Beach Sambo
Пляжное самбоStanding sambo on sand under the International SAMBO Federation (FIAS). Bouts last three minutes, a throw onto the sand wins, groundwork, joint locks and chokes are not allowed.
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About Beach Sambo
Beach sambo is a competition discipline of the International SAMBO Federation (FIAS) in which athletes wrestle only standing on sand. According to FIAS, the idea and the competition rules are the work of Vasily Shestakov. The federation's executive committee approved the draft rules on 25 March 2016 and the technical commission amended them in 2019. Sambo already appeared on sand in the programme of the Asian Beach Games in Phuket, Thailand, in November 2014.
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Under the rules a bout lasts three minutes in all age, weight and gender categories and takes place on an area of 6 by 6 metres. The winner is whoever throws the opponent onto the sand so that he lands on any part of the body except the feet. If nobody performs a technique by the end of the second minute, the referee gives one wrestler an activity rating, and if the bout stays passive that wrestler wins automatically. Strikes, kicks, joint locks, chokes and a throw onto the head mean immediate disqualification. Men compete at 58, 71, 88 and over 88 kg, women at 50, 59, 72 and over 72 kg. Besides individuals, mixed team competitions are held. The first world championship took place in Larnaca, Cyprus, on 28 and 29 August 2021, followed by Juan Dolio in the Dominican Republic (2023) and Casablanca (2024). Wrestlers wear a white cotton jacket with a red or blue belt and shorts of the same colour. We have not found a grade system in beach sambo.
History
Beach sambo originated in the International SAMBO Federation (FIAS). According to the federation's rules, the idea and the competition rules are the work of Vasily Shestakov, the text was prepared by Sergey Tabakov and Dmitry Maximov and edited by Oleg Artemyuk. The FIAS executive committee approved the draft rules on 25 March 2016 and the technical commission amended them in 2019.
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Sambo had appeared in competition on sand earlier. In March 2014 FIAS announced that sambo would be in the programme of the 4th Asian Beach Games in Phuket, Thailand, alongside beach wrestling, beach kurash, kabaddi, muay thai and beach jiu-jitsu, and planned three weight categories for men and three for women on a sand area of 8 by 8 metres at Karon beach on 15 and 16 November. English Wikipedia gives 12 and 13 November 2014 as the competition days and seven gold medals awarded, which does not agree with six planned categories. Cyprus hosted an international beach sambo tournament in Larnaca, and the edition of 22 July 2018 at Finikoudes beach was, according to FIAS, the fourth, with three weights (62, 74 and 90 kg) in a round-robin system. Alexey Goncharuk, head of the Ukrainian beach sambo commission, then said that the discipline was still taking shape and that the rules still needed a uniform interpretation. The first beach sambo world championship was also held in Larnaca on 28 and 29 August 2021 with competitors from twelve countries, individuals competing on Saturday and teams on Sunday. FIAS organised further championships in Juan Dolio in the Dominican Republic (9 and 10 September 2023) and in Casablanca at Ain Diab beach (7 and 8 September 2024).
How it differs
According to FIAS, the rules of beach sambo differ from classical sport sambo in order to motivate wrestlers to fast bouts with spectacular throws. At the first world championship in 2021 the Yekaterinburg site eanews.ru described the difference by saying that the beach form lacks groundwork and painful holds on arms and legs, and that a bout lasts three minutes instead of five in classical sambo. Points are not counted in beach sambo, a single successful throw decides. A bout without a technique is decided by an activity rating given after the second minute. The rules of beach sambo also do not recognise an appeal against the referees' decision, a decision taken by a majority of three referees is final. The area of 6 by 6 metres is smaller than the one FIAS envisaged for the 2014 Asian Beach Games (8 by 8 metres).
Technique
Under FIAS rules beach sambo is wrestled exclusively standing. A throw after which the opponent lands on the sand on any part of the body except the feet brings victory. For throws it is allowed to grab the edges of the opponent's shorts and the ends of the jacket sleeves. The rules define a failed throw as the attacker's fall to the ground after an unsuccessful attempt that did not cause an active counter-grip by the opponent. Strikes with hands and feet, joint locks, chokes, a throw onto the head and unsporting conduct are punished by immediate disqualification. Unlike classical sport sambo, the beach form thus lacks all groundwork and painful techniques on arms and legs. The Yekaterinburg news site eanews.ru remarked at the first world championship in 2021 that a single mistake can mean defeat here.
Today
Beach sambo competitions are run by FIAS under the rules of 2016, amended in 2019. A bout lasts three minutes in all age, weight and gender categories and takes place on a sand area of 6 by 6 metres, and the break between bouts must be at least ten minutes. If nobody performs a technical action by the end of the second minute, the referee gives one wrestler an activity rating, and if nothing happens even then, that wrestler wins automatically. A bout can be won by a successful throw, an activity rating, disqualification of the opponent or for medical reasons. Adults (from 18 years) compete in these weights: men 58, 71, 88 and over 88 kg, women 50, 59, 72 and over 72 kg. The team competition is mixed, a team consists of four men's and four women's weight categories, and fewer than five competitors may not start. It is run as a knockout system with one repechage from the finalists, and the draw is manual. Wrestlers wear a white cotton jacket with a red or blue belt wrapped twice around the body, cotton shorts of the same colour to the knees and an ankle guard, and women wear swimsuits under the jacket and shorts. World championships have been held since 2021, and we have not found how many national federations practise beach sambo.
Did you know
Under the rules, women in beach sambo wear swimsuits under the jacket and shorts. The belt is wrapped around the body twice. The rules of beach sambo were prepared by four authors, and the idea and the rules are credited to Vasily Shestakov. At the 2014 Asian Beach Games in Phuket, sambo competed in the same programme as beach wrestling, beach kurash, kabaddi, muay thai and beach jiu-jitsu. The Cypriot tournament in Larnaca in 2018 was already the fourth edition according to FIAS, and the world championship came only three years later in the same place. The Ukrainian head of the beach sambo commission then called the Larnaca tournament the first international test of his team's strength.
Frequently asked questions
How long does a beach sambo bout last?
Under FIAS rules, three minutes in all age, weight and gender categories. If nobody performs a technique by the end of the second minute, the referee gives one wrestler an activity rating, and if the bout stays passive that wrestler wins.
How does beach sambo differ from classical sambo?
Wrestling is standing only, on sand. A throw onto the sand wins and points are not counted. Groundwork, joint locks and chokes are forbidden and mean immediate disqualification.
When was the first beach sambo world championship held?
In Larnaca, Cyprus, on 28 and 29 August 2021 with competitors from twelve countries. FIAS organised further championships in the Dominican Republic (2023) and in Morocco (2024).
Similar styles
Selected by overlap in the style profile, not by historical lineage.