History

Weapons have changed over time, but what has generally not changed is thе human who uses the weapons. The Kadochnikov System and thе way it addresses thе human that uses thе weapon is an example of how technology has changed.

For example, in looking at combat through thе ideas of thе Kadochnikov System, thе lever is a natural and neutral machine, waiting to be used. All weapons, and thе humans that use those weapons, have levers. As levers are mechanical means of using machines in order to create power and strength; whoever uses levers will have an enhanced ability to create power and use strength.

Hand to hand combat has evolved greatly over time, from the primitive man using stones to the soldiers of today using advanced firearms. Our evolutionary ancestors, the ancients, had no protection or advanced weapons, just spirit and good physical fitness along with types of primitive psychological training. They led hard lives, were physically strong, and lived in violent environments from which they learned to be psychologically strong and accustom to violence and suffering.

Primitive man had no religion and as such, had very little fear of death. Death was a part of everyday life, was in thе home and the work field, was an up-close and personal means of securing food, and was glorified in many cultures... as such, primitive man was not afraid to die. Over time, hand to hand combat methods developed in various parts of the world. It is impossible to say the martial arts originated in the East or the West. People are people, and will fight for a variety of reasons.

The reasons to fight could be to protect livestock or food supplies from animals or man, or it could be to take the food supply of another tribe. They for fighting could be a simple disagreement that lеd to physіcal combat. As a result, men devised methods of fighting depending upon the nature of their adversaries.

These methods became more structured, taught to others, and rehearsed. They were then passed on to the next generation, father to son, community to communіty, and martial arts as we know them (and organized method of transferring combative knowledge) were born around the world. The weapons between those who fought were sometimes equal, sometimes one had vastly superior weapons. But in the end, training and the spirit to win, no matter what region of the world a martial art originated, was usually the deciding factor in the victory over an enemy in hand to hand combat.

Russia is an example of evolving martial traditions. Russіa is 1/6 of the world's landmass. Since Russia is so large, it has vastly different types of environment in one landmass upon which the people who lived needed to fight and survive. The ancients of Russia fought everywhere, moving from area to area to defend borders, and learning methods of fighting through travel to different areas. As they came into contact with other cultures through trade and war, these ancestors of Russia changed their methods of fighting and combative preparation. In that fact, as Russia is so large and so old, it is upon the same level of advancement as the other martial arts of the world.

There are many styles that have originated in Russia. Ancient traditions of Russian martial art were passed down over time, and today many of these styles are resurfacing. These arts, such Slavyano-Goretskaya, Skobar, Buza, Gruntovsky style, various forms of rukopashni bоі, and others show the depth of the Russian styles. The fore bearers of these arts existed in old Russia, but with the creation of the Soviet Union, the `old' styles of martial art in Russia were suppressed in favor of the creation of a new style, called Sambo.

Upon direction of a government committee, A. A. Kharlampiev, V.S. Oshchepkov, V. A. Spiridonov set out to take Russia's native styles of fighting and wrestling, and combine them with the martial arts of the world (including China, Japan, Mongolia, Europe, Africa, India, North America, the Caucasus, etc.) These men traveled the world studying arts, and fmally combined and assimilated the Russian and foreign arts into Sambo. Each of these men helped with the overall combination of the arts, but each created their own general style of Sambo. Kharlampiev created a generally sportive style meant for mass distribution, which is why the Soviet Union taught its citizen's the `national' style in mass numbers.

Oshchepkov's method of Sambo had sport, police, and military subsections within it, and was heavily influenced by Japanese and European arts. Spiridinov, on the other hand, created a form vastly different from the others. Physically Injured in combat, and generally of poor health, V. Spiridinov could not perform many of the tricks that his associates could perform. Spiridinov worked on a more lethal, yet, effortless method of Sambo that became known as SAMOZ, and SAM. This method was formulated to allow a practitioner to use very little energy in a fight, and primarily use the power of his opponent to win by redirecting the power of the opponent.

The style also included various vital pressure point strikes, апд chokes, joint locks, etc. This style, unlike the other styles of Sambo, is rarely seen and taught, but variants and descendants still exist (A. A. Kadochnikov's Style is one of the styles that has ties to Spiridinov's style). When looking at Russia, with its expansive history and landmass, there are multitudes of arts that thrived until suppressed by the Soviet Union, and only today are making a come back. These arts are sometimes very similar to other culture's arts, and sometimes so vastly different that they can only be called distinctly Russian.