Raul Rizo
Comandante / Master
Cuban military officer and instructor who combined Karate, Sambo, and Jujutsu into Cuban Operative Combat.
Quick Facts
Date of Birth1937
Date of Death2011
Era20th–21st century
Country of OriginCuba / USSR
Rank / TitleFounder of Operative Combat / Cuban Sambo
Active Years1960–2011
Biography
Raul Rizo served as chief hand-to-hand combat instructor for the Cuban Ministry of Interior (MININT), synthesizing Soviet Combat Sambo with Karate for special operations forces.
Associated Martial Arts
KarateNotable figure→
An Okinawan striking art reshaped in the 20th century into Japanese budo and an Olympic sport. Built on kata and hand and foot techniques.
SamboNotable figure→A Soviet system of grappling and joint locks combining judo with the folk wrestling of the USSR; the combat version also allows strikes.