Pankration was considered to be the sport of the Gods in Ancient Greece. The propagation of Pankration is historically credited to Alexander the Great, who took the art along when he conquered Europe, Asia and India. It is claimed that, the then martial art masters absorbed the essence of pankration into kalaripayattu and it was carried to China by the South Indian Buddhist monk Bodhi Dharma. Pankration is claimed to be the father of all modern day martial art forms and was an event at the Ancient Olympic Games.
