National tournament shows Sambo not just for Samboists

National Freestyle Sambo Championship 84 kg medalists

Yesterday the sixth National Freestyle Sambo Championships were held at the Rahway Convention Center in Rahway, New Jersey. The championships were styled as a round robin tournament within each competing weight class. While the rule set says Sambo, the tournament attracted players from a wide array of submission grappling backgrounds.

Immensely popular in its native Russia, Sambo is still a fringe style to practice in the US, and is perhaps best known as the sport of origin for consensus number one heavyweight in MMA, Fedor Emelianenko. However, the rules in which Sambo competitions are held make them increasingly popular for cross-style grappling.

“Sambo is small enough that if it’s going to survive it needs to allow everyone in,” said event organizer and American Sambo Association president Steven Koepfer. “Ultimately [Sambo is] a rule set. I don’t care [what style] you’re from.”

Koepfer went on to explain why Sambo competition is catching on with other styles.

“Old school Judo guys who don’t like the way Olympic Judo is headed like it,” Koepfer continued. “They can throw but they also have time to grapple.”

Freestyle Sambo rules have points awarded for takedowns in three tiers. One point is awarded for sacrifice throws. Two are awarded for takedowns that involve dropping onto a knee to complete. And three points are awarded for a throw performed from a standing clinch that rotates the person being thrown over the thrower’s hips.

After a throw, contestants are given one minute to grapple on the ground before the match is reset. An additional three points is awarded for a dominant overall performance on the ground. As with other submission grappling competitions, securing a submission is an automatic win.

These rules contrast that of Olympic Judo, which leaves only a few seconds to work on the ground, shifting the entire focus to successful takedowns. Sambo rules also encourage a faster paced ground game than Brazilian Jiu Jitsu tournaments, in which a competitor has to visibly secure each position on the ground to score points, rather than being awarded points for an overall performance.

The list of participating gyms, including Team Renegade, NY Combat Sambo, and Maurice Allen Sport Judo actually only had one that specializes in Sambo.

“We do a little bit of everything,” said gold medalist in the 84 kg division and Team Renegade member Jeremy Piaser. “[Team Renegade has] a Sambo team. So we’re used to the rules.”

Tournament highlight video:

Full list of participating gyms:

Team Renegade (Levittown, NY)
NY Combat Sambo (New York, NY)
Top Control BJJ/Team Gigueto (Hamburg, NJ)
Maurice Allen Sport Judo (Gaithersburg, MD)
Brewster Judo (Derby, CT)
Rosati School of Martial Arts (Ronkonkoma, NY)
Cobra Wrestling Academy (Buffalo, NY)
Razzaro BJJ (Indianapolis, IN)

Tournament results:

96kg (5 man bracket, round robin)
Gold - Chris Rosati (Rosati)
Silver - Carlos Del Valle (Rosati)
Bronze - Bill Nobile (Renegade)

84kg (5 man bracket, round robin)
Gold - Jeremy Piaser (Renegade)
Silver - Preston Gagg (Gigueto)
Bronze - Steve Yokay (Maurice Allen)

74kg (5 man bracket, round robin)
Gold - Tyga Maclin (NY Combat Sambo)
Silver - Brian Dipentima (Renegade)
Bronze - Vincent Beurrier (NY Combat Sambo)

Fastest Submissions (under 1 minute)
28 seconds - Jeremy Piaser def Steven Yokay via armbar
29 seconds - Jeremy Piaser def Preston Gagg via kneebar
30 seconds - Steven Yokay def Wilfred Verbauwen via arm triangle
34 seconds - Jeremy Piaser def Wilfred Verbauwen via triangle choke
36 seconds - Tyga Maclin def Mike Chesbro via achilles lock
44 seconds - Vincent Beurrier def Eric Semler via armbar
45 seconds - Tyga Maclin def Eric Semler via achilles lock
49 seconds - Brian Dipentima def Vincent Beurrier via shoulder lock