The Pankration Striking Style Part II - The Hammerfist
By Mike Cartier (May 2006) |
One of the most unique and truly distinctive elements of Pankration and ancient Boxing is the judicious use of the Hammerfist. This powerful overhead punch was used in addition to the standard straight, hooking and uppercut punches. There is some evidence to suggest that this was the most used strike in the Pankration and Boxing repertoire - the evidence being the frequency of the back stance and medium-back stance in the Classical sources. In my opinion those stances are designed to facilitate the efficient use of the Hammerfist which can be much too telegraphic if done from the arms forward boxing stance of today's modern boxer. Holding the rear arm in this position allows you to strike freely along any of the possible punching lines used in modern boxing with the addition of the overhead line from above. With a small timing and speed adjustment, it is possible to strike efficiently from the back stance and medium-back stance. Those schooled in Modern Boxing tradition will see this strike as telegraphic and inefficient, and without training in it, will generally dismiss it as non-combative.
However we have some evidence for it, which I will lay out for you now, as well as some reasons for it's prominent use. First and foremost we have the image-sources below; the evidence for Hammerfist use in other striking arts; and this text quoted which describes the actions of the pankratiast / boxer.
The boxer or Pankratiast fighting for the victor's crown pushes away the punches coming at him with both hands and bends his neck this way and that, guarding against being struck. Often he stands on tiptoe and draws himself up to his full height, then drawing himself back he forces his opponent to throw idle punches as if he were shadow boxing
Philo 80 - 81
Source Evidence:
If we look at the frequency of the use of the back and medium-back stances used during the heat of combat as shown in Images B, C, D and H, we have to wonder why this hand position would have been used at all if they only used the same standing punches as modern boxers. Why bring back the hand so far if you only wish to punch straight or with a hook or uppercut? There is no reason to do so unless you are including another element in your punching style that would be facilitated by the hand position. If we look at the use of the back and medium-back stances used as they train such in Images I, J and K, we are left with the same question: Why bring back the rear hand at all? I think they do so to train this striking position.
The text above regarding the actions of the boxer and pankratiast describes the rising of the fighter on his tiptoes to strike or move defensively backwards to make the striker miss his attack and allow a counter-attack. Rising on the toes allows you to effectively keep a good range from your opponent giving you more room to evade and counter-attack. Rising also better facilitates the Hammerfist strike by giving you the ability to come crashing down upon your opponents in rushing attack.
Another source of evidence for the Hammerfist is the hand coverings used by the boxers and pankratiasts. In images below we see as much effort given to protecting the underside of the hand as the front of the hand, I think a clear indication of the target surfaces used in striking. In many cases only the back part of the hand is covered by the leather thongs used, thus leaving the knuckles of the hand exposed. The later use of the hard Himantes leather strips (first image below) includes defensive coverings all the way to the elbow. This indicates how much of the arm could be used for striking as well as for defense. When we put these sources together they indicate strongly to me how much of a power-striking game Pankration and Boxing were. The need for hand protection shows this, also the use of the Hammerfist better protects the hand from broken bones when striking, as opposed to what happens where striking with the front of the hand. The Hammerfist also allows one to make a full-power strike forwards without any turning of the body, which is a very desirable position for a sport with a strong grappling environment. The final position of the Hammerfist is also quite conducive to the clinch and keeps the hands forward for defense when in range of the opponent's strikes.
Our final historical source of evidence is the frequent depiction of the open handed positions in Boxing and Pankration, both lead and rear hands are shown being used both open and slightly curled, much like the leopard-fist of Gung Fu.
Modern Examples:
Now we can move onto the next phase of research into the Hammerfist, surviving examples from existing modern martial arts. Perhaps the best modern example with widest range of use comes from the work of Mark Hatmaker. His books and instructional videos, aimed at practitioners of Mixed Martial Arts (MMA/NHB), include extensive references to the use of the Hammerfist (which he classifies as "Insertion Shots"). He describes its use from overhead, across the body, tight and short for infighting, and as an attack against the person's defensive guard. He draws his ideas from the old style Bare Knuckle Boxing where this punch was known as the "Chopper". Its also evidenced in old style English Pugilism. The Hammerfist was banned from modern sport-boxing in the modern era after which it fell rapidly into obscurity so complete that few people even realize its usefulness as a combat weapon. We can also see the overhand attack using the base of the hand in many existing Japanese and Okinawan Karate systems. These systems also emphasise the use of maximum power in their attacks much like the boxer and pankratiast of antiquity did. In addition some harder styles of Gung Fu (Choy Lay Fut and Hung Gar etc) use the whole forearm in their fist attacks and the base of the hand in a club like fashion. Filipino Panantukan Boxing strikes with Hammerfist across the body and from above. Filipino martial arts also draws the connection between open-hand strikes and weapon strikes, seeing each as the same motion and energy of striking from the same angle, and they treat training in one as training in the other. This concept is much like how I use Hammerfist and the back stance of Boxing / Pankration, as natural extensions from the battlefield use of shield and spear. That weaponry pair works much like the use of a front-hand defense and rear-hand offense (by counter-attacking from a back stance).
Our final piece of evidence comes from the natural physiology of the human body. The motion of striking down from above the shoulder with the arm is one of the most natural and efficient methods for producing power with a strike. Every single sword fighting art and stick fighting art I have seen includes the strike from the right shoulder diagonally down at the opponent's left side or at his head from overhead. It is such a natural movement for a biped that even gorillas use this method of striking. It also closely mimics the use of shield and spear to defend with the front-hand and counter with the rear-hand.
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In the Image A we see the fighter on the top striking downward with a blow to his semi-downed opponent who is then lifting the finger of submission. The position suggests that the fighter on the left has just leapt up in the air to come landing down upon his opponent with the Hammerfist and in close range with preparation to grapple. This rising on the toes to strike or leap to strike is very characteristic of Pankration and Ancient Greek Boxing.
| (Click on the images to view archived item in detail)
Image A |
In Image B we see the fighter on the left catching a kick or finishing a single leg takedown attempt by raising the leg and pushing forward with the head. The fighter on the right is raising his left hand to strike a Hammerfist to the fighter on the left.
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Image B |
Image C shows the fighter on the left achieving success with a straight left lunging punch with the lead hand - essentially a very stiff jab. He has caught the unfortunate fighter on the right as he is rushing in with his right Hammerfist knocking him down in the process. The fighter on left has his rear hand in the back stance position prepared to execute any of the punches.
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Image C |
In Image D the fighter on the left has leapt up with a kick & punch combination, the fighter on the right has caught his leg, and the fighter on left is preparing to free himself by raising his rear hand in a high back position to strike down with a Hammerfist to the fighter on the right.
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Image D |
| In Image E the fighter on the right is preparing to finish a downed opponent with a Hammerfist just as the downed opponent signals his submission. | 
Image E |
| Image F is an excellent example of the cross guard defense/offense position. The fighter on the right is winding up a left-to-right Hammerfist strike with his right hand, something that would look very similar to a backfist in some styles but with the base of the hand/forearm like a club. This position is also very handy as a form of defense in between striking. | 
Image F |
In Image G we see a panathenaic amphora with a Boxing match showing a boxer being flogged by the referee for hitting a downed opponent. The accused is shown dropping a Hammerfist from above on the downed opponent. It is important to note that this was the only punishment handed out for the offense. | 
Image G |
| In Image H the fighter on the left is punching the opponent in the groin as they both ready their rear hands to strike high from the back stance position. | 
Image H |
| In Image I we see two pankratiasts training in air, perhaps shadow boxing or drilling in a set of strikes. They both seem to be doing a defensive cover using the lead hand and leg very similar to the Muay Thai cover position. Each fighter has a slightly different position. The fighter on left has a leg extended defense as if kicking out after the defense with the fist extended out to the front and rear hand held back and high ready to strike. The fighter on right is being much more defensive using both hand and leg purely to shield against an attack. I call this position "the Shield" as it covers all possible targets in a single defensive movement and sets you up for a quick rear-hand counter-attack afterwards. | 
Image I |
| In Image J a fighter is working out on an improvised punching bag in the form of a dead (hopefully) pig. He is giving a front push-kick with his lead-leg while clearing with the lead-hand. The rear-hand is held in a medium-back stance ready to strike. | 
Image J |
| In Image K a fighter is training on a punching bag Korykos, rear hand held in a medium-back stance ready to strike. | 
Image K |
That's all well and good, you may say, but how do we use this Hammerfist? Well, there are clues to its use in the sources and in other relatable combat arts as I mentioned before.
Standing Hammerfists:
Hammerfists can be done straight down on top of the head or shoulders with a leap at the opponent or even a leap from above his defenses after raising oneself back up and high in our fighting position. They can also be thrown diagonally like a good Karate chop to the neck. The overhand Hammerfist can also be brought down upon the opponent's defensive guard crashing his arms downward and creating an opening for grappling or striking. The lead-hand can also deliver a quick chop at the opponent's head or guard, much like a jabbing Hammerfist.
Mark Hatmaker's work on the Hammerfist shows several close-in Hammerfists to the body as well as the very effective use of the Hammerfist in the clinch. I can personally testify to the effectiveness of the Hammerfist from the clinch, due to my experiments both in sparring with Pankration techniques and in sparring with friends who train in modern MMA/NHB arts. It is a very natural use of body-weight in the clinch to get the opponent's head lower than yours and deliver very powerful chopping attacks to the back of his neck. It has naturally become a useful item in our toolbox of techniques and comes out almost every training session when we clinch. It should be noted that both attacks to the back of the neck and Hammerfists are illegal in most sport-fighting competitions like Modern Boxing or Kickboxing, and there is very good reason for this, since such blows to such targets are very dangerous. Modern protective equipment does not pad the base of the hand at all, thus making a strike with Hammerfist akin to using bare knuckles or the elbow.
Standing Hammerfists are also quite effective against a semi-downed opponent as we see in Images A, E and G. Cross-body hammers too are evidenced in Image F and the Michael Poliakof book Combat Sports in the Ancient World includes a similar image showing a cross-body position in preparation for striking with the Hammerfist, this is done in conjunction with the defensive use of the arms in front of the body to protect against strikes. Popular histories of Boxing tell us the "technical era" of Boxing began in the period just before the modern era of Boxing. It is taken as fact that defensive concepts are modern inventions. My research tells me otherwise. I firmly believe our modern bias is clouding our views of the ancient combat sports and giving us the impression that they were not technically sophisticated. They had extensive competitive histories across much of the Greek and Roman world for time periods too vast for us to even comprehend from our modern perspective. How many arts today can claim to have had a thousand year lineage bound together by competition, culture and religion? Pankration, Boxing and Wrestling in the Ancient World had far fewer rules than we have in our corresponding sports and often no weight or time limits. These arts were practiced across the Greek and Roman world with city-to-city rivalries and many athletes lived a professional life of sponsored training, special diets and traveled widely to festivals to achieve the great wealth and prestige of winning at the great events.
Pythagoras of Samos, who won the boxing crown at the 48th Olympiad (588 or 584 B.C.), was known by the ancients as "The First Technical Boxer", for he was a small man who beat out many bigger men for the prize. Again, I use this same text reference to support my theory that ancient boxing was not just a barbaric game of pure strength, since technical aspects were clearly present:
The boxer or pankratiast fighting for the victor's crown pushes away the punches coming at him with both hands and bends his neck this way and that, guarding against being struck. Often he stands on tiptoe and draws himself up to his full height, then drawing himself back he forces his opponent to throw idle punches as if he were shadow boxing
Philo 80 - 81
I think that is a pretty good description of the defensive actions we see in many modern arts today, especially Boxing: movement of the head to avoid blows and use of the hands to deflect incoming blows. In addition, the prevalence of the protective gear for the hands and forearms shows the use of the arms in defense for protection from blows. Some Himantes included sheepskin on the areas above the hand and wrist covered by the harder leather. Even in the age when the Romans turned Boxing into a savage spectacle of blood and gore with the use of hard metal coverings, metal objects sewn into the leather coverings and the wicked Caestus spiked glove, we still see attention to defensive coverings on the arms so that incoming blows could be deflected or caught with these areas.
Groundfighting Hammerfists:
Little needs to be said about the effectiveness of this variation on the Hammerfist. Modern MMA/NHB competitions have seen much effective use of the Hammerfist on the ground from many positions. Striking downwards is quite often much more directly effective (depending on the position) than straight or hooking punches, and they do not transfer the body balance in any way to the sides, making it much easier to keep your balance on an opponent while he is trying to escape your control. If you want to see the judicious, efficient and very nasty use of the Hammerfists on the ground, simply watch a few fights of Mark (The Smashing Machine) Kerr or Mark (The Hammer) Coleman, and any number of wrestlers turned full contact fighters.
Hammerfists on the ground can be chained together with elbows, straights and hooks to create the widest possible range of angles to use against a downed opponent, making it that much harder for him to defend against the barrage of strikes. Bas Rutten in his instructional tapes for MMA/NHB describes in detail just this sort of striking combination.
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Continued in part III of this Article:
The Pankration Striking Style Part III - Kicking, Knees & Elbows
Coming Soon!
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Copyright 2006 Mike Cartier |
