The Greatest Grappler of Ancient Greece

In 708 BC, Wrestling became the first competition to be added to the Olympic Games (that was not a running competition).  This Ancient Greek form of wrestling, known as Pale, resembled both modern day wrestling and submissions grappling.

The rules stated that a winner would be the first competitor to get three points- and you could gain a point by the following three methods:  Pinning your opponent's back to the ground, submitting your opponent by making him physically or verbally tap, or lifting or throwing your opponent out of the wrestling area.

Milo of Croton

Just as we celebrate our wrestling heroes of today, such as legends like Dan Gable, John Smith, and Buvaisar Satiev,  the most celebrated wrestler in Ancient Greece was Milo of Croton.

Milo was recognized for winning a total of six Olympics between 536 to 520 BC.  In addition to his unbelievable athletics accomplishments, there are many legends and myths surrounding his life.  He had a daily diet of 20 pounds of meat, 20 pounds of bread, and 18 pints of wine.    In addition, he gained his  superhuman strength by lifting and carrying a newborn calf as a child, and then repeating this exercise on a daily basis until he was an adult and the calf was a full grown bull.  As the calf grew bigger, stronger, and heavier, so did Milo.

Milo was even a war hero- leading his people of Croton to defeat the neighboring Sybarites, fighting while wearing his Olympic crown and dressing like the Greek God Hercules- in a lionskin cape and fighting with a club. 

Tragic Death

Just as remarkable as his life was, his death was just as unbelievable.  An older Milo was said to have come across a fallen tree in the forest.  In a feat of strength, Milo attempted to tear apart the remainder of the tree.  Unfortunately, the remaining part of the tree collapsed on him, trapping Milo’s hand in the tree trunk, where he was stuck until he was attacked and eaten by a pack of wolves.

 

 Learning Wrestling 

Fortunately, these days, with the advent technology, we no longer need to carry a bull on our shoulder, consume 20 pounds of meat, or lead people into battle to become an effective wrestler.

Check out “Wrestling for BJJ” by the hugely accomplished Hudson Taylor and you will see your grappling game increase by leaps and bounds.  Hudson is a former collegiate wrestling coach at Columbia University, as well as a multiple time NCAA All-American wrestling at University of Maryland, College Park.

 In this series, you will learn Taylor’s successful wrestling system which consist of techniques that will help the beginner grappler as well as the well-seasoned wrestler.  You will learn the drills, set ups, takedowns, and various defenses that made it possible for him to win the IBJJF worlds at blue belt after only 6 months of BJJ training. You can get it here!