PAGRATION MARTIAL ART OF ANCIENT GREECE

Also known as Pankration and Pancratium

Topics

My own opinions

In my opinion 99% of the oriental martial arts is pure bullshit. I don't say this to piss anyone off but only to open a few eyes and minds. We see time and time again that traditional martial artists get trampled over by wrestlers and streetfighters in NHB competition. When will the world finally see that a backfist is worthless. In order for an art to be worth something it has to be used in the real world, not some dojo.The ancient Greeks invented a combat art and sport called Pagration. Its debute as an olympic event was in the year 648 B.C. along with the horse race. Soon it became one of if not the most prestiges events of the ancient games. The rules of Pagration were simple enough; no biting or gouging. The ever warlike Spartans allowed these two illegal moves in their competitions. Therefore they did not often compete with Pagrationists from other regions.

Quotes and descriptions of Pagration combat

"Pagratiasts...must employ backward falls which are not safe for the wrestler...they must have skill in various methods of strangling; they also wrestle with an opponent's ankle and twist his arm, besides hitting and jumping on him,for all these practices belong to the Pagration" Philostratos, second-third century A.D.
Concerning Skiamachia or shadow-fighting medical writer Antyllus recommended that "The shadow-boxer must not only use his hands but also his legs, sometimes as if he were jumping, at other times as if he were kicking".
Lucian describing the ladder grip, also known as klimakismos. "..lest, as they stand gaping, you fill their mouths with sand, or jumping round to get on their backs, twist your legs round their bellies, squeeze your arms beneath their helmets, and strangle them to death."
The twisting of the arms and fingers of your opponent was known as akrocheirismos. A famous fighter named Sostratos liked to break his opponents fingers at the beginning of a match, allowing him a quick submission.
"Aias seized Tydeusson in his sturdy arms, doing his best to break his ribs. But Diomemdes, combining skill with strength, bent down a little and, thrusting his shoulder under Aias' arm muscles, suddenly lifted up Telemon's mighty son. Then moving his thigh the other way to disentangle it from Aias' foot, he threw the powerful man to the ground and sat on him." This quote is from Quintus of Smyrnas' account of the funeral games held in the honor of Achilles.
Another quote from Quintus." Then Aias, when he had shaken sturdy Tydeusson this way and that by the shoulders, got his hands under his belly and suddenly, with great strength, threw him down on the ground like a stone." Also " Their backs and sturdy necks cracked under the noisy blows of their hands, just like trees in the mountains striking their vigorous branches together. Many a time Tydeusson got his powerful hands under the strong thighs of great Aias, but he was never able to push him over backwards."
Here Quintus describes a boxing match at the funeral games." Theseus' son was so skillful in the contest that he often caused Epeius to drive his mighty hands into the empty air, and then, cunningly getting through both his hands, he lept upon him, struck his brow, and reached the bone. Blood flowed down from Epeius' eye. But even so, Epeius caught Acamas with his heavy hand, hitting him on the temple, and knocked him to the ground. But he jumped up at once, lept upon his mighty opponent, and hit him on the head. As he was drawing back, Epeius bent a little and, with his left, hit him on the forehead and jumped at him and drove his right at his nose, Acamas, though, was using his hands in defense with avery sort of skill."
From The Iliad of Homer "....having thus said he lifted him, but Odysseus was not unmindful of his craft. He smote deftly from behind the hollow of Aias' knee, and loosed his limbs, and threw him down backward, and Odysseus fell upon his chest, and the folk gazed and marvelled. Then in his turn much enduring noble Odysseus tried to lift, and moved him a little from the ground, but lifted him not, so he crooked his knee within the other's, and both fell on the ground nigh to each other, and were soiled with dust."
From author Aulus Gellius on the readiness of pagratiasts. "just as they stand when called to the contest witht their arms thrust out high and protect their head and face with their hands, blocking like a rampart, and before the fight all their limbs are ready to ward off blows and give them.... They kept their fingers curled, halfway between making a fist and leaving the hand open, and in this way they were quick to punch or grab as the situation demanded"

Links to other sites on the Web

Home Of Cinaet
Fianna Resource Page
Mu Tau Pankration Website
THis is the site that i stole several pictures from in the making of this site. Thanks.

© 1996 Cinaet@onecom.com

This page hosted by GeoCities Get your own Free Home Page