Army Hand-to-Hand Combat (ARB)
Армейский рукопашный бойA Russian army combat sport from the airborne forces. It permits strikes, throws, joint locks and finishing a downed opponent.
Quick Facts
RussiaCharacter & Origin
Training
Organisation & Competition
What the style is built from
Editorial rating on a 0–3 scale, based on how much room each area gets in ordinary training.
About Army Hand-to-Hand Combat (ARB)
Army hand-to-hand combat, ARB for short, is a Russian military combat sport. It has no founder: the method was created by specialists and enthusiasts of the Soviet airborne forces, and this page therefore leaves the field empty. The documented landmark is 1979, when the first championship was held at Kaunas in Lithuania, at the base of the 7th Guards Airborne Division. The Russian Federation of Army Hand-to-Hand Combat was founded in 1995 and registered with the ministry of justice. What sets ARB apart is the breadth of what is permitted. Competitors fight in a long-sleeved gi, in a helmet with a metal grille, in protectors for the trunk, shins, forearms and elbows, in a groin guard and in wrestling shoes with instep protection. It is precisely that equipment which allows rules found nowhere else: punches and kicks, throws, joint locks, head butts, and so-called finishing — strikes with hands and feet, delivered from standing, against an opponent lying on the mat. Forbidden, by contrast, are chokes to the neck and spine, strikes to the eyes and groin, and joint locks from standing. A bout lasts two minutes of actual time for juniors and three minutes for men and in all finals. This composition makes ARB a close relative of combat sambo, from which it differs chiefly in the grilled helmet and in permitting strikes against a downed opponent. In practice this means a competitor cannot count on a break after going down — and the way ARB trains the transition from standing to the ground reflects that.
Similar styles
Selected by overlap in the style profile, not by historical lineage.