Modern Pankration
At the time of the revival of Olympic Games (1896 AD), pankration was not reinstated as an Olympic event. Specifically, in 1895 the Cardinal of Lyon, voiced his official decision on the reinstatement of sports to Pierre de Coubertain, the founder of the Modern Olympic Games, by stating "Nous acceptons tout, sauf pankration" meaning "We accept all [events to be reinstated], except pankration".
Up to today, pankration has not yet been recognized as an event in the modern Olympic Games. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) does not include pankration in its list of "recognized sports". Moreover, the IOC does not include in the list of the Association of the IOC Recognised International Sports Federations any international pankration federation. Inclusion in the latter list would be a first step toward including pankration in the modern Olympic program of events.
Some efforts were made prior to the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens to have a discussion with the IOC regarding the introduction of pankration as a "demonstration sport" in the program, as hosting countries have the prerogative to do so, leading usually to the entry of the demonstration sport in the list of the "recognized sports" and thus its becoming a regular event in the Olympic program. However, these efforts did not bear fruit.
Despite the failures up to now to reintroduce pankration in the Olympic program, pankration has had an extraordinary revival in recent decades, and especially since the mid-1990s. This revival has taken the form of the explosive growth of interest in mixed martial arts (MMA) competitions, which are pankration competitions in inspiration and essentially in their practice. As MMA competitions and MMA-type training are arguably the fastest growing sport in the world in recent years, there will undoubtedly be interest in entering MMA in the Olympics, potentially under the name of pankration.
In the revival of pankration in the form of mixed martial arts competitions there have been many responsible, coming from many different martial arts backgrounds and representing various cultural and business interests. It is interesting, however, that MMA competitions and the training for them have evolved in a few years to resemble the ancient pankration competitions and training, even if more rules than in the ancient competition had to be introduced for the purpose of recognition by sanctioning bodies.
Pankration's growth has been robust in recent decades. Often the proponents of such systems are of Greek ancestry and they have contributed with their schools, books, articles, videos, and television appearances in bringing attention to pankration and assisting in its revival.
At the time of the revival of Olympic Games (1896 AD), pankration was not reinstated as an Olympic event. Specifically, in 1895 the Cardinal of Lyon, voiced his official decision on the reinstatement of sports to Pierre de Coubertain, the founder of the Modern Olympic Games, by stating "Nous acceptons tout, sauf pankration" meaning "We accept all [events to be reinstated], except pankration".
Up to today, pankration has not yet been recognized as an event in the modern Olympic Games. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) does not include pankration in its list of "recognized sports". Moreover, the IOC does not include in the list of the Association of the IOC Recognised International Sports Federations any international pankration federation. Inclusion in the latter list would be a first step toward including pankration in the modern Olympic program of events.
Some efforts were made prior to the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens to have a discussion with the IOC regarding the introduction of pankration as a "demonstration sport" in the program, as hosting countries have the prerogative to do so, leading usually to the entry of the demonstration sport in the list of the "recognized sports" and thus its becoming a regular event in the Olympic program. However, these efforts did not bear fruit.
Despite the failures up to now to reintroduce pankration in the Olympic program, pankration has had an extraordinary revival in recent decades, and especially since the mid-1990s. This revival has taken the form of the explosive growth of interest in mixed martial arts (MMA) competitions, which are pankration competitions in inspiration and essentially in their practice. As MMA competitions and MMA-type training are arguably the fastest growing sport in the world in recent years, there will undoubtedly be interest in entering MMA in the Olympics, potentially under the name of pankration.
In the revival of pankration in the form of mixed martial arts competitions there have been many responsible, coming from many different martial arts backgrounds and representing various cultural and business interests. It is interesting, however, that MMA competitions and the training for them have evolved in a few years to resemble the ancient pankration competitions and training, even if more rules than in the ancient competition had to be introduced for the purpose of recognition by sanctioning bodies.
Pankration's growth has been robust in recent decades. Often the proponents of such systems are of Greek ancestry and they have contributed with their schools, books, articles, videos, and television appearances in bringing attention to pankration and assisting in its revival.
