Pankration, from the Greek pan, meaning all, and kratio- meaning strength (the same root word in Cratageus), was a Greek discipline that involved all forms of fighting, thus its name.

Although it was an Olympic sport, Pankration was probably closer to the ancient Greek version of street fighting, and was developed for purposes of survival, not for showmanship. It included basic boxing, grappling, and a few low kicks, in short, the basics of fighting.

A man named Pythagoras was one of the foremost champions of Pankration, but he never left any writings behind to describe his techniques.