The Ancient Greeks’ Favorite Combat Sport
The ancient Greek sport of pankration, which means “all force”, combined boxing and wrestling. It was a no-holds-barred event. Other than for a few prohibitions – a competitor could not gouge or bite, or attack his opponent’s genitals – just about everything was allowed. Pankration is seen today as the ancestor of modern Mixed Martial Arts (MMA). Arrhichion of Phigalia (died 564 BC), who was crowned champion of that sport in the 572 BC and 568 BC Olympiads, was the most famous Greek pankratist.
He sought a threepeat at the 564 BC Olympic Games, and advanced through the early rounds to the title bout. There, age finally caught up with and slowed him down. For the first time in the Olympics, he got into trouble. Arrhichion’s opponent outmaneuvered him, got behind the champion, locked legs around his torso, dug heels into his groin, and applied a chokehold. Arrhichion was too much of a competitor to accept defeat, however, and managed to turn things around. Unfortunately, the paid dearly.