The Pammachon Symbol

The Akrotiri Boxer Fresco, discovered in 1967, is one of the Wall Paintings of Thera and one of the oldest surviving depictions of combat sports in the world. The fresco dates back almost 4000 years to circa 1700 BC. It portrays two young boys engaged in a type of combat sport.

Around 1600 BC, a volcanic eruption covered Akrotiri (in Santorini in Greece) with a thick layer of pumice and ash, resulting in the remarkable conservation of many artifacts, including the Akrotiri Boxer Fresco. The boys' shaved heads and locks indicate their youth, while their darker skin tone indicates their gender. The boy on the right is completely nude except for his belt, whereas the boy on the left wears jewellery, likely a mark of higher status. Wearing the belt was clearly part of the contest and may have symbolized that the contestants were bearing weapons. Both boys are wearing gloves on one hand only, i.e. one hand was considered "the weapon hand", the "spear," while the other hand acted like a "shield," much like modern Nigerian dambe boxing.

Pammachon today has incorporated these principles into its rule-base, along with equivalent foundations in grappling and striking from the Byzantine early Christian era. To honor the origins of our sport, the International Pammachon Federation's seal portrays a stylized representation of the Akrotiri Boxer Fresco in the form of the Hellenic letter "Π" for Pammachon (Πάμμαχον). The seal is surrounded by two concentric circles inside which is written the name of the international Pammachon Federation.

The International federation has chosen black and white as its colors so as to represent its neutral global status. National federations recognized by the IPF will be deployed using the Pammachon symbol in their own national colors