Japanese upsets Russian dominated Sambo

Rui Takahashi in action at 2013 SU in Kazan

KAZAN – After only a year of practicing Sambo, Japan’s Rui Takahashi has taken the Russian sport by storm. 72kg female contender Takahashi breezed through the Universiade competition to snatch the gold away from the crowd favourite, Russian Zhanara Kusanova in yesterday’s grand final.

Sambo, which means self defence without weapons, is a Russian martial arts and combat sport, that began in the early 1920s and has been included as an optional sport in this year’s Universiade. Sambo is seen as a merge between a mix of martial arts, with its roots in Japanese Judo.

21-year-old, visibly tough, no-mess Takahashi began Judo in high school, and after only a year since transitioning, she already prefers Sambo because of its “many, many techniques”.

Rui Takahashi wins the gold

Takahashi’s gold was a reflection of hard work, aiming for first place after getting Bronze at Anatoly Kharlampiyev Memorial Tournament earlier this year in Moscow (equivalent of a World Cup competition).

She says she is very proud and very glad to win the Universiade competition, but now focuses on winning Gold at the next World Championships.

There are four big Sambo competitions in Japan, but there are not many female competitors, and Takahashi hopes more Japanese martial arts athletes will try out Sambo too.

Russia dominated in day one of Sambo with six medals, and Takahashi has won the first medal for Japan, bringing Japan to a tied second place in the Sambo medal count.

Leigh Ferguson/FISU Young Reporter (AUS)- Photos: C. Pierre/FISU