 Two athletes competing in the pankration. Panathenaic amphora, made in Athens in 332–331 BC, during the archonship of Niketes. From Capua. | |
| Focus | Hybrid, striking, grappling, wrestling |
|---|---|
| Country of origin | Ancient Greece |
| Olympic sport | Introduced in 648 BC in the 33rd Olympiad |
Pankration (⫽pænˈkreɪti.ɒn, -ʃən⫽;[citation needed] Ancient Greek: παγκράτιον [paŋkráti.on]) was an unarmed combat sport introduced into the Greek Olympic Games in 648 BC. The athletes used boxing and wrestling techniques but also others, such as kicking, holds, joint locks, and chokes on the ground, making it similar to modern mixed martial arts.[1] The term comes from the Ancient Greek word παγκράτιον (pankrátion), meaning "all of power" (from πᾶν (pân) 'all', and κράτος (krátos) 'strength, might, power').[2]
- ^ Georgiou, Andreas V. "Pankration - A Historical Look at the Original Mixed-Martial Arts Competition". Archived from the original on 30 January 2016. Retrieved 23 January 2016.
- ^ παγκράτιον. Liddell, Henry George; Scott, Robert; A Greek–English Lexicon at the Perseus Project. Archived 7 February 2022 at the Wayback Machine.