The Martial Arts of Ancient Greece

by Kostas Dervenis

  LOW KICK TO THE KNEE

  Figure 3.6. Greek presentation, sixth century BCE, Paestum Museum, Italy. This is clearly pammachon as the warriors are armed.

  ANALYSIS

  The fighter on the right executes a kick-blow with his knee, perhaps using the higher part of his calf, to the inside part of his opponent’s leg. Combined with the hold he has on his opponent’s shoulders, it seems as if he is trying to sweep him to the ground. This representation infers that blows to the legs were within the main framework of the strategy used in both pankration and pammachon. Sadly, there is no other image in the archaeological record that would confirm this hypothesis; however, photographic evidence in our family archives does confirm that this type of attack was used in the folk wrestling prevalent during (Christian) Greek festivals in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.

  CONTEMPORARY APPLICATION

  Circular Low Kick and Backward Sweeping

  In the game of pankration, the kick is directed to different points than in pammachon, where the main objective is to inflict injury to the knee joint of the opponent. In pankration such kicks have a more strategic connotation and are aimed a little above the knee, on the thigh, in order to induce the fellow competitor to lower his defensive block. Such blows inflict intense pain as well as injury to the sciatic nerve, which results in restricted mobility of the opponent during the fight. This is a very important kick in pankration, because:

  It is powerful.

  It does not cause the attacker to lose his balance.

  It does not offer the opponent the option of grabbing the attacker’s leg.

  It does not demand flexibility.

  In contrast to other fighting contests, in pankration it is not a normal procedure to exchange blow after blow continually with one’s opponent, until the winner wears down the other. The pankration athlete strives to inflict the worst damage possible with the fewest blows, preserving his option to either clinch with his opponent, or to keep him at distance, while maintaining his balance. For this reason, high kicks such as those used in the Korean art of tae kwon do (high kicks with the body leaning off the centerline) are absolutely unsuitable for pankration. There is no indication of anything resembling a modern “side kick” in the archaeological record of pankration—as a consequence, should the reader see a side kick being demonstrated by a modern-day pankration instructor, he should immediately consider the instructor suspect.

  The leg commences its course slightly bent (not cocked). At the time of impact, the pelvis turns slightly, increasing the power of the blow, while the point of impact with the target is the inside of the calf (B).

  After the low kick ends on the thigh of the opponent, the attacker may continue with a leg sweep, throwing his opponent to the ground (C–E).

  FRONT KICK

  Figure 3.7. Pammachon. Parthenon Marbles, 447 BCE, British Museum, London.

  ANALYSIS

  This is an important representation of a martial arts move in which infiltration of the opponent’s defenses is combined with a protective block and a front kick. The kick is directed low, using the ball of the foot with the toes turned upward. The defensive block with the palm is executed with an extended arm, in which the defensive move is supported by the entire body. The block is directed against a downward cut by the centaur, who is obviously holding a sword, and at the point of critical timing, i.e., before the centaur’s hand begins its downward path. Simply perfect!

  FRONT POWER KICK

  Figure 3.8. Pankration. Red amphora, early fifth century BCE, Athens, National Archaeological Museum. (Drawing based on a photograph from the museum.)

  ANALYSIS

  This shows an attack by the athlete on the left with a “power” kick. The fact that this attack is being executed with the back leg is evident from the asymmetrical opposing postures of the athletes.

  A power kick is executed with the back leg, with the aim of hurting the opponent. After impact, the leg steps down forward and does not return to its original position. This is what took place in the presentation shown (figure 3.8), where, after the kick, the defender resigned, indicated by his raised finger. During such a kick, the attacker drives through his target with the full strength of his body and full commitment of his will.

  CONTEMPORARY APPLICATION

  “Power” kicks are executed with the rear leg and their intention is to generate the maximum of force while striking the opponent. This is readily achieved if the attacker targets the general area of his opponent’s hips, so that during the kick his leg is perpendicular to the target, and if he keeps his knees slightly bent at the moment of impact. Once again, his focus should be on driving through the target.

  The athlete on the left cocks his rear leg and drives it through the opponent’s midsection (B–C).

  After the kick, the attacker steps forward and is in position to continue his attack (D).

  JAMMING A KICK OR KNEE STRIKE

  Figure 3.9. Pammachon. Parthenon Marbles, 447 BCE, British Museum, London.

  ANALYSIS

  In this frieze from the Parthenon, both of the opponents have blocked their respective rival’s attack against their genitals (or in the centaur’s case, where the genitals would be if he were a man). At the same time, the Greek fighter deals a hooked punch to the temple of the centaur.

  CONTEMPORARY APPLICATION

  Jamming a Kick and Simultaneous Punch Attack

  The athlete on the left, being under attack from his opponent, and defending against a possible punch blow (A) . . .

  launches a hooking punch to his opponent’s temple, while controlling his opponent’s arm. At the same time he attempts a knee strike toward his opponent’s genitals, which the opponent blocks with his leg (B).

  SEIZING A KICK

  Figure 3.10. Pankration. Panathenean Vase, 490 BCE, Metropolitan Art Museum, New York. (Drawing based on a photo from the museum.)

  ANALYSIS

  In this presentation, the athlete on the left has captured his opponent’s leg while he was attempting a kick. The entire technique could be interpreted as per the sequence that follows.

  CONTEMPORARY APPLICATION

  The athlete on the right prepares to attack his opponent with a kick (A–B).

  The defender captures his attacker’s leg (C).

  With a suitable movement of his arms and his body, he causes his opponent to lose his balance and drops him to the ground, still holding his leg (D–E).

  From this position he can easily apply a leg lock that will cause great pain and possible damage to the spine (we chose not to portray the technique because it is very dangerous).

  SEIZING A KICK 2

  Figure 3.11. Pammachon. Bas-relief from the Temple of Epicurean Apollo in Vasses, fifth century BCE, British Museum, London.

  ANALYSIS

  In this presentation of a bas-relief from the Temple of Apollo, a Lapith native has controlled the leg and arm of a centaur attacking with a sword. The breaking of the opponent’s balance and his fall are based on the pendulum principle as shown in the contemporary application.

  CONTEMPORARY APPLICATION

  The athlete on the left attempts a kick, which is arrested by his opponent (A–B).

  Trying to defend, he launches a punch blow, which his opponent blocks (C).

  The athlete on the right then simultaneously seizes his opponent’s arm, turns his body and jams his opponent’s leg, throwing him forward (D).

  He ends up with a leg lock (E).

  Analysis of Movement in the Kicking Zone

  At the time of executing a front kick there is a simultaneous explosive extension of the knee joint and a slight bend of the hip joint, with a contraction of the abdominal muscles. The angle of the thigh depends not only on the contractive force of the abdominal muscles, but—to a considerable degree—it depends also on how much the knee is bent and the consequential flexing of the rear thigh muscles. Therefore, correctly “cocking” the kicking leg is essential in order for the a
ttacking athlete to achieve maximum power. The greatest part of the impact force of the frontal kick comes from the hip joint itself.

  The following leg lifting exercises—meant for the abdominal muscles—can improve the power of the hip joint bend.

  Dynamic exercise: Hanging from a bar, raise the legs up.

  Isometric exercise: Raise the leg from a seated position, keeping the leg straight. Ankle weights can be used to increase the load.

  When cocking the leg and firing the foot against a target, the pankration athlete must insure that the muscle groups used to bend the knee joint are well trained.

  This can be accomplished by:

  Dynamic exercises: Jumping exercises of all sorts and squats, made popular today by weight lifting, but utilizing lighter rather than heavier weights. If you are careful to avoid building excessive bulk, training with a partner of similar shape and size while doing a “fireman’s carry” (i.e., carrying your partner on your shoulders) is also very good for enhancing the power of your kicks as well as adding strength to your “base.”

  During a kick, the attacking leg’s movement is supported by the base leg through the extension of the hip joint, the knee joint, and the ankle. The aforementioned exercises will also help in building up the strength of the base leg during a kick, though striking an actual target is required to fully develop the coordination of base and striking legs.

  THE BOXING RANGE

  Principles and Aims

  As pammachon evolved into boxing and pankration, the technique of delivering punches took different forms in the two games. In pankration punches were dealt from a greater distance than those in boxing contests. When pankration athletes came close to each other, they attempted to grapple with each other, which did not occur in boxing. As the fighters approached each other, a pankration athlete attempted to trap his opponent’s limbs or clinch with him in order to initiate a throw or take-down and drive the fight to the ground. Our analysis of this combat range will make the differences between boxing and pankration explicit, as well as noting the reasons for the differences.

  Figure 3.12. Armed warrior in combat. Bronze statue of the classical era, Antikenmuseum, Berlin.

  Technical Intricacies

  Careful inspection of various presentations reveals that the technical characteristics of a direct punch blow in pankration are quite different from the punches used in the game of boxing. To be more specific, pankration athletes sought to deliver one powerful blow instead of a sequence of multiple blows. As a result, they would “arm” their hand high up behind their head, with their elbow almost parallel to the ground! This move is derived from the battlefield: it is the move used to stab an enemy with a spear. The ancient preference for this elevated position is demonstrated by many representations in the archaeological archive, even in depictions of knife fights against an animal or in a duel, where one might expect to see a lower stance or upward thrust.

  It is possible that the same principle was used in boxing but in specific instances only. It was certainly not the rule, because in the game of boxing, the combative range of engagement was fixed, only punch blows were allowed, and the aim of the contest was different: to deliver many continuous blows to the opponent, who, according to the rules, could not use a clinch or any other method of avoiding or defending against blows except blocking with his arms. In the game of boxing, punches needed to be delivered quickly, while the athletes maintained their own defenses, and so their hands were placed closer to their bodies and heads; thus this more “closed-in” position became established for the sport, providing greater protection. The aforementioned position thus relates specifically to the intricacies of the game of boxing.

  Figures 3.13 and 3.14. Drawings from Mycenaean seals showing scenes of combat; one shows a fight between a man and an animal, the other a duel between men.

  The ancient depictions of boxing show that the types of blows varied. We can see direct blows from a long distance, as in pankration, as well as direct punches from a shorter distance, with the hands in a defensive block near the head. In the close-up combat ranges—where pankration athletes would engage in trapping or wrestling—boxers used hooked blows from all angles in every way, as contemporary boxers do. So in the archaeo-logical record we find hooked punches to the side of the head, uppercut punches to the chin, as well as hooked punches to the body. In the game of pankration, hooked punches were not used, at least not when the fighters were standing up. They were used only in ground fighting, primarily to wear down an opponent and weaken his defenses.

  FRONT AND REAR PUNCHES

  Figure 3.15. Boxing. Panathenean pot, 336 BCE, British Museum, London.

  ANALYSIS

  Front Punch (Jab)

  This is a direct punch blow dealt with the front hand. The athlete on the right delivers a frontal blow with his left arm, leaning slightly backward, thus avoiding the rear punch blow launched by his opponent. This is a direct punch, the same as done today in contemporary “Western” boxing. The rear foot of the athlete is not fully on the ground; the heel is in the air, which offers him the option of swift moves.

  Rear Punch

  This is a direct punch delivered with the rear hand. The athlete on the left attempts an attack using a rear punch blow, also used in contemporary boxing. The ancient artist has depicted remarkable details on the pot:

  The turn in the shoulder area, which supports the offensive arm.

  The turn in the pelvic area, which derives additional power from the pelvis.

  The turn of the rear leg, which is raised on its toes in order to assist the entire effort to derive maximum power for this blow.

  CONTEMPORARY APPLICATION

  This combination of a front and rear punch is done the same way in today’s practice as in the ancient representation (A–B).

  The turn of the body and the leg, done in order to derive maximum power, are characteristic of the rear punch (C).

  DIRECT POWER PUNCH

  Figure 3.16. Pankration. Panathenean amphora, sixth century BCE, Louvre Museum, Paris.

  ANALYSIS

  Figure 3.16 shows a direct power punch blow by the athlete on the left. The complete turn of the shoulder zone, combined with the arming of the right hand near and behind the head, preparing to launch a second blow, provide the impression of the power of such a punch. This punch has special significance in the game of pankration, different from the game of boxing. As mentioned earlier, in pankration punches were exchanged from a greater distance than in boxing, using the same kinesiology as that of fighters armed with spears. Today we can see the same type of punch blow used in no-holds-barred matches because it is more powerful. It is also used in some contemporary martial arts that emphasize self-defense.

  In figure 3.17 the fighter on the left executes an “extended-knuckles” direct power punch with his left hand while arming his right hand, in order to follow up with the same type of punch blow. Here we can see the use of this type of punch in self-defense, since the vase drawing depicts close-quarter combat.

  Figure 3.17. Pammachon. Direct power punch using an extended-knuckles fist. Florence Archaeological Museum, Florence, Italy. (Sketch based on a museum photo.)

  CONTEMPORARY APPLICATION

  The attacker paces forward, at the same time arming his hand at head level (A–B).

  Taking a step forward he launches a punch, and turning his shoulder into the strike, he achieves maximum power (C).

  GUARD AGAINST DIRECT PUNCH BLOWS

  ANALYSIS

  In figure 3.18 the athlete on the right is using the so-called passive guard, a defensive reaction seen mainly in boxing, when an athlete cannot avoid his opponent’s punches and so protects his head in this manner. This is a useful method of defense, but it does not offer any chances for counterattack.

  Figure 3.18. Boxing. Attic amphora, 540 BCE, British Museum, London. (Drawing based on a photograph from the museum.)

  CONTEMPORARY APPLICATION

  In this contemporary a
pplication, the defender attempts to turn toward his rear leg while receiving a blow from his opponent, which gives him a chance to counter with his back hand, since it has in that way already been “armed.”

  SIDE HOOK PUNCH AND FOREARM BLOCK

  Figure 3.19. Boxing. Black-figure amphora, Louvre Museum, Paris.

  ANALYSIS

  This is a very interesting representation, depicting another defensive block used in contemporary boxing. The athlete on the left executes a hooking punch to the side of his opponent’s head, on the right. At the same time, he has armed his right hand, ready to launch a direct power punch. The athlete on the right is using the typical defense against a hooked punch, known as a “forearm block,” because the blow lands on the forearm (in this case it is in fact the elbow), which is bent near the head.

  CONTEMPORARY APPLICATION

  Forearm defensive block is followed by a counter and a hooked uppercut blow on the chin. During the time of impact, the defender turns his body and absorbs the blow with his forearm (A–B).

  This is the ideal moment for the counter attack, since he is already at the right distance, and has already armed his left hand accordingly (C–D).

  HOOKED PUNCHES WHILE GRAPPLING

  Figure 3.20. Greek statue, third century BCE, Galleria Uffizi, Florence. (Drawing based on a photograph from the museum.)

  ANALYSIS

  As mentioned earlier, hooked punches are used in ground-fighting during pankration. In figure 3.20 the two pankration athletes are fighting on the ground. The athlete on the left tries to hit his opponent with a hooked punch. In order to protect his face the other athlete turns it the other direction, thus increasing the distance between him and his opponent. This would seem to indicate that punches to the back of the head (rabbit punches) were forbidden.