by Competitive grappling has been around for as long as mankind. It seems that men have always felt the need to challenge themselves against their peers to prove who is physically superior. It’s an inbred desire, and for many, that desire continues into the modern-day. Understanding the training and techniques of the ancients may help us add something more to our current conditioning programs. This is the first in a series of articles that will present information on the ancient arts of grappling found throughout the world. We begin with the Greeks; perhaps the most well-known ancient wrestlers in the Western World.
A Brief History
Ancient Greece is known as the birthplace of Western Civilization. The ancient knowledge of the Greeks is worth studying for many reasons and on many subjects. It is important to note that the development of the mind was just as important as the development of the body to the Greeks, and were applied together. However, the focus of this article is narrowed only to the physical martial arts aspect. Further, we will only be studying their practice of wrestling (called Palé). A future article will also be devoted to Greek competitive fighting called Pankration.
The physical training for athletes in Ancient Greece was done in a gymnasium, a fairly open structure. A section attached to the gym, called a palaestra, was where wrestlers and fighters trained. With the exception of the Spartans, training was typically only done by boys and men. These athletes would train naked. Additionally, they would cover their bodies in olive oil. The application of olive oil seems to have been used by all athletes but was especially important for wrestlers, as it made it more difficult for their opponents to grip them; this was counteracted by throwing sand on the other.
Wrestling was an important event found in four different Greek festivals, including the Olympics. However, wrestling was not included in the Olympics until a few decades after it first began. For many years the sprint was the only athletic event at the festival, which was primarily religious in nature. Wrestling was the second event added, however, and eventually grew to prominence as the Olympics progressed.
There were two different types of wrestling performed by the Greeks. One in which the competitors started from standing, and another where they started from the ground. It is suggested that submissions were most prevalent in the form starting from the ground, but research (link provided below) indicates that submissions were also applied when the matches started from standing as well.
The Rules
A wrestler won a match by being the first to score three points. There were three different ways to score a point:
- Forcing your opponent’s back or shoulder to touch the ground.
- Forcing your opponent to indicate submission from pain.
- Forcing your opponent outside of the established boundaries for the match.
Once a point was scored, the wrestlers were reset to a standing position in the center of the match area.
Prohibitions
- No eye-gouging
- No biting
- No intentional hitting or kicking
- No grabbing of the genitals
The breaking of any of the above rules resulted in the competitor being flogged by the referee until the prohibited behavior stopped.
Training Regimen
Warm-up
Warm-ups for athletes consisted of massage, moving parts of the body to promote blood flow, and then applying oil to the whole of the body. This was thought to help toughen the skin in the sun.
Training
A variety of exercises were used to condition the body. Athletes would lift weights, run in the sand, climb rope, swim, pull carts, dig ditches, etc. There were also specific exercises applied to an athlete depending on the sport he competed in. For example, wrestlers would work on improving shoulder strength by doing exercises such as the discus. Of course, a fundamental aspect of training a wrestler was to practice and spar with a partner. The strength of an athlete meant little if they were not familiar with the application of the rules in competition.
Records indicate that there was no specific time limit in which an athlete would do their training and conditioning. Instead, training continued as long as the athlete was “lively in color” and moved steadily. When he slowed, it was time to call it quits.
Below is a general list from various sources of the types of exercises performed by Greek Athletes. The jumping exercises are taken from the Roman Doctor Galen, as some sources seem to suggest these were similar to what the Greeks did, but no direct source was found that specified what types of Greek jumping were performed.
- Calisthenics
- Push-ups
- Pull-ups
- Squats
- Jumping
- While kicking legs backwards
- While kicking legs forward
- Rapid jumping (no rest)
- Unknown if straight or bent knees
- Gymnast rings
- Handstand/handstand press
- Acrobatics
- Running
- Sand running
- Uphill running
- Rope climbing
- Digging ditches
- Rock throwing/flipping/lifting
- Discus throwing
- Heavy spear throwing
- Holding heavy items up without moving
- Boxing with punching bag
- Wrestling bouts
Cool Down
Once training was completed, the athletes practiced breathing exercises to calm their heart rate. The oil, sand, and dust that had accumulated on the skin were removed and a bath was taken. Additionally, another massage would be provided.
Diet
Athletes in Ancient Greece originally consumed a diet high in carbohydrates. This consisted of grains such as wheat or barley, as well as other carbohydrates such as figs, dates, peas, onions, radishes, beets, etc. A significant source for fat came in the form of olive oil. Protein was consumed with cheese or fish. Over the years, the amount of protein prescribed for athletes to eat was increased. Red meats such as oxen and goats were also consumed. It appears that pork and beef were the favorite meat types suggested by trainers.
Influence on Modern Wrestling Styles
Ancient Greek Wrestling has had a significant impact on modern wrestling found in the west, and that influence cannot be understated. In fact, one of the modern forms continues to bear the name of the Greeks (and the Romans too). Below is a list of three different wrestling types that have clear influences provided from ancient Greek Palé.
Beach/Sand Wrestling
Freestyle Wrestling
Greco-Roman Wrestling
Sources
Harrison AP. Bartels EM (2016) A Comparison of Ancient Greek and Roman Sports Diets with Modern Day Practices . Sports Nutr Ther 1: 104. doi: 10.4172/2473-6449.1000104 https://bit.ly/2LFu5oH
Leth, Asger (director). The First Olympics: Blood, Honor, Glory (documentary). The History Channel. A&E Home Video. June 2004.
Miller, Christopher. “Submission Fighting and the Rules of Ancient Greek Wrestling”. http://judoinfo.com/research8.pdf
Nakou, Georgia “Fitness Tips from Ancient Greece”. Greece Is. Published by Kathimerini. January 6, 2017. http://www.greece-is.com/train-like-an-ancient-greek
Historical Pankration Project. “Ancient Exercises from Galen’s De Sanitate Tuenda”. https://sites.google.com/site/historicalpankration/home/articles/ancient-exercises-from-galen-s-de-sanitate-tuenda
“Greek Palaestra”. Health and Fitness History. https://healthandfitnesshistory.com/ancient-fitness-tools/greek-palaestra/
“Greek Palé (Wrestling)”. Health and Fitness History. https://healthandfitnesshistory.com/ancient-sports/greek-pale-wrestling/
