What martial art does Kratos use?
The Ghost of Sparta, Kratos, embodies the savage warrior ethos of ancient Greece through his mastery of pankration hand-to-hand fighting skills. This no-holds-barred combat discipline blends vicious striking, wrestling, joint-locks, and grappling techniques into one exceptionally violent martial art.
Understanding Pankration – The Ancient Greek Origins
The word "pankration" translates to "all powers" in Greek. As one of the most popular events in Greek sporting festivals dating back thousands of years, competitors incorporated moves from boxing and wrestling with few restrictions. The only thing explicitly banned was gouging out your opponent‘s eyes, though even that may have been permitted at times!
Winning by submission or knockout were the only ways a pankration bout could end – anything else simply continued indefinitely. Greek writers and philosophers like Plato, Aristotle and Lucian comment on matches reaching absurd lengths, with opponents fighting through gruesome hand fractures, strangulations and more.
Pankration‘s Core Techniques and Training
According to pankration historian Jim Arvanitis, the essential skills in ancient pankration included:
- Striking/punching (pyx and kolon)
- Kicking (laktismos)
- Clinch fighting (klimax)
- Takedowns and throws (anakampto)
- Ground grappling with submission holds (katapeltix)
Training focused on conditioning through hard sparring and included striking apparatus like the korykos – a heavy leather sack of sand hung from a tree. Fighters toughened the edges of their hands by striking fir tree bark and animal hides. Throwing practice involved large stone balls called halteres, weighing between 6 to 10 kilograms!
Pankration’s Place in Ancient Greek Culture
Pankration embodied the Greek ideal of arete – excellence through the ultimate test of physical and mental fortitude. It featured prominently at early Olympic Games alongside boxing and wrestling. Greeks prized pankration as excellent preparation for the life-or-death realities of Ancient warfare.
Famed 10th century fighter Dioxippus was said to be invoked before battles as a god who “taught pankration, the art of killing a man.”
Kratos and His Spartan Pankration Pedigree
Born in Sparta, Kratos underwent the infamous Agoge training regimen from age 7 onwards. This harsh system forged Spartan boys into elite warriors through continual drill in combat skills, sports, and endurance challenges. With its no-holds-barred brutality, pankration took center stage.
In God of War: Ghost of Sparta, flashbacks show a young Kratos pummeling opponents in pankration bouts under the tutelage of a grizzled trainer. As adults, Spartans never ceased practicing hand-to-hand combat skills.
Historical records also verify Sparta’s obsession with pankration. At one Olympic games in 708 BC, a Spartan fighter was said to have “pummeled his opponent’s face into a bloody, shapeless mass” to claim victory.
Kratos undoubtedly embodied this vicious competitive spirit as the personification of power in Greek myth.
Kratos’ God-Like Pankration Skills
Throughout the series, Kratos displays near-flawless pankration technique combined with superhuman speed and strength against all manners of enemies. He can take on dozens of armed assailants unarmed, snapping necks and pile-driving them into the dirt without breaking a sweat. Against larger beasts and monsters, he utilizes kicks and grappling before aggressively slamming them down to administer the deathblow.
Against divine enemies like the gods and later Norse figures, he adds weaponry to supplement his pankration approach. Blades of Chaos and the Leviathan Axe integrate smoothly with kickboxing combinations, takedowns, and chokeholds. He modifies clinch positions to further punish with weapons – almost no foe lasts long once Kratos initiates grappling range!
His resistance to harm also approaches demigod levels. Kratos shrugs off tremendous blows and heals rapidly between skirmishes. Like the fabled pankratiasts of myth, only total obliteration of his body seems sufficient to stop this powerhouse combatant. His unique fusion of immense power and skill in pankration hand-to-hand fighting makes Kratos a threat to any existence foolish enough to stand in his way!
Head of Studio Cory Barlog on Kratos‘ Fighting Style
“Combat-wise, he needs to feel even more visceral, gritty and brutal than he ever has before," said Santa Monica Studio Head Cory Barlog. "Kratos still wields the chains, but rather than slow, theatrical combos, it’s about burst movement and dodging… looking for opportunities to move in aggressively for rapid beats then quickly get back out."
This aligns perfectly with descriptions of the elusive, cunning pankration approach favored by famous undefeated fighters like Polydamas. Kratos augments dodging, evasion and trapping skills with enhanced mobility from switching weapons to completely overwhelm his enemies. The results are some of the most stunning and savage fight sequences ever animated!
Pankration‘s Revival and Kratos‘ Lasting Popularity
While pankration faded for over a millennium, the 20th century saw efforts by historians and martial artists to reconstruct the ancient fighting disciplines. Jim Arvanitis coined the term "Neo-Pankration" and modern tournaments now feature modified rulesets for safety.
Kratos has arguably spurred renewed mainstream fascination with pankration as fans admire his mastery and connect it with ancient Greek history. Searches for pankration resources skyrocketed after the 2018 God of War reboot first showcased the vicious fighting style.
Industry veteran Anthony Del Col remarks: "God of War draws so much more from actual Greek mythology now and there are so many more Reference materials than there ever used to be thanks to the popularity of things like 300."
Pankration vs MMA
Modern MMA valuues well-rounded skillsets across standing and ground techniques. In that sense, it carries on the versatile legacy of pankration‘s integration of boxing and wrestling. Some key differences:
| Pankration | MMA | |
| Victory Conditions | Submission / KO / Concession | Referee Stoppage, Points |
| Rounds | None | 3-5 Rounds |
| Ruleset | No eye gouging laws only | Extensive rules for fighter safety |
| Grappling Focus | Heavy focus on throws and submissions through pain | Emphasis on positional control and transitions |
We can see why pankration matches tended towards uncontrolled violence and lasting harm! Kratos adheres more to unleashing devastating techniques with no concern for safety or restraint.
Conclusion – Hallmarks of a Mythic Greek Warrior
Pankration‘s brutal, no-holds-barred fighting system demanding both outstanding skill and extreme mental/physical durability aligns perfectly with Kratos‘ mythic fighter credentials. His upbringing and divine powers build on foundations from ancient Sparta – the most feared pankration practitioners of their era. Through the God of War saga, Kratos exemplifies martial prowess combined seamlessly with ruthless aggression. That explosive power continues captivating old fans while introducing new generations to one of history‘s most devastating and iconic fighting disciplines.
