Brazil hosted the FIAS International Seminar for SAMBO Coaches

The FIAS International Seminar for SAMBO Coaches was held on July 13-14 in the capital of the Brazilian state of Mato Grosso, the city of Cuiaba. Representatives of various martial arts from all over the country, who are striving to develop SAMBO in their states, were trained under the guidance of FIAS International Coach Mikhail Kozitsky from the USA.

The mentor prepared an intense and energetic program for his new students. Every day they had two 3-hour workouts, full of various exercises and tasks.

“In 2 days, you need to try to go through a lot: SAMBO techniques in the standing and ground positions, grabs, movements on the mat, throws and their combinations, as well as defense and counter-moves. I faced a difficult task – to invest many years of experience as a professional athlete and coach, as well as a five-year course of the Institute of Physical Education in a 2-day event. It turned out such a concentrated squeeze of knowledge, which I presented to my wards,” Mikhail Kozitsky said.

The seminar was attended by 12 people from different states of Brazil. Among them were coaches in SAMBO, judo, wrestling and jiu-jitsu, united by a common interest in the development of SAMBO in the country.

“Despite the fact that the level of preparation of the participants was noticeably different, all of them were charged with serious work and reacted with great interest to the information at the seminar. In the course of training, we did not limit ourselves to working on techniques. I tried to convey as much information as possible regarding the differences in coaching of young athletes and the preparation of mature athletes for high-level competitions,” said Kozitsky.

According to him, one of the most important aspects of the seminars is the language issue. Not always a third-party translator who does not know the nuances of a particular sport can correctly convey all the information.

“This time we were very lucky: a participant from Sao Paulo, Renato Migliaccio, acted both as an interpreter and as my sparring partner for a technique demonstration. Such involvement, in my opinion, helped him absorb the maximum amount of information and reliably convey it to all participants,” Mikhail Kozitsky shared.

The logical outcome of the training was the examination, which consisted of two parts. First, the participants answered the tickets in writing in the class, then they had to demonstrate their understanding and mastery of SAMBO techniques in the standing and ground positions.

Participants who successfully pass the exam will receive FIAS Coach Level 1 certificates, which will allow them to take exams from athletes and issue belt patches, in accordance with the FIAS Regulations on the procedure for certification of athletes and coaches in SAMBO and accreditation of SAMBO clubs.

“I would like to note that the seminar was held at a good organizational level, and Adalberto Correa, head coach of the Brazilian SAMBO team, played a big role in its preparation. The classes were held in an excellent sports complex, which, at the request of the Brazilian Sambo Confederation, was provided by the government of the state of Mato Grosso. In this regard, it is necessary to thank David Moura, Vice Minister of Sports of the State, silver medalist of the World Judo Championship, for supporting the development of SAMBO in the region. It is important to note that he and some leaders of the region visited the Brazilian Sambo Championship, which was held immediately after our seminar,” Kozitsky said.

According to him, Brazil is a very promising country for the development of SAMBO.

“There are a huge number of brave, strong fighters who have proven themselves in various martial arts, including Olympic sports. Yes, and there are also opportunities to hold competitions of the highest level here. I think the sambist community should pay close attention to this country,” Mikhail Kozitsky concluded.