History of Pankration
Modern mixed martial arts (aka MMA) is by no means the first combat sport to combined the best elements from different styles to engage an opponent under the most realistic conditions. This phenomenon reaches as far back as the 7th century BC if not perhaps even the 12th century BC.
The term "pankration" is derived from the Greek adjectives, pan (all) and krates (strength, control, submission), which literally translates to "all powers/strength." The Greeks of antiquity attributed the combination of pan and krates to those of a higher level, such as heroes, demigods, and even the gods themselves. It is pronounced "pahn-gra-tee-ahn" in its native dialect and refers to an athletic event or competition.
Original Olympic Event
Pankration was first introduced at just the 33rd Olympic Games in 648 BC, making it one of the most ancient and original events in the storied history of the Olympiad.
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It impressed the crowds immediately because it was more diverse and exciting than any other combat sport they had seen.
Despite offering an exciting and spectacular show to the fans who loved violence and blood, many times it could become extremely dangerous for the pankratiasts and there are several recorded cases in which the fight resulted in severe injuries, or even death, to one of the opponents - usually the one who was losing and refused to surrender.
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One of the most impressive facts about pankration is that there weren’t weight divisions as is the norm for every modern combat sport; there were no time limits either, and a contest wouldn’t finish until one of the two opponents surrendered.
However, due to the many deaths of contestants taking place inside the arena, after a certain chronological point (estimated to be post 200 BC as well) the judges had the right to stop a contest if they thought that the life of one or both of the athletes was in danger. The referees were also armed with stout rods or switches to enforce the two rules of combat: no eye gouging or biting. The fight wouldn’t finish until one of the combatants was knocked out or accepted defeat, which the loser signaled by raising his index finger.
War Technique
Contemporary historians who have researched and studied the history of pankration have come to the conclusion that this martial art is much older in reality than most historians originally thought. The first mention of pankration takes us back to the mythological stories of Heracles and Theseus who, according to the myths, both used techniques of pankration to fight the Nemean Lion and the Minotaur, respectively.
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Even more interesting is the first time we meet pankration in history as recorded by the writer of “Pankration–An Olympic Combat Sport,” Andreas Georgiou. He takes us back to the 2nd millennium BC, which makes pankration one of the most ancient martial arts.
According to the same source, pankration wasn’t only an Olympic sport (as most historians wrongly believed until recently), but a war technique that both the Spartan hoplites and Alexander the Great’s Macedonian phalanx used in battle.
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Alexander often sought to attract pankratiasts in his famous Macedonian Phalanxes as he regarded soldiers trained in Pankration as a valuable army asset. One Athenian Pankration champion from the Olympic Games in 336 BCE was quite popular among the Macedonian army where he was on a service. His name was Dioxippus, and the historian Curtius Rufus in his “Histories of Alexander the Great” informs us that one day he was challenged to a one-to-one combat. His adversary was one of Alexander's best soldiers, known as Coragus. The Macedonian ruler appointed a match between them in one of his banquets organized in Persia. In the bout, Dioxippus showed up naked and armed only with a club. Coragus presented himself in full armor. After а short fight, the Athenian champion defeated his armed and skilled opponent using only Pankration techniques. He could have killed him if it had not been for Alexander's intercession.
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The Macedonian Phalanxes reportedly contributed to the spreading of Pankration to the East. It is suggested that following Alexander's conquests over Europe and Persia, the Greek unarmed fighting system eventually reached the Indus Valley. Some researchers even speculate that by practicing their ancient military art along their route, Macedonian soldiers influenced the Indian combative art “Vajra Musti” and, ultimately, had an impact on the martial arts in China. According to Eastern tradition, the Chinese fighting systems evolved from Indian Buddhist doctrines that taught early Indian combative arts.
Pankration Banished
The Romans eventually adopted pankration, which they called pancratium in Latin. But in 393 AD, this ancient martial art, along with gladiatorial combat and all pagan festivals, was abolished by the Christian Byzantine emperor Theodosius I. With this act, pankration would gradually disappear over the centuries,
Theodosius I; Last Roman Emperor of East & West
Jim Arvanitis: The Revival
Greek-American Jim Arvanitis is internationally-renowned as Greek pankration's "Renaissance Man." He has devoted his life to researching and rebuilding the ancient combat arts of his ancestors which had seemingly perished and remained defunct for thousands of years. Jim has used his skills as an athlete, competitor, world record holder, author, historian, and his constant media presence to carry the torch of pankration and educate the world of its influence on today's martial arts styles. Arvanitis has written nine books and starred in over 30 instructional videos. He has been featured in hundreds of articles in the leading martial arts magazine and has graced the covers of many of them. In 2009 Jim was named Black Belt magazine's Instructor of the Year, and that same year was immortalized into the Martial Arts History Museum Hall of Fame in Southern California. An extraordinary athlete, Jim holds world records for his patented thumb pushups. In 1977 he completed 45 of them in 51 seconds, and three years later would top that mark on the internationally-televised Guinness Book of World Records Game Show with 61 in 47 seconds. Other superhuman feats include single-arm two-finger pushups, elevated pushups on his thumbs, thumb pushups with his arms extended in front of him, and his seemingly impossible one-arm thumb pushup. Arvanitis has taught professionally since 1971 at his academies and seminars in the U.S., Canada, and Europe. His students have included karate black belts, boxers, kickboxers, wrestlers, film writers, bodyguards, law enforcement and S.W.A.T. team members, and military special ops. In 1992, he personally trained the elite Army Rangers for Operation Desert Storm in the Persian Gulf War. In 2016, he was awarded the rank of Great Grandmaster/11th Dan by the World Pankration Dan Ranking organization.
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Owing to his Greek heritage, his effort to reinstate pankration was only partially due to ethnic pride but more to his sincere desire to forge a new path in the martial arts by combining things that worked and discarding those which did not. There were no prearranged forms, bowing, or belt ranks but an emphasis on conditioning and applying one's tools against a live opponent in hard contact sparring. Arvanitis' system was geared to reality-based street fighting but was very similar to today's MMA in that it included standup and ground tactics, along with an amalgam of strikes, joint locks, takedowns, throws, and anything else that he felt was effective.
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Arvanitis continually modified the techniques he adopted from martial arts and combat sports so that they would work in real-world combat. Rather than practicing on padded mats all the time, he and his students would train and spar on sand to simulate the ancient skamma (sandpit) arena of the ancients, and on hard pavement.
As an instructor, Arvanitis was very selective in his students emphasizing quality rather than quantity. With this philosophy in mind and the fact that mixed fighting was not yet popular, his following was always small but constant. They consisted of a hardcore group who were looking for something more realistic in terms of a no-holds-barred street brawl. Through the years he would teach at his exclusive academies and conduct seminars in the U.S., Canada, and Europe. In 1992, Arvanitis prepared military special forces in hand-to-hand close quarter combat for Operation Desert Storm.
Jim Arvanitis
Pankration Publication by Jim Arvanitis
Odyssey: The Return
With the worldwide growth, adoption and popularity of cage fighting or 'MMA' events, the Odyssey aims to build upon and continue Jim Arvanitis' work; reminding the combat world where it all began by bringing Pankration fighters to the worlds largest competitive stages.
