Sambo (Russian: самбо; САМооборона Без Оружия) is a Russian martial art and combat sport. The word "SAMBO" is an acronym for SAMooborona Bez Oruzhiya, which literally translates as "self-defense without weapons". Sambo is relatively modern since its development began in the early 1920s by the Soviet Red Army to improve their hand to hand combat abilities. Intended to be a merger of the most effective techniques of other martial arts, Sambo has roots in Japanese judo, international styles of wrestling, plus traditional folk styles of wrestling such as: Armenian Kokh, Georgian Chidaoba, Moldavian Trîntǎ, Tatar Köräş, Uzbek Kurash, Mongolian Khapsagay and Azerbaijani Gulesh.

The pioneers of Sambo were Viktor Spiridonov and Vasili Oshchepkov. Oshchepkov died in prison as a result of the political purges of 1937 after accusations of being a Japanese spy. Oshchepkov spent much of his life living in Japan and training judo under its founder Kano Jigoro. The two men independently developed two different styles, which eventually cross-pollinated and became what is known as Sambo. Compared to Oshchepkov's judo based system, then called "Freestyle Wrestling", Spiridonov's style was softer and less strength dependent. This was in large part due to Spiridonov's injuries sustained during World War I.

Marcus Valerius Martialis (known in English as Martial) (March 1, 40 AD – between 102 and 104 AD), was a Latin poet from Hispania (the Iberian Peninsula) best known for his twelve books of Epigrams, published in Rome between AD 86 and 103, during the reigns of the emperors Domitian, Nerva and Trajan. In these short, witty poems he cheerfully satirises city life and the scandalous activities of his acquaintances, and romanticises his provincial upbringing. He wrote a total of 1,561, of which 1,235 are in elegiac couplets. He is considered to be the creator of the modern epigram.

Knowledge of his origins and early life are derived almost entirely from his works, which can be more or less dated according to the well-known events to which they refer. In Book X of his Epigrams, composed between 95 and 98, he mentions celebrating his fifty-seventh birthday; hence he was born on March 1 (x. 24) 38, 39, 40 or 41 AD, under Caligula or Claudius. His place of birth was Augusta Bilbilis (now Calatayud) in Hispania Tarraconensis. His parents, Fronto and Flaccilla, appear to have died in his youth.

Vadim Kolganov (b. 1 September 1968; Pushkino, Russia) is a Pro-Girya Master Instructor. He won a bronze medal at the World Masters Sambo Championships in 2005 and was British Sambo Champion in 2006.

Kolganov started training in Karate in 1979, moving swiftly onto Judo and Sambo. In 1980, he started competing in the Central Dynamo club, becoming club champion several times, and became Moscow champion in 1986. He completed high school and entered the Central University of Culture and Sport, studying towards a diploma in physical education and coaching. In 1988, Kolganov was enlisted into the Russian Army and spent two years flying helicopters and parachuting in the Soviet Air Forces. In 1990, he rejoined his course at the Central University of Culture and Sport and completed the Diploma. In 1992 worked in the Moscow Region Police Force as an inspector of Physical Education and self defence within the forces.

In 1993 he worked in a Valentin Dikul spinal injuries and cerebral palsy clinic which led to a trip to Britain where he met his wife and settled in Scotland where he now lives and works. Kolganov returned to competitive wrestling in 2005 taking the Bronze medal at the World Masters Championships in Prague. In 2006 he won the title of British Sambo Champion. Vadim has also studied Wing Chun, Western Boxing, Ju Jitsu and American Freestyle Wrestling. In May 2008 he completed his certification in Russian Kettlebell Systems (R.K.C) in Copenhagen, Denmark under the tuition of the world famous Russian Instructor Pavel Tsatsouline.