Development

The IPF is reconstructing Pammachon as a sport by using input from 4th century Byzantine Pammachon, 14th century BC Minoan boxing, and 19th century Hellenic martial education. Pammachon is a combat sport whose rules were developed to emulate the tactical demands of hand-to-hand combat and better prepare the practitioner for the submission and control of hostile perpetrators who may be bearing a concealed weapon. The discipline involves a mix of striking, grappling and throwing techniques while wearing protective gear. Pammachon competitions are designed to provide a safe and attractive athletic competition for younger athletes, with rules continually being refined to enhance the sport's appeal and safety.

Pammachon as a sporting contest was first conceived by Kostas Dervenis in 2002 and was designed, as much as possible, to closely emulate the tactical demands of hand-to-hand combat and better prepare the practitioner for the submission and control of hostile perpetrators who may be bearing a concealed weapon. This competitive sport has been enacted institutionally in various forms since its inception in 2002. In essence pammachon combines mixed martial arts with fencing; a baton or rubber knife is used to simulate the presence of a concealed weapon during grappling, as is strategic scoring with what is termed the “weapon hand” before the athletes’ transition into grappling.

The rules of the sport, originally conceived and published by Kostas Dervenis in 2011, were reviewed by IPF Secretary Petros Tsirigotis in 2022 and are posted here for public review. They should be considered a "work in progress" and will be refined as more Pammachon competitions take place around the globe and the sport's popularity grows. Athletes and sport organizations interested in Pammachon should contact us at info@pammachon.org

The Pammachon Baton

It has been suggested that the sport of Pammachon resembles a “combination of mixed martial arts (MMA) and fencing”. While light-hearted, this analogy is not inaccurate. Like MMA, Pammachon is a complete system that covers all aspects of an altercation. Like fencing, the sport uses training implements to score points, simulating the use of lethal weapons in dueling in bygone millennia. The Pammachon “baton” is retained in a traditional Hellenic belt during the contest. Throughout our pilot projects, batons have been made from many materials: thermoplastic elastomer daggers have been used, as well as batons made from EVA foam (ethylene and vinyl acetate). A baton may even be made from a candle wrapped in electrical tape as in the photos below.

A Pammachon baton made from a candle wrapped in electrical tape.

The Pammachon baton placed in an athlete’s red sash.

The Pammachon baton with an instructor’s white sash.