When you hear of Ancient Greek Martial arts, the term most commonly used in Pankration. Pankration can loosely described as wrestling plus striking, most similar to the modern sport of Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) Pankration was a sporting event introduced into the Greek Olympic Games in 648 BC making it one of the oldest martial arts in the world.
The combat application of Pankaration used by soldiers on the battlefield, when by a slightly different name, Pammachon. This includes not only grappling and striking but weapons as well.
While the nuances and details of what they practiced can only be loosely recreated through primarily pottery and using logic of what it was like fighting in body armor with weapons. The concepts of being proficient through all ranges, developing skills for the modern battlefield and borrowing lessons from other cultures/styles is a useful template to apply today.
Pammachon: Encompasses all of the ranges in all situations (self-defense and sport) including weapons and no weapons.
Hoplomachia: Weapon Combat
Pankration: Unarmed Combat
Ano Pankration: Standup Fighting
4. Long Range (“Kicking”)
5. Mid-Range (“Punching”)
6. Close Range (“Trapping”)
7. Standing Grappling Range
Kato Pankration: Ground Fighting
8. Ground Fighting
Unless you are a history student, learning an ancient style has limited application. After all, you wouldn't try to take ancient sword tactics and apply them on a modern battlefield with guns.
Many martial arts styles become fixed with set forms and requirements for advancement. By contrast, if we look at combat sports, they constantly need to adapt to an ever changing and ever improving enemy.
This is not a attempt to recreate Pammachon, just a methodology of using their framework to ensure there is proficiency through all ranges of combat because the enemy or your opponent always has a vote in where the fight takes place, therefore there needs to be at least a basic level of proficiency in all ranges.
The outside of the logo is the Greek key design. This is
specifically a reference to Ancient Greece where Pammachon or Total
Combat started. Pammachon included all ranges including weapons all the
way to ground fighting or grappling.
The Omega in
the middle is a reference to the last letter of the Greek alphabet.
While learning to fight can have great benefits about learning complex
skills, improving physical fitness and teaching resiliency overcoming
obstacles, the actual use of violence should be a last resort. This is
more true in 2020s than ever before where even if you win a physical
altercation, you may still be facing violence in retribution, legal
troubles or mental issues post-event. To emphasize this violence as a
last resort method we use Christianity as a basis for humbling yourself
and having the ability to walk away from a situation where the thing
that is in the biggest danger of being hurt is your ego. De-escalating
or walking away should always be in the list of options and it should be
taken given the opportunity. Having a basis in Christianity allows you
to make this decision much easier than someone who is filled with
pride. The omega is also a reference for God/Christ from the Book of
Revelations (22:13) "I am the Alpha and the Omega".
The
black and red colors of the color are taken from Orthodox Monasticism,
where the monks primarily where black with a red logo on their cassock.
Again, this ties into Christianity but also the discipline to train
consistently, eat simply/clean and be disciplined in your endeavors.
Overall, the logo is a shield aka apsis (term for Ancient Greek shield). This, like the Omega, emphasizes the importance of using martial skill primarily for self defense. Just like Ancient Greek Hoplites or Soldiers, they would often decorate their shields which is why the Pammachon logo has a design across it.
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