History
Gladiators: The Real History of Rome’s Fighting Men
From three pairs at a funeral in 264 BC to the last bouts of the fifth century: who gladiators were, how fights worked and what modern combat sports kept.
11 min read · 21 Sept 2026
History · Region
Europe
Martial arts that originated in or were shaped by Europe.
Articles
History
History
The History of Sambo: The Soviet Union's Martial Art
How a Kōdōkan judoka, a Dynamo self-defence instructor and a Moscow systematiser built sambo for the Red Army and the police, and how it became a world sport.
7 min read · 20 Sept 2026
History
The History of Wrestling: The Oldest Sport on Earth
From Egyptian tomb paintings and the Greek Olympics to Greco-Roman, freestyle and catch: how the world’s oldest sport reached the modern mat.
8 min read · 20 Sept 2026
History
The History of Savate: French Boxing from the Streets of Paris to the World Games
How Paris street kicking and Marseille chausson were tamed by Casseux, mixed with English boxing by Lecour, codified by the Charlemonts and revived.
7 min read · 20 Sept 2026
History
The History of Fencing: From the Duel to the Electric Piste
How the sword schools of Renaissance Italy and France turned the duel into a science, invented foil, mask and sabre, and became a founding Olympic sport.
7 min read · 20 Sept 2026
History
Boxing: From Bare Knuckles to the Queensberry Rules
From Greek fist fighting and the bare-knuckle prize ring to gloves, timed rounds and the ten-count: why the 1867 Queensberry Rules still govern boxing.
10 min read · 17 Sept 2026