Mastering Sambo For Mixed Martial Arts

The founders of Russian sambo sifted through all of the world's martial arts, including judo and jiujitsu, to get the most combat-effective techniques available. Each technique was carefully dissected and considered for its merits in achieving sambo's ultimate goal: to stop an armed or unarmed adversary in the least time possible.

In Mastering Sambo for Mixed Martial Arts, author Scott Sonnon traces the development of the four types of sambo (self-defense, sport-wrestling, combat sambo and Spetsnaz) and then focuses on sambo's mixed martial arts applications. Here he reveals the signature "saddle" techniques that have made him one of the most respected leg-lock coaches in the world. With 101 step-by-step moves – including entries, sweeps, passes, recounters and a host of submissions – this series is a must for all MMA competitors searching for an edge over the competition.

Sambo prides itself on fast-wrestling, with only 60 seconds of groundfighting permitted. In mixed martial arts, however, these locks only work 20 percent of the time and aren't worth sacrificing quality position. As a result, Sonnon modified traditional sambo to become a "lower-half" positional approach so that fighters could both strike and defend against strikes, maintain positional dominance and easily transition from one submission to the next in a chess-like fashion, as Brazilian Jiujitsu has become known for in the "upper-half" game. Now you too can learn these winning strategies from one of the best sambo instructors in the world.