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THE INSTRUCTORS
ANCIENT PANKRATION
MODERN PANKRATION
REGULATIONS  (in PDF format)
MEMBERSHIP (in PDF format)

 

THE FOUNDER
GRANDMASTER JOHNNY PACHIVAS
Born:  May 3, 1926
Passed on to the Next Life:  February 14, 2000


In this day we sing and shout "Oh Death, where is your victory?! Oh Death, where is your sting?!" I Corinthians 15:55    Hanshi has been transported on the wings of angels to Heaven to live forever with our Lord and Savior, Christ Jesus.

The passing of our master instructor is a heart wrenching occasion.  We are torn because while we will miss him dearly, our loss is Heaven's gain.  For those who place their faith and trust in Christ, Hanshi's passing is not a final goodbye;  but instead, it is merely a temporary separation until the time we too are called to our Eternal Home where all of God's children will spend eternity.



Grandmaster John Athanas Pachivas has been a student of the martial arts for nearly sixty years and began teaching to the general public in the early 1950's. Pachivas is the highest ranking person (10th degree Black Belt) in Shuri-ryu karatedo in the world;  title of Grandmaster.  He is also the highest ranked American in Okinawan Kobudo.  Grandmaster Pachivas also possesses Master degrees in; Judo, Jiu Jitsu, Kempo, Aikido, and Shotokan.

Pachivas serves as the Executive Director of the United States Karate Association- International, with membership in 41 countries and all 50 states. The United States Karate Association was started in 1948 by the late Grandmaster of Shuri Ryu, O'Sensei Robert Trias , (see more pictures HERE).  Under Grandmaster Trias, Pachivas was the highest ranked Chief Instructor and received the highest title within the organization, the title of Hanshi.

The son of Greek immigrants, Pachivas grew up in St. Louis, Missouri, where his father was the proprietor of one of the finest and foremost Greek restaurants in downtown St. Louis. Upon completion of high school, Pachivas was offered 23 full scholarships from universities across the United States in football, baseball and basketball. While in college, Pachivas became an honored All American. Since the time Pachivas began his formal training in the wrestling arts in 1938, he has been inducted into every major martial arts hall of fame worldwide and most recently was inaugurated into the Greek Hellenic A.H.E.P.A. Hall of Fame. Until his death, Grandmaster Pachivas continued to be a vibrant and exciting teacher. He reminded us that hard physical training never stops.

"The PACHIVAS PANKRATION is an apex in the learning experience for any martial art practitioner. A great deal of tactical and strategic expertise is developed through this freestyle discipline of ground combat. The Dai Nikyo is applied in great detail during competition as the student's thoughts, mental focus and balance envelop their opponent. The student learns to gently flow from one movement to the next, both with orchestrated and evolving maneuvers."                                                                                                          -------Grandmaster Pachivas
 

The PACHIVAS PANKRATION combines the grace of Judo, the speed and force of Jiu Jitsu, the powerful striking style of Karate, and the brute strength of Greco-Roman Grappling. Integrated together, these styles form one of the most aggressive and dynamic forms of Pankration styled fighting in the world!