The TECHNICAL RULES of the I.F.P.A.

Office of the Chairman

IFPA Technical Committee

6 Hamanof Street, 76386 Rehovot,

Israel

E-mail: vicepres_guy@pankration.gr
 

Bronze soldier, from the ancient city of Crete Tylisso,

(late Minoan period) 1500 B.C.

 The above ancient salutation accompanied by the word "ERROSO" (wishing the other good physical health), is used between the athletes and their Proponitis (coaches)  in the Pankration training gyms at the beginning and at the end of  each  training schedule.

CHAPTER 2 - GENERAL INFORMATION

1. Each National Pankration organisation has the right to apply its own technical programme to its athletes/members (from beginners up to athletes attending the B' Taxis) under the following conditions and terms:

a)  It Is mandatory for all Pankration  athletes to be attired in the prescribed   the or  national  competition events n their country.

b)  It is mandatory for the Proponitis ( Coah / Trainer )  to be attired in the official  uniform prescribed by the  I.F.P.A. when participating in any Pankration training  programme  .

c) It is mandatory for each Proponitis ( Coach)   to commence and end  each and every  training programme with the traditional pankration greeting as prescribed   above in  the Technical Rules of the  I.F.P.A. (CHAPTER 1 - GREETING).

d) It is Mandatory for each Proponitis (coach) to impart training to the athletes using the official  pankration terminology in GREEK as prescribed by the I.F.P.A.

e)  It is mandatory for each Proponitis  to teach the arbitration rules to his athletes and to use the official  terminology in Greek as prescribed by the I.F.P.A.

2. The Executive Body  of  teach National Pankration organisation will be held  responsible  and accountable for ensuring that the above conditions are strictly adhered to.

CHAPTER 3 - ORGANIZATION OF TRAINING

1.  Pankration  is sport that has  evolved  over the past centuries  by adopting and adapting to the current socio-cultural requirements essential for all modern day sports today.

2. Each athlete should note and lay emphasis on the FOUR points below, and strive to  meet and exceed the physical, technical and mental requisites of Pankration , in order to  become a world class competitive “Pankratiastis (Fighter):

a) Physical Conditioning

The physical  training and conditioning of the athletes body  shall be maintained at a high level, even prior to commencement of  training and participation in free fighting.  and  from then onwards  the athlete must sustain and maintain his/her training and body conditioning at  the levels prescribed by  his/her Proponitis   until he/she stops participating in Pankration sporting events.

b) Technical Training

Technical training commences from the first  day itself and the athlete will permanently gain know-how from his/her very first Pankration encounter and will continue to develop and improve his/her skill in the sport ,until the athlete  finally stops competitive participation.

c) Fighting Techniques

All fighting techniques should be effective and must be  flexible  enough to meet the demands of each  specific situation that an athlete may face in competition..

Fighting Techniques should be enriched with the personal experiences and with the consolidated knowledge gained by the athlete in his/her  training.

d) Psychological Conditioning

It is a proven fact that every athlete acquires a stronger psychological prowess, enhancing his/ her  stability and self-confidence, through continued participation in competitive fighting events

3. Each one of the points above is self-existent and has its own importance and dynamics.

4.  All Pankration athletes must diligently strive to reach the highest possible level in each of the above four  training aspects at the same time, so as to ensure he she attains a very high standard of competitive fighting aptitude.

5. Though the technical training, the physical conditioning , the fighting techniques and  the psychological integrity are equally elementary aspects of the chemical combination which builds and greatly improves ones athletic ability in pankration competition, it is the physical conditioning that needs more attention hereunder.

 AAspects of Physical Conditioning

An individual may be taught the technique in a protective way, but in order to apply this technique in a competition, it is clear that the individual must have reached a high physical conditioning.

It goes without saying that technical training, acquisition of fighting techniques and attainment  of psychological integrity come only after proper physical conditioning of the athlete.

The term physical conditioning refers to the total development and enhancement   of all combined abilities  of an athlete, vastly improving his/her ability to:

i)                   Overcome resistance (Power),

ii)                  Produce energy (Resistance)

iii)                Have shaped mechanisms of self-protection through concrete ways (Flexibility).

Physical Conditioning  should ideally commence from the athletes childhood and be continued  till his/her  ripe old age and it should be noted generally that :

1) Physical conditioning is maintained only when the individual continues his /her Training,

2) Physical Conditioning is greatly Improved when the individual periodically attempts to exceed training levels apparently beyond his/her capabilities

3) Physical Conditioning decreases when the individual is inactive for long periods of time.

Resistance is the body's ability to produce energy.

All athletes (male and female) need  to build ability and endurance in both  resistance (general resistance) and special resistance (concrete and effective efforts) .

The general resistance of  Pankratiastis is  determined by his/her ability to perform 4 to 5 fights in one day and by his her improvement of performance from one fight to the other.

The special resistance of  Pankratiastis is determined  by his/her ability to execute  fast strikes  and rapid holds, as well by his her ability to withstand or escape from the locks/ pins and strikes of his/her opponent.

In order to improve their personal performance, confirming their level of resistance at timing. All athletes prior to commencement of any raining programme  athletes  must warm up by running outside in open space with an intensity of 60-70% for at least 25-30 minutes in each training occasion.

In order to improve their individual timing and stamina, all  high calibre  pankration athletes should during the normal training period run at least 10 kilometres with an intensity of 50-60% 3-4 times per week and during their preparatory training shortly before competitions they should follow the pyramid training schedule below :

100 metres running in 14-18 seconds,

100 metres walking,

200 metres running in 32-40 seconds,

200 metres walking,

400 metres running in 70-84 seconds,

400 metres walking,

800 metres running in 148-186 seconds,

800 metres walking,

400 metres running in 70-84 seconds,

400 metres walking,

200 metres running in 32-40 seconds,

200 metres walking,

100 metres running in 14-18 seconds,

100 metres walking.

There should be a break of 15 minutes between the pyramids.

b) Power

Pankration in the free-fighting form is a contact sport of strikes, throws locks , pins.

Consequently the Proponites (Coaches) should have taught their athletes the appropriate types  and ways of utilization  of power, so that they are able to strike their opponent powerful and rapid blows using both their legs and arms, but also equally effectively perform throwing and effective locks & pins so as to achieve apagorefsis".

The Pankratiastis should work on acquiring of the following types of power:

The greatest general power, as Pankration demands strong individuals.

The explosive power, in order to be able to achieve rapid and effective blows.

The maximum resistance to  power, in order to be able to repeat with the same effectiveness, all his/ her  efforts, and in any situation.

The greatest isometric power, in order to have his opponent immobilised and to perform locks & pins  or blows until "apagorefsis", or in the opposite case to be able to bear his opponent's locks , pins  and blows until he/she  has the opportunity to escape.

Prior to relating as to how each type of power can be improved through special exercises and repetitions, the Proponites must incorporate the following basic exercises as the routine standard procedure to be followed by each athlete from childhood till he/she attains the requisite conditioning to perform as a highly skilled Pankration athlete :

* Pull ups on the horizontal bar,

* Repetitive vertical jumps from a low position,

* Rope Climbing

* Tug of War,

* Rope-skipping

However it should be ensured that during the athlete's childhood, Pankration exercises will be used, with all required precautions , such as  reduced repetitions and long-lasting training.  The Proponites must achieve this by providing the suitable infrastructure and training equipments.

Every child  commencing his/her training in Pankration should learn to use the skipping-rope correctly, and t should have his/her own  skipping-rope in the training.

c) Greatest General Power

The  acquire greatest general power the athlete has to be  trained in all resistances applied  to the human body, such as repetitions and breaks as concerns the theory, but mainly through the following exercises of weights:

1. Vertical elevation,

2. Leg stretching from a sitting position of 90 degrees,

3. Hand stretching in supine position, lying on a bench,

4. Pulls while lying on a bench in a prone position.

The aforementioned exercises will also include the relevant testing in case the Proponites deem it necessary that the performance of their athletes should be measured.

The greatest force is achieved when the athlete completes an exercise successfully and safely.

The greatest force is developed in the basic preparatory period; in the period shortly before fighting as well as during the actual fighting period it is maintained through one training unit every 2 or 3 weeks.

In the training of acquisition of general power the athlete shall  perform in each from the above mentioned four exercises:

5 efforts of 70% and 10 repetitions,

4 efforts of 80% and 5 repetitions,

3 efforts of 90% and 3 repetitions,

2 efforts of 100% and 1 repetition.

In the basic preparatory period of preparation the athlete shall  perform 3-4 training units for the development of general power.

The training units will include the explosive force, the resistance to power, and the greatest isometric power, which is of great importance for the Pankration Fighters.

d) Flexibility

Each training unit shall start with the imposed warm-up and end with the doubly imposed full recovery.

With regard to the warm-up and the full recovery, it should be carefully noted that   muscular straining/ stretching  is a very essential part in the two aforementioned training units. Therefore, muscular straining/ stretching along with flexibility exercises create a more general protective infrastructure, for the muscular system and the joints of the human body against undesirable injury , but at the same time they improve the functionality of these systems.

Proponitis should meticulously insist  on each athlete performing the following stretching exercises :

a. In the supine position.

b. In the horizontal position.

c. In the sitting position.

d. In the kneeling position.

e. In the standing position.

When performing the above exercises the athlete  should bear in mind the following:

a) To limit each exercise to the kinetic possibility of the joint without pulling or jerking,

b)  To focus on the muscles to be strained / stretched by relaxing them,

c)  To Ensure that the straining should not cause pain, but a pleasant sense.

CHAPTER 5 – EXAMINATIONS TAXIS A

1. Each National Pankration Organization  has the obligation to perform in a group the examinations for TAXIS A  ( Alpha Taxis)  in accordance to the provisions of the General Rules, CHAPTER B and to inform the results of the same in accordance to the official procedure , to the secretariat of I.F.P.A., so that these examinations are ratified.

2. The examinations can be conducted  by the National Organization , subject to their constituting an Examination / Grading  Committee consisting  of at least 3 members of which the concerned Proponitis of the examined athlete shall not participate  as a Member

a) In an event that a National Organisation does not comply with the above procedure and an objection is submitted by anyone having legal interest, I.F.P.A. reserves the right to cancel  such an  examination , provided  any malafide  is proved.

3. The examinations for TAXIS A should test and confirm  that the examined athlete has complete knowledge of the following:

α) Hellanodikon Rules

b) Terminology

c) Historical Background of the following twelve

01. HERCULES

02. LIGDAMIS

03. FRINON

04. ARRAHION

05. RIXIVIOS

06. KALLIAS

07. TIMODIMOS

08. DIOXIPOS

09.  THEAGENIS

10. DORIEAS

11. SOSTRATOS

12. KLITOMAHOS

d) Competition Events

1. AGON

2. ANO PANKRATION

3. KATO PANKRATION

4. POLYDAMAS

5. SKIAMAHIA

CHAPTER 6 - TERMINOLOGY