Pankration
Pankration, a combination of the Greek words “Pan” and “Katos” meaning “the one who controls everything”, was already known by the Argonauts Hercules and Kastor 2500 years B.C. It was introduced as men’s agonistic in the 33rd Olympic Games in 648 B.C. The 5th century B.C. also imported Pangration Paidon (children) into other holy agonistics such as the Pythian or Nemeian Games, up to its official introduction in the 145th OIympic Games in 200 B.C. Archeological evidence shows that Pangration Paidon remained on the Olympic program until the 6th century A.D.
Today the Pangration championships include five disciplines: Pangration Athlima, Pangration Paidon (children), Palaismata (presentation of prearranged wrestling techniques), Polydamas (prearranged wrestling techniques staging one defending pangratiast against three armed opponents) and Pyx-Lax (kick boxing). Matches (agones) take place in one period of 3 minutes for adults and one period of 2 minutes for children. In standing position (orthostadin), all controlled kicking and punching techniques (feet, fists, head, knees, and elbows) as well as standing wrestling techniques (orthopali) are allowed. On the ground (kato pangration), pangratiasts may also use submission techniques. Athletes wear the traditional uniform called endyma, composed of two parts: the upper part called cheitonion which is white and represents the clouds surrounding the planet earth and the bottom part named periskelis which is blue and represents the sea surrounding the continents. The technical and refereeing (hellanodikes) terms are written in ancient Greek.
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