Customer Rating: Summary: Russian Sambo + Kodokan Judo = Sloppy Judo Comment: It took the excellent 'Judo MasterClass Techniques' book: RUSSIAN JUDO (c. 1999) by Alexander Iatskevich, to openly present how the inchoate and inarticulate Sambo methods have clouded the art of Judo by de-emphasizing Judo's main principle of 'kuzushi' (balance) with Sambo strength based tactics and newaza.
RUSSIAN JUDO is a good 92 page paperback booklet containing excellent photos of hybrid Judo/Sambo technique, a historical and interesting account of the author's initial Judo training under the former Soviet bloc system, plus Sambo methodology and why they were incorporated into international Judo competition.
Wonderful step-by-step instructions in black & white photography clearly demonstrated Sambo's over-emphasis on juji-gatame in Judo newaza, and Sambo's obfuscation of kumi-kata which overtly contributed to the IJF prohibition of "unorthodox grips". It appeared in the booklet RUSSIAN JUDO that the Sambo/Judo approach to kumi-kata is nothing more than simply entangling your opponent's arms then moving in to throw at the awkward moment.
RUSSIAN JUDO is a must booklet for the Judo practitioner to own in order to become aware of Judo's excellent 'Sumi Gaeshi' counter against the Sambo intrusion of the 'belt grip' (page 9); the leglock (pg. 68); the Sambo version of Judo's Ura Nage called 'brosok cherez drudye' - the chest throw (p. ix),or the many other unorthodox procedures the former Soviet Judo players used against Dr. Kano's 'Classical Judo'.
Clearly the booklet; RUSSIAN JUDO, demonstrated how clumsy Russian Sambo tactics were merely an act of desperation against the technically proficient Japanese Judoka; and that the basic Sambo counter-attacks were the only former Soviet way of acquiring a few low scoring 'koka' victories against classical Japanese Judo.
The good soft-cover booklet RUSSIAN JUDO also contained photographs of Sato sensei using Tai-Otoshi (body drop) to win a 1970s Sambo match in Riga, which impressed the host Sambo Club; photographs of Sambo/Judo techniques used in international competition; and a very interesting overall history of Russian wrestling, Judo, Sambo, and the author's own Judo training and international competition experiences under the former Soviet Union.
As an informative comparison to RUSSIAN JUDO, please read: FIGHTING JUDO by Katsuhiko Kashiwazaki, and VITAL JUDO by Isano Okano, to compare classic Kodokan Judo with the overt Sambo influence found in RUSSIAN JUDO.
