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Ancient Greek Pankration: Pics and discussion
Ancient Greek Pankration: pictures and discussion
Most of us know that ancient Greek Pankration was a form of sportive combat similar to modern-day
mixed-martial arts competitions. However, I've come across some interesting details of the fight
process and traditions that I thought you might be interested in.
Rules: The rules of pankration were simple: Opponents begin facing each other; there is no
biting, eye gouging, or fish-hooking allowed; and the match ends with the submission of one
fighter. Those were the standard rules, although competitions in some city-states varied; for
example, both biting and eye gouging were perfectly legal in pankration among the Spartans, but the
Eleans allowed only choke holds as a form of submission. A referee, called an Umpire, was present
to enforce these rules. Rather than stop the action or take "points" from one fighter, the Umpire
carried a long stick with which he would beat the offending fighter until he ceased the
infraction. This Umpire wore an official uniform resembling the familiar tunic common at the time,
but with distinguishing embellishments. In the earlier periods of Greek history, the
Pankrataists wore only a loincloth to the fights, but during the times of the ancient Olympics,
the fighters were required to fight fully nude, including the prohibition of any protective
clothing or equipment such as padded gloves. Generally, there were both mens and boys
competitions. Also, many pankration fighters also entered the wrestling competition at the Olympic
games. In the ancient Olympics, seven fighters were recorded as being champion of both the
pankration and wrestling competitions, with Kapros of Elis being the first.
Other combat sports: This brings us to the distinction between pankration and two other popular
combat sports of the time, boxing and wrestling. One way to distinguish the type of fight that is
occurring in period art representations is the equipment used and the positions of the fighters.
The fist picture below shows the pads over the knuckles used by boxers of the time, which were
never used in pankration matches. During boxing fights, no grappling of any form was allowed, but
kicking was allowed at various periods and places. Since the pankrataists didn't wear gloves,
striking with the hands played less of a role in the outcome of fights back then compared with
modern mixed-martial arts, and wins by submission after an hour-long fights were more common.
While kicking from the feet was a common technique, punching was more limited and more often used
while grappling from a superior position, either to submit an opponent whose arms were tied up, or
to set up a grappling submission. Wrestling during this period was more similar to Greco-Roman
wrestling and judo in form, mainly involving upper-body throws and takedowns. When a part of a
wrestler's body besides his feet touched the ground, a point was scored and the wrestlers were
re-started on their feet. Pankration was the only combat form at the time that used ground
grappling and a larger amount of time was spent ground grappling in pankration matches than
stand-up fighting. For this reason we know that sculptures like those in the second picture
represent pankration, rather than wrestling; even though the fighter on top has put in what modern
wrestlers would call a "leg ride" or "grape vine" and Brazilian jiu-jitsu artists call a "hook,"
the fighters are pankrataists, and in fact the top fighter is setting up a punch with his right
arm. Incidentally, ground grappling was rarely taught to military soldiers in the infantry.
Generals saw little use for it in military combat, as both Plato and Alexander the Great commented,
favoring boxing and wrestling.
Pankration matches were not always pure forms of combat; in fights outside of the Olympic games,
the fans enjoyed displays of skill more than they valued seeing one fighter revel in victory. As a
result, some fights were sparring matches or even technique demonstrations between training
partners, while others began as sparring matches that, at an agreed upon point, would escalate into
a purer form of competition. However, the truly epic matches always involved a high achievement
motivation of both fighters, and the fights could become truly vicious. For example, there was no
rule against small joint manipulations. In fact, some fighters were renowned for being good at
breaking fingers, and one fighter in particular, Arrhachion, was famous for his technique of
breaking his opponent's toes to escape a choke hold and win the title of Olympic Champion that
year.
While most matches ended with both fighters living, and in fact most matches ended without injury
to either fighter, occasionally a fighter would hold a choke on an opponent to the point of death,
particularly in fights with bigger names where a fighter would rather die than lose.
Okay, on to the pictures. As stated above, the first picture shows a a boxer's gloves, which are made of three bands of leather around the knuckles with a little padding inside, and a band of fur located at the top of the forearm to hold the glove tight to the fist. The second picture shows a leg ride and punch set-up in a pankration match. Following that is a copy of a scene from an inscription, depicting a pankration match with one fighter holding is opponent in a guillotine choke and preparing to strike to the face. Note the Umpire with his stick to the right, and another pankration fighter awaiting the outcome on the right. The fourth picture is taken from a vase dated between the 6th and 4th century BC, and shows one pankration fight scene (note the Umpire about to strike the fighter who is gouging his opponent) and two boxing matches. Lastly is a copy of an amphora design showing two wrestling matches. Notice the use of the arm-drag, a contemporary wrestling move.
Hope you enjoy them-- Bill Urquhart
P.S. If anyone else has similar photos of ancient combat sports, please contact me at
ravenman2000@hotmail.com
Most of us know that ancient Greek Pankration was a form of sportive combat similar to modern-day
mixed-martial arts competitions. However, I've come across some interesting details of the fight
process and traditions that I thought you might be interested in.
Rules: The rules of pankration were simple: Opponents begin facing each other; there is no
biting, eye gouging, or fish-hooking allowed; and the match ends with the submission of one
fighter. Those were the standard rules, although competitions in some city-states varied; for
example, both biting and eye gouging were perfectly legal in pankration among the Spartans, but the
Eleans allowed only choke holds as a form of submission. A referee, called an Umpire, was present
to enforce these rules. Rather than stop the action or take "points" from one fighter, the Umpire
carried a long stick with which he would beat the offending fighter until he ceased the
infraction. This Umpire wore an official uniform resembling the familiar tunic common at the time,
but with distinguishing embellishments. In the earlier periods of Greek history, the
Pankrataists wore only a loincloth to the fights, but during the times of the ancient Olympics,
the fighters were required to fight fully nude, including the prohibition of any protective
clothing or equipment such as padded gloves. Generally, there were both mens and boys
competitions. Also, many pankration fighters also entered the wrestling competition at the Olympic
games. In the ancient Olympics, seven fighters were recorded as being champion of both the
pankration and wrestling competitions, with Kapros of Elis being the first.
Other combat sports: This brings us to the distinction between pankration and two other popular
combat sports of the time, boxing and wrestling. One way to distinguish the type of fight that is
occurring in period art representations is the equipment used and the positions of the fighters.
The fist picture below shows the pads over the knuckles used by boxers of the time, which were
never used in pankration matches. During boxing fights, no grappling of any form was allowed, but
kicking was allowed at various periods and places. Since the pankrataists didn't wear gloves,
striking with the hands played less of a role in the outcome of fights back then compared with
modern mixed-martial arts, and wins by submission after an hour-long fights were more common.
While kicking from the feet was a common technique, punching was more limited and more often used
while grappling from a superior position, either to submit an opponent whose arms were tied up, or
to set up a grappling submission. Wrestling during this period was more similar to Greco-Roman
wrestling and judo in form, mainly involving upper-body throws and takedowns. When a part of a
wrestler's body besides his feet touched the ground, a point was scored and the wrestlers were
re-started on their feet. Pankration was the only combat form at the time that used ground
grappling and a larger amount of time was spent ground grappling in pankration matches than
stand-up fighting. For this reason we know that sculptures like those in the second picture
represent pankration, rather than wrestling; even though the fighter on top has put in what modern
wrestlers would call a "leg ride" or "grape vine" and Brazilian jiu-jitsu artists call a "hook,"
the fighters are pankrataists, and in fact the top fighter is setting up a punch with his right
arm. Incidentally, ground grappling was rarely taught to military soldiers in the infantry.
Generals saw little use for it in military combat, as both Plato and Alexander the Great commented,
favoring boxing and wrestling.
Pankration matches were not always pure forms of combat; in fights outside of the Olympic games,
the fans enjoyed displays of skill more than they valued seeing one fighter revel in victory. As a
result, some fights were sparring matches or even technique demonstrations between training
partners, while others began as sparring matches that, at an agreed upon point, would escalate into
a purer form of competition. However, the truly epic matches always involved a high achievement
motivation of both fighters, and the fights could become truly vicious. For example, there was no
rule against small joint manipulations. In fact, some fighters were renowned for being good at
breaking fingers, and one fighter in particular, Arrhachion, was famous for his technique of
breaking his opponent's toes to escape a choke hold and win the title of Olympic Champion that
year.
While most matches ended with both fighters living, and in fact most matches ended without injury
to either fighter, occasionally a fighter would hold a choke on an opponent to the point of death,
particularly in fights with bigger names where a fighter would rather die than lose.
Okay, on to the pictures. As stated above, the first picture shows a a boxer's gloves, which are made of three bands of leather around the knuckles with a little padding inside, and a band of fur located at the top of the forearm to hold the glove tight to the fist. The second picture shows a leg ride and punch set-up in a pankration match. Following that is a copy of a scene from an inscription, depicting a pankration match with one fighter holding is opponent in a guillotine choke and preparing to strike to the face. Note the Umpire with his stick to the right, and another pankration fighter awaiting the outcome on the right. The fourth picture is taken from a vase dated between the 6th and 4th century BC, and shows one pankration fight scene (note the Umpire about to strike the fighter who is gouging his opponent) and two boxing matches. Lastly is a copy of an amphora design showing two wrestling matches. Notice the use of the arm-drag, a contemporary wrestling move.
Hope you enjoy them-- Bill Urquhart
P.S. If anyone else has similar photos of ancient combat sports, please contact me at
ravenman2000@hotmail.com
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