Pankration is a martial art sport introduced to the Greek Olympic Games in 648 BC and founded as a blend of boxing and wrestling. The term comes from the Ancient Greek παγκράτιον, literally meaning "all powers". It is also used to describe the sport's contemporary variations. Some consider it as the first all-encompassing fighting system in human history. It is also arguable that Pankration competitions in antiquity were the closest an athletic event has come to outright, no-rules, empty hand combat. Modern mixed martial arts competitions have come to feature many of the same methods that were used in pankration competitions in the ancient Greek world.Today, Pankration is being re-introduced into the Olympics as a sport. It closely resembles modern day MMA as it uses both strikes and submission. Pankration utilizes a point system as well as submissions and the "exodus rule" to determine the winner. The largest difference is the use of the eydema (Uniform) and the ban of strikes to the head.For those that want to compete in the Olympics or are looking for an alternative to full contact cage fighting (because getting punched in the face hurts), Pankration is the perfect alternative for you!