Any experiences or comments on this art?
No experience but I’ve seen it make a big SPLASH during the UFC days. It’s basically MMA training. But the guy…JIM AVERETT( ??? ) says that pankration has been around for years and bring up photos of past gladiator statue fighting etc…
Looks to be a mixture of submission techs, greco, freestyle, boxing, and muy thai. I think it’s a great marketing tool though. You know with the gladiator/roman/greek time. Hell I could promote VIETCONG martial arts and make it seem like ninjitsu.
Arvanitis, or something. Jim Arvanitis.
Pankration
Castleva:
I am no expert, but I’ve been training this for about a year now.
I don’t think there is any one single system of pankration, it varies from school to school. Some of the schools claim connection to the ancient greek pankrationists (Arvantis I think) while others (eg Matt Hume) are frank that its a modern mixed martial art evolved from mixing muay thai, bjj, boxing, karate (among others).
Basically, pankration is really a competition venue rather than a single monolithic “art” with a set series of techniques:
http://mmac.homestead.com/whatispankration.html
http://www.pitch.com/issues/2002-04-18/feature.html/1/index.html
I can’t speak for other schools, but at mine, the emphasis is on sport, training generally has some pretty hard sparring, no forms or katas, and puts an equal emphasis on groundfighting and standup.
I remeber reading articles where Arvantis states that his Pankration system is a retrofit style of boxing, grappling systems like greco roman wrestling, and kick boxing disciplines.
The only person I have ever heard state that they have a connection to the ancient greeks was that bald guy who does those bizzare Comrach Bas tapes?
A greek system with a galiec name :rolleyes:
Thanks everyone.
Just to release the idea that I had,I have the idea of it as an old,legitimate Greek martial art with solid basis in unarmed combat.
I was aware that it is “UFC friendly”,while that has not necessarily been of my greatest liking,I find this an interesting art nonetheless.
Now it seems though,that there may be some “politics” included.
“…are frank that its a modern mixed martial art evolved from mixing muay thai, bjj, boxing, karate (among others).”
Wow.Sounds nuts honestly speaking.
What do you think Mr.Sleazy? (or about anyone)
Keep it coming.
It’s currently being discussed on the Western Martial Arts group, at Yahoo.
don’t know much about it myself, though.
Black Jack
Pancration is definitely a greek name.
pronounced pan - crat - eon
He’s talking about cohmrac bas (sp?). Not pankration.
Thank you,thank you.
thanks Apoweyn
No worries Mojo.
Actually, I’ve been mispronouncing pankration all along. So at least I learned something.
I think most Americans mispronounce it, usualy as…
pan- cray- shon
It used to drive me crazy, now I expect it.
Bored at work, so I keep flipping to this forum
Am I an addict?
I mispronounce it too (and I am a canadian), and everyone I know who studies or teaches it does too. Oh well.
Pan-cray-shun
As I said before, it is really more of a competitive forum than a single martial art - a set of rules to compete under.
I know there was a bunch of mumbo-jumbo about it being in the 2004 Olympics - not true.
Castleva:
“Wow.Sounds nuts honestly speaking.”
Are you talking to me? Are you talking to me? What are you looking at?
I doubt it is a direct line to antiquity. They chose that name for good effect only.
They tried to bring back “pugilat” in the seventies but it did’nt caught on. (I remember this from Black Belt or some other magazine of the times)
OJ is correct.
Are you talking to me? Are you talking to me? What are you looking at?“”
Hey,hey take it easy.I want no trouble.
Just commenting on that modern mix I was.
Thanks once again for the replies.
Originally posted by apoweyn
Arvanitis, or something. Jim Arvanitis.
yeah, that’s him.I’ve got a few mags that have interviews with him. He was trying to get pankration back into the olympics.
That would be interesting
Originally posted by Mojo
[B]I think most Americans mispronounce it, usualy as…
pan- cray- shon
It used to drive me crazy, now I expect it. [/B]
Yep. That’s what I’ve been saying all along. But I like the proper pronunciation better. So (on the odd occassion I have a chance to use the word at all) from now on, it’s pan-cray-teeon.
I think.
Cheers Mojo.
Stuart B.