Martial Arts Of The World - Webs
Martial Arts Of The World - Webs Martial Arts Of The World - Webs
410 Pankration References Balent, Matthew. 1993. The Compendium of Weapons, Armour and Castles. Taylor, MI: Palladium Books. Corcoran, John, and Emil Farkas. 1983. Martial Arts: Traditions, History, People. New York: Gallery Books. Draeger, Donn F. 1976. “Classical Hawaiian Martial Culture.” Unpublished manuscript. Honolulu: East-West Center and the Bishop Museum. Judd, Henry. The Hawaiian Language and Hawaiian-English Dictionary. Australia: Hawaiian Service. Stewart, C. S. 1970. Journal of a Residence in the Sandwich Islands during the Years 1823, 1824, and 1825. Reproduced by the University of Hawai’i Press for the Friends of the Library of Hawaii. Honolulu: University of Hawai’i Press. Pankration Pankration (Greek; all powers), a Greek martial art utilizing both striking and grappling, was created almost 3,000 years ago. It was practiced primarily as a sport, but found applications in combat, both on the battlefield and for self-defense. Pankration was designed to be the ultimate test of a person’s physical, intellectual, and spiritual capabilities. Pankration is one of the oldest confirmed martial arts practiced by human beings. The art had an extensive influence on Western martial arts, and possibly on Asian arts as well. Pankration was an all-out form of fighting. The competitors were allowed to do anything except biting and eye-gouging. The Spartans, however, allowed even these techniques in their local athletic festivals. Punches and open-hand strikes with the hands, kicks, all types of throws and takedowns, joint locks and choke holds—all of these techniques were legal in a pankration bout. The goal of the pankration match was to get the opponent to signal defeat. Failing this, it was expected that one opponent would be knocked out or choked to unconsciousness. The origin of pankration is the subject of speculation. The Egyptians developed high-level fighting arts, as evidenced by pictures of these fighting techniques displayed in the tombs of Beni-Hassan (Middle Kingdom period). One theory suggests that Egyptian traders brought these techniques to the Greeks, who eventually adopted them for their own use. Another theory speculates that pankration developed out of primitive, instinctual fighting for survival and eventually was systematized as a martial art. The Greeks themselves believed that the hero Theseus, who used pankration to defeat the Minotaur in the labyrinth, had created the art. The historical record, however, begins after approximately 1000 B.C. when the Greek citystates established athletic festivals whose events included pankration. In 648 B.C., at the Thirty-third Olympic Games, pankration was ac-
cepted as an official sport. It quickly became one of the most popular events, so much so that pankration was later added to the boys’ Olympic Games. Practitioners of the art (pankrationists) received the highest honors and accolades from adoring crowds. Winners of the pankration became instant celebrities and were assured of income for the rest of their lives. Those few who won repeatedly at the games achieved legendary fame in the sports-obsessed Greek world and were sometimes even worshipped as semidivine beings. Pankration enjoyed continued popularity throughout the Greek citystates. Plato, Aristotle, and Socrates all enjoyed the art. Plato, in fact, was a practitioner, but warned that this style of fighting did not teach its practitioners to “keep to their feet,” possibly a reference to the fact that most pankration matches were decided by grappling on the ground. Alexander the Great, a Hellenized Macedonian, was also a pankration expert. Alexander took many pankrationists with him when he set out to conquer the globe, including Dioxipus of Rhodes, one of the most formidable pankrationists in history. In addition, many of his troops were trained in the art. It has been argued that, during Alexander’s Indian campaign, pankration techniques were disseminated to the population of southern Asia. If this is the case, then these techniques might have influenced Asian martial arts. This theory remains a source of debate among scholars of fighting arts. Pankration matches began with the two competitors stepping into the arena or onto a platform. There were no rings or barriers. Falling off the platform meant that the match would resume again; running away from the combat area was a sign of cowardice, which resulted in a loss. A referee armed with a switch supervised the match. If he observed an illegal maneuver, he employed the switch to break the competitors apart. In addition, it is speculated that the referee would employ the switch if the action between competitors lagged. There were no weight classes in the art; it is not surprising, therefore, that pankration became the domain of heavyweight contenders who could use their superior size to their advantage. Competitors fought naked without any body or hand protection. Pankration matches had no time limit. The only way to end a match was to signal surrender by raising a hand or by being rendered unconscious through a choke hold or blow. The matches sometimes ended in death. With joint locks also allowed in competition, disfigurement and loss of limbs were also dangers. Pankration had two basic forms: kato (literally, down) pankration and ano (up) pankration. Ano pankration was a less severe form of the art, in which the pankrationists had to remain standing. Ano pankration was essentially a form of kickboxing, in which blows from both the hands and Pankration 411
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410 Pankration<br />
References<br />
Balent, Matthew. 1993. <strong>The</strong> Compendium of Weapons, Armour and<br />
Castles. Taylor, MI: Palladium Books.<br />
Corcoran, John, and Emil Farkas. 1983. <strong>Martial</strong> <strong>Arts</strong>: Traditions, History,<br />
People. New York: Gallery Books.<br />
Draeger, Donn F. 1976. “Classical Hawaiian <strong>Martial</strong> Culture.” Unpublished<br />
manuscript. Honolulu: East-West Center and the Bishop Museum.<br />
Judd, Henry. <strong>The</strong> Hawaiian Language and Hawaiian-English Dictionary.<br />
Australia: Hawaiian Service.<br />
Stewart, C. S. 1970. Journal of a Residence in the Sandwich Islands during<br />
the Years 1823, 1824, and 1825. Reproduced by the University of<br />
Hawai’i Press for the Friends of the Library of Hawaii. Honolulu:<br />
University of Hawai’i Press.<br />
Pankration<br />
Pankration (Greek; all powers), a Greek martial art utilizing both striking<br />
and grappling, was created almost 3,000 years ago. It was practiced primarily<br />
as a sport, but found applications in combat, both on the battlefield<br />
and for self-defense. Pankration was designed to be the ultimate test of a<br />
person’s physical, intellectual, and spiritual capabilities. Pankration is one<br />
of the oldest confirmed martial arts practiced by human beings. <strong>The</strong> art<br />
had an extensive influence on Western martial arts, and possibly on Asian<br />
arts as well.<br />
Pankration was an all-out form of fighting. <strong>The</strong> competitors were allowed<br />
to do anything except biting and eye-gouging. <strong>The</strong> Spartans, however,<br />
allowed even these techniques in their local athletic festivals. Punches<br />
and open-hand strikes with the hands, kicks, all types of throws and takedowns,<br />
joint locks and choke holds—all of these techniques were legal in a<br />
pankration bout. <strong>The</strong> goal of the pankration match was to get the opponent<br />
to signal defeat. Failing this, it was expected that one opponent would<br />
be knocked out or choked to unconsciousness.<br />
<strong>The</strong> origin of pankration is the subject of speculation. <strong>The</strong> Egyptians<br />
developed high-level fighting arts, as evidenced by pictures of these fighting<br />
techniques displayed in the tombs of Beni-Hassan (Middle Kingdom period).<br />
One theory suggests that Egyptian traders brought these techniques<br />
to the Greeks, who eventually adopted them for their own use. Another<br />
theory speculates that pankration developed out of primitive, instinctual<br />
fighting for survival and eventually was systematized as a martial art. <strong>The</strong><br />
Greeks themselves believed that the hero <strong>The</strong>seus, who used pankration to<br />
defeat the Minotaur in the labyrinth, had created the art. <strong>The</strong> historical<br />
record, however, begins after approximately 1000 B.C. when the Greek citystates<br />
established athletic festivals whose events included pankration.<br />
In 648 B.C., at the Thirty-third Olympic Games, pankration was ac-