An in-depth guide to the modern practice of Greek martial arts and their beginnings in ancient Greece and Egypt • Examines the correlation between ancient depictions of one-on-one combat and how martial arts are practiced today • Explores the close relationship between Greek martial arts and spiritual practice • Distinguishes between Pammachon (martial arts) and Pankration (combat sports) The ancient friezes and decorative motifs of ancient Greece contain abundant scenes of combat, one-on-one and hand-to-hand. In The Martial Arts of Ancient Greece, the authors offer close inspection of these depictions to reveal that they exactly correlate to the grappling and combat arts as they are practiced today. They also show that these artifacts document the historical course of the development of both the weaponry of the warrior classes and the martial responses those weapons required when fighting hand-to-hand. The depiction of each ancient technique is accompanied by sequenced step-by-step photos of modern practitioners performing the various stances of one-on-one combat. In addition, the authors explain how the development of Hellenic combat arts was tied at its heart to a spiritual practice. The centeredness, clear mind, and consequent courage that develops from a spiritual practice was considered a martial strength for a warrior, enabling him to be at his best, unobstructed inwardly by conflict or inertia. The Martial Arts of Ancient Greece provides a practical and comprehensive approach to the techniques and philosophy of the martial arts of the ancient Mediterranean that will be welcomed by modern fighters.

A comprehensive study of the practice of combat sports in the ancient civilizations of Greece, Rome and the Near East.

Black Belt Magazine called Pankration "the most practical street combat form of the martial arts that I have ever seen". Throughout this fascinating and completely updated volume, Jim Arvanitis provides extensive insight into the facts and myths of pankration's early history (including its inclusion in the earliest Olympic Games), its techniques and strategies, and its impact on today's martial arts.

Shows how the cornerstone of the earliest Olympic Games directly influenced the modern techniques of today's fiercest mixed-martial arts fighters. This book contains such topics as submissions and counters, grappling escapes, sweeps and reversals, take downs and take down defense, as well as the myths and traditions of the Hellenic combat arts.

'If I had to pick a single general martial arts history book in English, I would recommend A Brief History of the Martial Arts by Dr Jonathan Clements' RICHARD BEITLICH, Martial History Team blog From Shaolin warrior monks to the movies of Bruce Lee, a new history of the evolution of East Asian styles of unarmed combat, from Kung Fu to Ninjutsu Folk tales of the Shaolin Temple depict warrior monks with superhuman abilities. Today, dozens of East Asian fighting styles trace their roots back to the Buddhist brawlers of Shaolin, although any quest for the true story soon wanders into a labyrinth of forgeries, secret texts and modern retellings. This new study approaches the martial arts from their origins in military exercises and callisthenics. It examines a rich folklore from old wuxia tales of crime-fighting heroes to modern kung fu movies. Centre stage is given to the stories that martial artists tell themselves about themselves, with accounts (both factual and fictional) of famous practitioners including China's Yim Wing-chun, Wong Fei-hong, and Ip Man, as well as Japanese counterparts such as Kano Jigoro, Itosu Anko and So Doshin. The history of martial arts encompasses secret societies and religious rebels, with intimate glimpses of the histories of China, Korea and Japan, their conflicts and transformations. The book also charts the migration of martial arts to the United States and beyond. Special attention is paid to the turmoil of the twentieth century, the cross-cultural influence of Japanese colonies in Asia, and the post-war rise of martial arts in sport and entertainment - including the legacy of Bruce Lee, the dilemma of the ninja and the global audience for martial arts in fiction.

PANKRATION: The Unchained Combat Sport of Ancient Greece is a fully illustrated guide to what was the cornerstone of the early Olympic Games and Panhellenic festivals. It examines the brutal blood sport based on the author's more than forty-five years of research and practice. Considered the precursor of today's mixed martial arts cage competitions, many historians also contend that pankration laid the groundwork for the development of Asian karate and kung-fu, as well as other fighting styles throughout the world. The content traces pankration's historical origins in mythology and on the battlefield where it was known as pammachon, to its transformation and prominence as an Olympic spectacle. It also explores combat sports of earlier civilizations such as Egypt, Minoa, and Crete as well as the adoption of pankration by the Romans. Greek boxing, wrestling, and hoplomachia (weapons competition) along with the bloody gladiatorial contests of the Imperial Period are also detailed. Tournament rules, an analysis of pankration techniques, and training methods are covered along with a listing of all the Olympic pankration champions from its inception in 648 B.C. until the last documented contest on record. Emphasis is given to the role that pankration played in Hellenic culture and its religious connection to the gods themselves. The book includes numerous works of art depicted on vases, frescoes, sculptures, and coins showing pankratiasts in heated action and other combat scenes. This definitive work adds new information to the author's previous books, and brings to light the importance of pankration as not only the Original MMA, but as the missing link in martial arts evolution.

How is sport in contemporary society related to sport in earlier civilizations? Why is the expenditure of energy involved in sport considered exhilarating, while the equivalent expenditure of energy in other contexts can be dispiriting? David Sansone offers answers to these questions and advances a revolutionary thesis to account for the widespread phenomenon of sport. Drawing upon ethnological findings to demonstrate the ritual character of sport, he explores the relationship between ancient Greek sport and sacrificial ritual and traces elements common to both back to primitive origins.

ANCIENT GREEK MARTIAL ARTS: Warfare and Combat Sports in the Classical World is a fully-illustrated guide to the battlefield tactics of the hoplite soldier and the athletic competitions that evolved from them. The author examines the heavy events of wrestling, boxing, and the all-encompassing pankration in great depth, in addition to weapons competition (hoplomachia). Topics include arms and armor, the phalanx formation, the pyrrich war dances, tournament rules, a functional analysis of techniques, and training methods along with a complete listing of all the Olympic combat sports champions from their inception in 708 B.C. until the last documented contest on record. Emphasis is given to the role that combat played in Hellenic culture and its spiritual connection to the gods themselves.The book features photos of modern-day reenactors demonstrating hoplite skills and numerous works of art depicted onvases, architectural friezes, frescoes, sculptures, and coins showing combat athletes in heated action. A comprehensive glossary of relevant military and sport terms is also included.

"MOLON LABE!" "Come and get it," the battlefield cry of the ancient Spartan warriors. When Jim Arvanitis resurrected the ancient Greek martial art of pankration and updated it with the most effective concepts and techniques from other combative systems, he developed what many acknowledge to be one of world's first mixed martial arts (MMA). Now, Arvanitis has delved further into Greek martial history and revived the lost art of pammachon, or "battlefield pankration"—the military predecessor of pankration that takes the art out of the sporting arena and into the streets, where the objective is not competing to win a prize but fighting to save your life. Battlefield Pankration: The Book is a complete course in the nasty business of hard-core "conflict resolution." The techniques require no athleticism to perform but are based purely on raw animal instinct. The instruction blends the brutal competitive training of the MMA arena with the intensity of reality-based scenario drills. Its goal is not to show you how to engage in an uncontrolled brawl but to teach you dozens of tactical means to end an altercation quickly. Whether the fight is stand up or on the ground, whether your assailant is armed or unarmed, whether you are facing one or more opponents, Battlefield Pankration: The Book will show you how to handle all stages of a violent encounter with streetwise strategies, vicious techniques, and the warrior spirit of the ancient Spartans!

Greek Pankration, once the cornerstone of the early Olympic games, is the only fully documented fighting form of the preChristian era. It is the first to incorporate ground tacticts, kicking, boxing, and wrestling into one "all-powers" system. Included are hundreds of dynamic photographs and illustrations.