Four European Martial Arts

When we hear the phrase "Martial arts," we typically think of punches and kicks being thrown by a style created in east Asia. Karate, Kung Fu, and Tae Kwon Do come to mind. But when you really understand the phrase "martial arts," you come to realize that these arts aren't limited to Asian influence. In Europe, some of today's most popular martial arts were born. Here's a look at four European martial arts.

1. Boxing. The ancient Greeks were responsible for this one, and we know that boxing goes back at least to the eighth century B.C. Boxing is a form of martial art that emphasizes striking - essentially, punching and blocking. We know about boxing because of its use in Homer's Iliad, in which warriors would box in competitions to pay homage to their comrades who had fallen in battle. In 688 B.C., the Greeks introduced boxing to the Olympic Games.

2. Pankration. Never heard of this one before? Me neither. Pankration is a form of combined boxing and wrestling that also found its way into the ancient Greek Olympic Games (starting in 648 B.C.). Although it's not around in today's Olympic Games, you could consider Pankration a type of "Mixed Martial Art," in that two different forms of martial arts were fused together to create a new hybrid style.

Pankration included a number of maneuvers, including striking, locking, choking, and even throws.

3. Wrestling. Of course, if you mention Pankration, you have to mention Pankration, the Olympic Sport for which the Greeks are famous. Today's "Greco-Roman" style wrestling pays homage to the ancient background of this European martial art, but that's not to say Europeans have a monopoly over the sport of wrestling. Even so, with the emergence of the Greek and then Roman civilization as world powers, wrestling gained popularity and has remained popular ever since.

4. Gladiatorial Combat. This is another dead martial art, but even though it is not practiced today, it has found its way into our culture - such as through the film Gladiator. Gladiatorial combat was not so much about athletic competition as it was the entertainment of Roman crowds, so this was a particularly brutal martial art.

Even today, we can see the strong influence these ancient sports had on the modern athletic landscape, whether you're watching Mixed Martial Arts on television or renting one of the Rocky films.

Photo Credits: peterjr1961

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Boxing, Gladiatorial Combat, Martial Arts, Pankration, Wrestling

Posted by Martial Arts Karate Kung Fu on August 21, 2009 in Boxing, Gladiatorial Combat, Martial Arts, Pankration, Wrestling. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.