forces that are offered to you.^[98] In ROSS, practitioners only expend 25-30% of their bioenergetic potential, allowing them to relax and regain energy during combat.^[99] This is called hyperfunction - making the opponent’s body do more than what it seeks to do. The more energy an opponent applies, the easier it is for you to “help” their body exceed its intended motion. This is the biomechanical interpretation of the old martial arts adage “using your opponent’s force against them”.^[100]

ROSS fighting motions seem normal and relaxed; but to your opponent, you are moving faster than the eye can see. Stored elastic energy is the secret to explosive power and blinding movement.^[101] Although it is central to most other martial arts, muscular stretching is less important in ROSS, as overly elongated muscles lose their ability to contract fully. However, your tendons at full strength are tougher than steel and full of energy.^[102]