"Sambo Steve" Koepfer of NY Combat Sambo

The Fight Nerd heads to Manhattan to speak with "Sambo Steve" Koepfer of NY Combat Sambo to learn the origins and history of Sambo, the techniques in this sport, and how it is beginning to get some recognition in the US now, as well as some info on his diverse school.

Category:

Sports

Tags:

• mma
• ufc
• sambo
• russia
• grappling
• kneebar
• submission
• leglocks
• fight nerd
• fightnerd
• steve koepfer
• reilly bodycomb

[Chalito5]

Those are sambo style punches. Fedor uses the same kind of strikes.

[Reviresco]

This guy really impressed me.

[chandlertao]

who has fedor' punching tutorial .besides this series 

[kenseisato1989]

dude that is one solid school of instructors

[Ih8names1]

I would really be interested in learning Sambo. I've been doing BJJ for about four years now and this looks really cool. Does anyone know of schools in the Cleveland area?

[neworleansdrummer]

You'll have to excuse BillySue Kforcer,,she's a know it all....

[kforcer]

@billysue2 No need to be rude. Gene LeBell is just about the most qualified authority on the competitive application of catch there is, considering he was competing in judo while training with Thesz, Christy, Gotch and others. He was putting what he learned with them to actual competitive use.

And you are confusing "koch" with "Gotch." Koch is an Armenian folk-wrestling style Gokor trained in and apparently teaches as well. I accidentally threw in a "t" though.

[billysue2]

@kforcer well you cant read then.The godfather of catch wrestling in japan was karl gotch,id hazzard a wild guess youre confusing the word catch in catch wrestling with the name gotch.Gokor only ever trained judo and sambo and whatever gene taught him .Sambo has no input from catch,its judo and russian regional wrestling styles combined.

[billysue2]

@Chalito5 there arent any sambo style punches,its just the way fedor throws a long range hook,fedors only training in punching is with his coach who is a master of sport in amateur boxing.

[samluke8121]

@Daggerfall40 Judo and Sambo are basically the same. A leglock in Judo is called Ashi garami.

[samluke8121]

@kforcer Sambo has deep roots in Judo. If you don't already know:Vasili Oschepkov taught Judo and Karate to the elite red army force. He was the first foreigner to have a black belt under Kano

[ErikPaulsonFan]

These guys might not have the biggest names in the city, but they're damn good at Sambo and at teaching Sambo. Don't let Reilly's young age fool you; the dude knows his shit, and he knows it WELL.

Great teachers, very cool techniques, and no egos. NYCS is the real deal.