Human Weapon — Season 1, Episode 11: Sambo: Russia's Extreme Fighting

Episode synopsis

Hosts Jason Chambers and Bill Duff journey to Moscow, Russia, the origin of one of the most versatile and deadly martial arts on the planet. Created at the instigation of Vladimir Lenin during the Bolshevik Revolution in 1918 to improve the hand-to-hand combat skills of the military and the police, the secret self-defense training eventually spread to the masses and became an official, competitive Soviet sport in 1938. In their quest to learn this complex and lethal fighting style, our hosts will learn Sambo street techniques from some of the toughest bodyguards in Moscow, travel to acclaimed dojos for instruction from world champions, journey to a secret military facility to train with Soviet Special Forces, and participate in a brutal exercise regimen in a remote, rustic camp. Their journey ends with a fight against an up-and-coming Sambo competitor at the annual European and Russian Sambo Federation Championship.

About Human Weapon

Human Weapon was a television show on The History Channel that premiered on July 20, 2007. The hosts, Jason Chambers and Bill Duff, traveled across the world studying the unique martial arts, or styles of fighting, that have origins in the region. Each episode usually consisted of a brief introduction regarding the featured martial art, including footage of established fighters sparring. The hosts would then travel to various locations, learning several strikes, blocks, or other techniques valuable to the particular art from various instructors and/or masters. Along the way, they learned about the origins and cultural history of each fighting style. To help the viewer understand the moves the hosts learn, each technique was visually broken down with a motion capture element. Creator Terry Bullman also acted as stuntman for motion capture. After practicing featured aspects of the art, the hosts typically assessed the various skills and their effectiveness. At the end of each episode, one of the hosts would fight a representative of the episode's fighting style. The show is similar to a later program called "Fight Quest". The show was cancelled in August 2008.

More episodes from Season 1

• E1Muay Thai: Ultimate Striking
• E2Eskrima Stickfighting
• E3Karate
• E4Savate Streetfighting
• E5Judo: Samurai Legacy
• E6Pankration: The Original Martial Art
• E7Krav Maga of the Israeli Commandos
• E8Marine Corps Martial Arts
• E9MMA: America's Extreme Fighting
• E10Kung Fu
• E12Cambodian Bloodsport
• E13Silat: Martial Art of Malaysia