| Summary: | 碩士 === 淡江大學 === 俄羅斯研究所碩士班 === 98 === National traditions of martial art are important manifestations of corresponding cultures and human nature in general. Far Eastern civilization possesses a rich heritage of martial arts closely linked to the fundamental concepts and life values of East Asia’s peoples. Historical research shows that many national martial arts systems such as Japan’s karate, Thailand’s Muay Thai or Korean Tekwangdo have their roots in the Chinese martial arts. It is no less evident, though; that every culture is capable of creating its peculiar style of martial arts and Chinese fighting techniques has undergone profound changes in the neighboring countries.
Russia is a multi-national state and Russian people also have their own national martial arts. The latter has been deeply influenced by other national systems of martial arts in the Soviet Union. Yet it became necessary for sporting, military and even political reasons to create a synthetic system of efficient fighting that could serve as the emblem of the USSR’s unity and power. The fighting system of Sambo which in Russian is the abbreviation for the Russian words “self-defense without weapon” is the product of this necessity.
This paper contains the multi-faceted analysis of Sambo’s history as well as its social and political implications. The first part of this paper brings into light the historical background of Sambo. A special attention is paid to Russian traditional martial arts including their technical features. The problem of the influence of Japanese martial art is the next important issue of this study. It is an extremely complicated issue since there are important political and even personal stakes in it. Even now the impact of the Japanese elements on Sambo and the role of V. Oschepkov, a leading master of Judo in the USSR who was arrested and died in prison in 1937 provokes fierce discussions. Some new first hand sources from Russia and Japan are examined by the author who comes to conclusion that the origin of Sambo needs a thorough reevaluation and Oschepkov’s contribution to its formation must receive appropriate attention.
The second part of this study focuses on comparisons of Sambo with other foreign martial arts as well as the way Sambo affected and transformed these martial styles.
The third part deals with Sambo''s influence on society and the impact of governmental policy on the evolution of this exemplar martial art of the USSR. Until today Sambo remains a very popular sport in Russia though it is still poorly known in Asia.
The author hopes that this study can clarify many issues relating to the interaction between martial arts and culture. Moreover, some important achievements of Russia’s martial arts legacy can be better known in Taiwan.
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