Combat, Conditioning, and Collected Knowledge: A Martial Arts Odyssey

COMBAT, CONDITIONING, AND COLLECTED KNOWLEDGE: A Martial Arts Odyssey details the author’s enduring journey to preserve the lost legacy of pankration, considered the precursor to mixed martial arts (MMA). At a time when martial arts were primarily stylized and emphasized pre-arranged forms, Arvanitis boldly went against tradition by introducing radically-new concepts based on his previous competitive experience and street brawls. He blended combat sports with martial arts, and insisted that none of this was new crediting his Greek ancestors as the first to combine striking and grappling techniques in their early Olympic Games. Arvanitis challenged the theory that martial arts originated in Asia with archaeological evidence that they were an integral part of Greek society long before.The text progresses from his early days of adversity when Jim was considered a “renegade” to his current status as an internationally-recognized visionary and living legend. The innovative Greek-American was practicing and advocating the concept of cross training and synthesizing skills from both Western and Eastern fighting systems more than 25 years before MMA became a popular global sport.The book is both a concise autobiography of the author’s evolution as a martial artist as well as a comprehensive guide covering his principles and philosophy, scientific body mechanics and attributes, and the most effective techniques and strategies for engaging an opponent standing or on the ground. A chapter is also dedicated to Arvanitis’ specialized training methods for which he’s also highly respected. In addition to his diverse skill-set, Jim expounds on the equally-important mental aspect. It is this warrior mindset, or Spartan Ethos, that is such an essential part of the champion combat athlete. The book contains hundreds of photographs and illustrations, tributes and testimonials, special awards and accolades, and a foreword by noted journalist and firearms expert Massad Ayoob. Huge 8.5x11", 311 pages. Read more