BEGINNING in greece
Martial arts as a brand of sports has existed for thousands of years, with the Wrestling as a whole being arguably the first combat sport. Pankration however, debuting in 648, BC, consisted of a mix of modern boxing and wrestling. Since it is a cross of two forms of already existing martial arts, this can be credited as arguably the first mixed martial art. And since its debut in the Greek Olympic games, it has been partially responsible for the creations, and rises in popularity, of other combat sports such as boxing, wrestling, and kick boxing.
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Pankration 2013 Finals |
“The same hand that can write a beautiful poem, can knock you out with one punch—that's Poetic Justice.” - "Irish" Wayne Kelly
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The effects of the greek olympics on combat sports
The Olympics were near vital to Greece. In fact, the Olympics were so important, that during a Persian invasion in 480 B.C., Greece delayed defenses in order to host the Olympics.
The Olympics themselves consisted of such sports as: pankration, running races, long jump, shot put, equestrian based events, and boxing without weight classes. The present day Olympics still incorporate combat sports, but with many more safety requirements, and standards. However, it is still likely that the mere existence of modern combat sports is because of the influence and outreach of Greek sports like pankration. |
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