Sambo & BJJ with Vladislav Koulikov

Vladislav Koulikov is one of the biggest names in Sambo in America. Sambo has a long history in Russia and is known for having aggressive throws, grappling, and very effective leg locks. At Budovideos, we are fans of all kinds of grappling, not just BJJ and after I got to talking to Vlad, I realized that we HAD to make an instructional with him.

We had Vlad on This Week in BJJ where he talked about moving from Russia to New Jersey and how due to a lack of quality Sambo schools, he decided to learn BJJ & nogi grappling.

Check out the video here:

Vlad also taught a couple cool moves while he was on the show:

Vlad's instructional series reflects his experience in grappling - a synthesis on Sambo and Jiu-jitsu.

We broke the series up into 3 releases:

Vol 1: Throws & Takedowns: Vlad shows 24 competition tested throws and takedowns. Even if you've trained Judo for years, you're bound to learn a lot from this set. Vlad shows lots of tweaks to make the throws more effective.

Also, it's worth noting that Vlad always lands in a good position after the throw as grappling matches don't end the moment you throw someone (online Judo). This is available on DVD or on-demand.

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Vol 2: Groundwork: This was the longest instructional of the 3. There is so much unique stuff! Vlad shows some really strong techniques from the scarf hold position (kesagatame in Japanese).

He also shows some really nice darce choke variations that I've already found success with in sparring. This is available on DVD or on-demand.

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Vol 3: Leglocks: Let's be honest, leg locks are the main thing that guys want to learn from Sambo instructors. When I was a blue belt I drove up to Gokor Chivichyan's place in N Hollywood just to learn leg locks.

The Sambo guys have been cranking on legs, knees, and ankles for so long, they have become masters at them. In this video, Vlad shows a lot of leg locks that I'm willing to bet even most BJJ black belts haven't seen before.

There are some really nasty submissions off of the 50/50 position (Vlad calls the position the 90/10 lol).

The move I have found the most success with on this one is the Steam Roller. A really cool ankle lock you can set up while you are INSIDE your opponent's guard! It's really tricky and you have to see it to believe it.

This is available on DVD or on-demand.

Note: All of these will also be available in the iTunes app store & Google Play store soon.

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Still reading? What, you want more Sambo? 

Ok, fine.

Here's an episode of Rolled Up that I did with Sambo Steve in New York. He's probably the most knowledgeable guy when it comes to Sambo history. If you haven't seen it, I think you'll enjoy learning about this amazing Russian art that is slowly making inroads in the US.

Have you incorporated any Sambo into your training?

What have YOU found success with?

Leave a comment below and let me know!