Baby name story: Sambo

Sambo match
Sambo match

Sambo is a style of martial arts that originated in the Soviet Union in the 1920s. The name of the sport is an acronym for the Russian phrase samozashchita bez oruzhiya, which means “self-defense without weapons.”

In November of 2019, the World Sambo Championships were held in Cheongju, South Korea.

While the tournament was taking place, a baby boy was born to martial arts coach Lee Ki-hun, who runs an Aikido and Sambo training center in Cheongju.

What did Lee decide to name his son? Sambo.

Sources:

Image: Adapted from Sambo at the 2015 European Games by the Presidential Press and Information Office of Azerbaijan under CC BY 4.0.

[Latest update: Mar. 2025]

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