The Martial Arts of Ancient Greece

MARTIAL ARTS "Straightforward and insightful, a refreshingly commonsense approach to the truths hidden within both history and mythology. This is an in-depth piece of research revealing a timeless wisdom and the universality of personal experience. A must-read for all those interested in the roots of our martial and spiritual traditions." --William Gleason, 6th dan, director of Shobu Aikido in Boston, and author of The Spiritual Foundations of Aikido The architectural friezes and decorative motifs of ancient Greece contain abundant scenes of combat, one-on-one and hand-to-hand. In The Martial Arts of Ancient Greece, the authors offer close inspection of these depictions to reveal that they correlate closely to the grappling and combat arts as they are practiced today. They also show that these artifacts document the historical course of the development of both the weaponry of the warrior classes and the martial responses those weapons required with hand-to-hand fighting. The depiction of each ancient technique is accompanied by sequenced step-by-step photos of modern practitioners performing the various stances of one-on-one combat. In addition, the authors explain how the development of Hellenic combat arts was tied at its heart to a spiritual practice. The centeredness, clear mind, and consequent courage that develop from a spiritual practice were considered martial strengths for a warrior, enabling him to be at his best, unobstructed inwardly by conflict or inertia. The Martial Arts of Ancient Greece provides a practical and comprehensive approach to the techniques and philosophy of the martial arts of the ancient Mediterranean that will be welcomed by modern fighters. KOSTAS DERVENIS is a martial arts instructor in jujutsu, pammachon, and t'ai chi chuan. He has written four books on the martial arts and martial traditions, including Nei Kung and The Magus of Java under the pen name Kosta Danaos. NEKTARIOS LYKIARDOPOULOS has a degree in physical therapy and is certified as an instructor in a number of martial arts practices. He began studying martial arts and combat sports in 1983 and has been a member of the Technical Committee of the Hellenic Pankration Federation since 1999. Both authors live in Athens, Greece.