Pankration
Martial art in ancient Greek festivals
古希臘式搏擊 · パンクラチオン · 판크라티온
- Country of origin
- Ancient Greece
- Type
- martial arts, type of sport, sport in antiquity
- Part of
- culture of Greece
Pankration (; 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. The term comes from the Ancient Greek word παγκράτιον (pankrátion), meaning "all of power" (from παν- (pan-) 'all-' and κράτος (krátos) 'strength, might, power').
Notable Pankration athletes and practitioners
- Theagenes of Thasos Thasos
- Angelina Semenova Russia
External links
Facts from Wikidata Q201252 (CC0); quoted introduction from English Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Data retrieved 2026-10-22.
Data: Wikidata (CC0 1.0); Wikipedia (English) (CC BY-SA 4.0). Retrieved 2026-10-22.