Sambo’s Impact on BJJ

Russian sambo, a martial art developed in the Soviet Union, has influenced Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu in subtle but important ways. Known for its dynamic takedowns and extensive leg lock arsenal, sambo brought tools that were once underdeveloped or underutilized in traditional BJJ. As sambo practitioners clashed with jiu-jitsu fighters in international competition, particularly in no-gi and MMA contexts, techniques like the straight ankle lock, kneebar, and heel hook gained prominence.

The cross-pollination accelerated in the 1990s and 2000s when sambo athletes entered BJJ and MMA tournaments. Their ability to combine explosive takedowns with dangerous lower-body submissions forced BJJ practitioners to adapt. Today, many leg entanglement systems in modern BJJ can trace their lineage back to concepts pioneered in sambo, illustrating how the art has never evolved in isolation but has absorbed influences from around the globe.