Pankration is a grueling sport and punches are allowed but the people fighting don't wrap their hands with that tape that the boxers use now. You are allowed to gouge out somebody's eyes and biting people is legal but gouging out somebody's nose or mouth with your fingernails is not legal. But kicking and punching each other in the stomach is legal. Just like boxing now there were separate divisions for kids and men. This game end's either by somebody dying or them getting knocked out or getting injured. There are no rest times or periods like most sports today. There were occasions in Pankration where a person might be forced to submit because he could not see, when his eyes were swollen shut from the bare knuckle blows. This would also be true in many of the early "bare knuckle" boxing matches that lasted any great length of time! Submitting was looked down upon because of the "macho" nationalistic spirit, wagers were placed upon individual "Champions"! Champions did not submit: they had to be defeated. Just as in ancient Olympic boxing, a contestant could raise his hand to indicate submission. Or, if on the ground, he could verbally submit! Doesn't sound much different than what we do today!
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April 2015
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