CombatSombo  Sombo  CombatSambo  Sambo  CombatCambo  Cambo  =  GrandMaster Martin Clarke

CombatSombo

First of all the style is CombatSombo not Combat Sambo in fact the founder of the system Martin Clarke was the first one to link the words together and registered the name in the UK. Until the Soviet Union collapsed every thing in the USSR was called Sambo they copied his lead by using the name Combat Sambo or Sambo Combat before that they used the name Military Sambo. There system and his do differ in that theirs is a pragmatic self defence system based on the military, designed for military personal. There is still an obsession in the Eastern Block Countries with the Military especially in respect to Combat Training his is based on the needs of an ordinary person to defend themselves plus it is a method of keeping fit. At the bottom of this article you will see his “CombatSombo Philosophy” his system can be taught to anyone including young children that can not be said of Combat Sambo.
CombatSombo is not big but CombatSombo International do have several clubs in the UK and USA training in Martin Clarke’s style. 30 years ago when he started CombatSombo he would run "Transition Courses” these were sessions organised for those Martial Artist who were already Black Belts and were doing a similar system to his, they would attend a course and have there grade converted to CombatSombo. The idea was that they would see the benefits of his system and go out teach and promote CombatSombo; sadly he was rather naive in thinking this would work, the majority attended purely to add another Black Belt to their CV some even used it to promote new styles of their own. He has always said that you should not advertise your grade if you no longer practise that style, to maintain your Black Belt in CombatSombo you must be a member and be involved in the discipline. Some of those who were graded went away and started clubs outside the control of the BCSA, this is one thing he had foreseen hence the reason for registered the name” CombatSombo” as a Service Mark with the Trades Marks Registry. This was to protect his style and its beliefs and on more then one occasion he has had to back this up with Solicitors letters and threats of court action, CombatSombo is very dear to him.
CombatSombo continues to flourish last year two students graded to 1st Degree Black Belt at the Summer Camp and I continue to do Camcorder Grading’s all over the World, with Hip and Knee replaced he hopes to be able to do more courses himself something I have not been able to do for 6 years.

Sambo Combat this is a sport very popular in the Eastern Block Countries and is an extension to Sambo. You wear Sambo attire plus headgear, Mitts and shin and instep, the scoring is the same as Sambo but you are allowed to kick and punch to get knockouts. World Championships in linked with the Sambo, it is certainly spectacular and exciting. Mainly like Cage Fighting it is very violent as it allows full Contact Kicks, Punches to the head and the groin, on the floor it also allows punches to the head as of yet no UK fighter has won a an International Match although a few have tried. Some of our UK competitors asked if CombatSombo could start arranging matches in the UK, so BCSA first thing was to organise insurance, the rules of the International Body were not acceptable to any UK based Insurance companies, so BCSA had to develop a watered down version of the rules and this took years before an insurance company would consider them. Eventually BCSA came up with a set of rules that were acceptable i.e. Strikes to head gear and body only, no strikes to joints or groin area, no strikes to head while on the ground and BCSA had to change the name to distance myself from Sambo Combat and I now use the name Sport CombatSombo

Is there a future for CombatSombo? Most certainly, once Martin Clarke returns you will see a massive growth, Future for Sport CombatSombo is also positive it is a safe way to do a Strike and Grapple System and can be seen as an apprenticeship for Sambo Combat

 

Martin Clarke is a GrandMaster of Sambo ,8th Dan Judo and 6th Dan Jiu Jitsu. He competed for Great Britain in Judo, Sombo Wrestling and Jiu Jitsu from 1967 till 2001.

He was a member of the 1980 Olympic Judo Squad, 2001 World Master's Judo Champion, World Jiu Jitsu Silver Medalist and 3 times World Sambo Wrestling Silver Medalist.