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Pankration
(a combination of wrestling and
boxing)
Origin:
The pankration was added in 648 BC in the 33rd
Olympiad. Greeks believed that the pankration was
founded by the great hero of Attica, Theseus, who
combined wrestling and boxing together in order to
defeat the fierce Minotaur in the labyrinth. It is
thought that the pankration developed out of the
primitive way of fighting used by man when he
came across an enemy, either human or animal.
According to the author Philostratos, it is an
excellent exercise in training warriors.

Equipment:
There is no equipment used in the pankration (no
boxing gloves).

Rules of the Game

All the holds used in wrestling and all the blows
used in boxing were allowed. The only things
forbidden were biting and gouging. Therefore, the
pankration was the most dangerous and toughest of
all events, since victory was sought with no
consideration of the danger to the body or the life of
one's opponent.

The pankration had two forms:

Kato pankration, in which the contest

continued after the opponents fell to the
ground. It was used in games.
Ano pankration, in which the opponents had
to remain standing. It was used in training or
in preliminary contests. This was a much
lighter and safer form.
Pankratiasts did not wear gloves as competitors in
boxing did, so the blows were not as painful;
however, a pankratiast was allowed to hold his
opponent with one hand and hit him with the other,
unlike boxing.

The fighter who fell to the ground first was in a

difficult position, for his opponent was able to fall
on top of him and immobilize him with his legs,
leaving his hands free to strike him or apply a
strangle-hold. The fighter who fell would try to turn
on his back and use his arms and legs to protect
himself. Slightly built competitors often
deliberately fell on their backs, a device called
hyptiasmos (back fall).

Kicking played an important part in the pankration.

A kick to the stomach was called gastrizein (the
stomach-trick). The hold, in which a fighter held his
opponent's foot as tightly as he could to make him
lose his balance, was called apopternizein (the heel-
trick).

Characteristics of a Good Pankratiast:

According to Philostratos, the perfect pankratiasts
were those whose physical build was such that one
might describe men suited for the event as being the
best wrestlers amongst the boxers and the best
boxers amongst the wrestlers. Psychological
qualities like courage and endurance were also
important.

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Please click on the Image Menu below to navigate !!

In Mu Tau Pankration, a unique ranking system consisting of ten grade

levels (abbreviated as GL) is utilized. A board of officials, assigned by the
United Pankration Alliance (UPA) controls all teaching certifications. The
ranking levels recognized are (from highest to lowest):
Keereeos (Creator/Innovator/Patriarch)
Master (GL10)
Senior Instructor/Professor (GL9)
Instructor (GL8)
Assistant Instructor (GL7)
Advanced (GL5-6)
Intermediate (GL3-4)
Novice (GL1-2)

All ranks are authorized by a Certificate issued by the United Pankration

Alliance (the governing body of Mu Tau Pankration) with the signatures
of the student's immediate instructor and that of a senior instructor.
Grade levels 9-10 are based solely on the approval of Grand Master
pankratiast Jim Arvanitis. It usually requires 7 years of training to attain
the rank of instructor (GL8), and at least 15 years to achieve Senior
Instructor level

Pankration bouts

Pankration bouts may only take place between members of recognized

Pankration organizations. The UPA (United Pankration Alliance),
founded by "The Father of Modern Pankration" Jim Arvanitis, is the
official U.S. representative body.

There are three types of Pankration competitions. Each differs from the
other in the rules and allowance of techniques.

CLASSIC OLYMPIC PANKRATION

This competitive form allows any means of attacking one's opponent

with the exception of biting and gouging. It is the original sport of the
Olympics of 648 B.C. A contest continues uninterrupted until either a
knockout or submission is reached.

SPARTAN PANKRATION

The Spartans practiced a fierce, no-holds-barred form of competitive

combat. It allowed every offensive technique with the objective to render
one's adversary either helpless or senseless.

MODERN SPORT PANKRATION®

"Modern Sport Pankration" encourages the use of both "ano" and

"kato" skills, with an equal emphasis on standing and ground fighting,
as well as striking and grappling techniques. The following rules are a
subset of those that apply to all contemporary "all-powers" bouts
sanctioned by the UPA , and are inspired by the ancient event with added
safeguards to make this form of pankration more acceptable for "reality-
based" competition in the modern world.

*A written test on Pankration history must be completed and passed

prior to being allowed to compete.
*Note that this form of competition is FULL-CONTACT only.

Mandatory Protective Gear:

8-ounce open-finger gloves with dense foam knuckle padding

(spheres)
Full-face head guard with poly-carbonate (clear) face cage
Neoprene knee pads
Soft foam shin pads
Mouthpiece
Groin protector
Lightweight wrestling shoes

Competing Pankratiasts are expected to fight barechested and wear

thigh length spandex shorts.
Opening Spartan salutation must be made to one's opponent and to the
contestant's corner.

Legal Techniques:

ANO PANKRATION

All punches to the head and body

Kicks to the legs, body and head
Knee strikes to the head and body
Sweeps
Takedowns and throws (including suplexes)
Clinching the waist and neck
Any standing submission hold or choke
Any block, parry, or evasion to defend against blows
Any reversal of a takedown or throwing attempt

KATO PANKRATION

Punching to the body

Kicking to the body and legs
Knee strikes to the body
Any form of mounting
Chokes (arm-throttling and gripping with hands, or
applying pressure with any other part of the body)
Any submission joint lock (elbow, ankle, knee, finger,
toe, etc.)
Neck cranks, chin locks, etc.
Any reversal or escape from a hold

Illegal Techniques:

Gouging or poking the eyes

Biting
Striking to groin, kidney, spine, and back of the head
Strikes to head or face (on ground)
Headbutting
Elbowing
Hitting to the head when on the ground
Hairpulling
"Fish-hooking" (putting fingers in opponent's mouth)
Pinching
Scratching
Tearing or pulling the ear
Kicking to the knee joint
Stomping with the foot on the feet, face, or body
Avoiding opponent/running out of "arena"/refusal to fight
Unsportsmanlikebehaviour
Pulling on the cage of the headguard
Rude or belligerent behavior including foul language
Any competitor suspected or found of consuming any illegal
substances for performance enhancement prior to competition will
be suspended for no less than six (6) months.
Throws involving torqueing of the neck or any joint.

Bouts can be won via knockout, submission, or points.

UPA members may inquire about purchasing a full length rules booklet.
Topics covered include:

The point system description

Referee requirements
Judges' requirements
Ring requirements
Event promoter requirements
And many more related topics

GREEK PANKRATION RULES

AMATEUR RULES

Classifications

Pankratiasts are classified based on U.F.C.F. Pankration

experience, wrestling, jiu jitsu, muay thai, kickboxing,
boxing, and other martial experience. The following
guidelines may be over ridden based on the above listed
experience & skill.

Novice class: 0 - 2 fights

C class: 3 -5 fights with minimum 1 win at novice class.
B class: 6 - 9 fights with 2 or more wins at C class.
A class: 10 + fights with 2 or more wins at B class.

Required safety gear & uniform

Safety Gear

Approved shooting style gloves, approved shin n instep pads (

pull on type ), approved knee pads, cup, mouthguard,
optional - Neoprene or cloth ankle supports can be worn to
support a previous injury but the injury must be verified by
the ringside physician & the supports must be approved.
Taping of previously injured areas will be under the same
conditions stated above.

Uniform

Approved shooting style gloves are mandatory

Pankratiasts fight bare top without Gi's or other top
apparel.
Full length tights or bicycle length tights shall be worn
on the lower half of the body.
Knee pads are required & must be approved thickness
& density.
Shin n instep ( pull on type ) pads must be approved for
thickness and density as well as proper fit. They must
provide maximum softness with enough density so that
when a thumb is pressed into them the shin and knee
bones cannot be felt through them with strong pressure
applied. Pads must fit snugly so that they will not easily
pull down or move around during competition.
Fighters must wear a cup. If the fighter wears an outer
cup it must cover only the groin & lower bladder area,
it cannot extend out around the hip area. Outer cups
must be approved.

Illegal Techniques

All classes

Head butts are illegal

Closed fist to the head of a downed opponent is illegal
Striking with the elbows is illegal
Groin strikes are illegal
Straight palm strikes to the head of a downed opponent
are illegal
Kicks and knee strikes to a downed opponent are illegal
Striking the throat is illegal
Pulling hair is illegal
Poking or gouging the eyes is illegal
Biting is illegal
You may not throw an opponent onto their head or
neck
Heel hooks are illegal
Grabbing the ring ropes or corner pads is illegal
Pinching is illegal (intentional)
Scratching is illegal (intentional)
Striking the side and or front of the knee is illegal
Knee strikes to the head are illegal
Finger & toe submissions are illegal

Additional Illegal

Fighters may not use any slippery substance on their

body such as vaseline or linament.

Legal Techniques

All classes

Kicking the head, legs and body is legal (both fighters

standing)
Punching the head, body, and legs is legal (both fighters
standing)
Take downs are legal (with exceptions noted in illegal
techniques section)
Submission, joint locks, chokes and pressure point
techniques are legal except as noted under illegal
section
Knee strikes to the body and legs are legal (while both
standing)
Punching the body while on the ground is legal

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Grandmaster Pankratiast Jim Arvanitis (a.k.a

Keereeos) displaying the finer points of Mu Tau.

As a fighting art of antiquity, the importance of pankration

goes without saying. Although many of its techniques can be
found readily in other indigenous systems of the world,
pankration was certainly the first combat method to
incorporate a complete array of fighting techniques,
including ground tactics, in its repertoire. Besides the legacies
left by pankration to the Western sports world, namely
boxing and Greco-Roman wrestling, a modern derivation of
the classic "all-powers" fighting style would also emerge.

Pankration was introduced to the American martial arts

community in the early 1970's by Greek-American Jim
Arvanitis, who had been trained from childhood in Greco-
Roman Combat Grappling and boxing techniques. Due to his
strong ethnic ties, Arvanitis would also spend most of his life
studying and researching the history and concepts of
pankration. Arvanitis later became proficient in muay-Thai
(Thai kickboxing), Boxe Francaise Savate (French foot-
fighting), and combat judo. He then extracted the optimum
theories and skills from these sources, and synthesized them
into a cognate form. Called Mu Tau Pankration or MTP for
short, Arvanitis' system integrates modern techniques with
the roots of the ancient pankration. Designed solely for
unrestrained street combat, it combines submission
grappling and ground-fighting skills with kickboxing. He
based his modern pankration style on leverage and technical
efficiency rather than brute strength. The student of this
exclusive hybrid is a well-rounded fighter, one who is skilled
as either a striker or grappler, and effective waging combat
either upright or on the ground, where most real fights will
end up. Although many are now claiming to be practicing
pankration, the fact remains that Arvanitis was the very first
to revive the ancient form, transform it into a contemporary
"cross-training" art, and popularize it around the world.

In the 1970s and early 80s, Arvanitis would continue the

tradition of his ancestors by competing in Golden Gloves
boxing and intercollegiate wrestling. He also was undefeated
in no-holds-barred street fights and impromptu challenge
matches against other martial arts stylists. In 1973,
pankration was first exposed to the American martial arts
community when Arvanitis was featured on the cover of
Black Belt magazine. Since that time, he has appeared in over
200 articles in newspapers and the top international self-
defense publications. He also stars in a number of
instructional video tapes. Jim's incessant accomplishments as
an author, historian, athlete, and high-profile instructor has
made him the most famous martial artist of Greek lineage
and leading pankratiast of the Twentieth century. The art of
pankration and the name Jim Arvanitis have indeed become
synonymous.

Today, the influence of pankration is clearly visible in

modern combative competitions stressing a "limited rules"
environment. Several pankration organizations throughout
the European continent sponsor events on an on-going basis
for practitioners. Ironically, in Greece itself, the authentic
Hellenic martial artists following the "old ways" are training
in small backyard contingents. There is little, if any, cohesion
between these groups. It is the goal of the UPA (United
Pankration Alliance), founded by Jim Arvanitis, to organize
these proponents under its direction.

It is without question that Greece's passion for martial arts

has a long and proven history. From the arenas of the first
Olympic games and the legends that rivaled the mythology of
the gods, to its current practice as an unrestricted combat
form for today's rings and streets, pankration reigns as one
of the most formidable and comprehensive fighting styles
that has ever existed. Thanks to the efforts and innovations of
its foremost resource, Jim Arvanitis, its legacy lives on.