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Like the Gladiators from the Roman Empire or Knights in Medieval times, if they had hand-to-hand combat with the toughest UFC/MMA fighters today do you think they could still compete?
If you took the best MMA fighter today and pitted them against someone 25 years ago what would happen? If you took a mile runner from today and pitted them against a group of hardy individuals from the 1800's in a mile footrace, how would they fare?
Gladiators were tough and, possibly skilled, for their time. Take into our account the image we've created of a Viking warrior being some mythical 6' foot brute full of muscles eating nothing but meat from a spitfire. In reality, they probably ate a lot more grain and bread that we would imagine and their average height was slightly under 5'8" as evidenced by their remains.
A gladiator's diet largely consisted of grains, mostly barley, and very little meat was spared for them in Roman society. My guess is that the average height was probably around that of a Roman soldier at 5'7". Without the use of PEDs or modern body-building techniques, most of any extra size they packed on would consist of a healthy dose of body fat, imagine strongmen from the 1800s. The actual combat time was probably short so endurance was probably not a major factor in fights like it is today.
We kind of idolize those from the past, but when you analyze actual remains, it tells a different tale. It's like when they analyzed the mummy of Queen Hatshepsut and realized, unlike the statues depicting her, she was actually fat, balding and growing some facial hair.
Back then the Greeks practiced Pankration, which has a matwork. I think some of that will transfer over to the Romans, and their Gladiators. I think the Gladiators do just fine.
Medievel Knights did have some form of ground game. In Germany, it was called Kampfringen. It has armbars, and such. Heavily armoured opponents cannot be defeated with empty hand strikes. You have to take then down and control them.
From what I've read on here people these days can't even live without A/C! What chance will they have against people from the past that REALLY know what 'hard' living is!
Back then the Greeks practiced Pankration, which has a matwork. I think some of that will transfer over to the Romans, and their Gladiators. I think the Gladiators do just fine.
Medievel Knights did have some form of ground game. In Germany, it was called Kampfringen. It has armbars, and such. Heavily armoured opponents cannot be defeated with empty hand strikes. You have to take then down and control them.
I'm not sure these kinds of comparisons can be made in any meaningful way .Thee are far too many unknown variables
Gladiators tended to be short -ish and stocky, with a thick layer of protective fat. They were known as 'barley men', because barley porridge or similar was their staple diet.
In the Third Servile War, (began 73 bce) Spartacus and his army initially defeated the Romans because they excelled at hand-to-hand combat. The Romans were trained to fight as a unit, and were not skilled at hand-to-hand. The slave army was doomed as soon as it tried to fight formal battles rather than as guerillas. .
Whether Spartacus and co were always doomed is arguable.
Like the Gladiators from the Roman Empire or Knights in Medieval times, if they had hand-to-hand combat with the toughest UFC/MMA fighters today do you think they could still compete?
As far as I know, UFC/MMA don't use gladius swords. Now if they were going against Chuck Norris, Chuck Norris can beat the entire Roman Legion with one hand.
I'm not sure these kinds of comparisons can be made in any meaningful way .Thee are far too many unknown variables
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Exactly right.
This question is a variant of comparisons like "Babe Ruth or Hank Aaron?" Times change. Technology and approach change. Can we compare Barney Oldfield (world champ auto racer a century ago) with Sebastian Vettel (current Ferrari team driver)?...Only if we put them in identical cars and let them race.
It's probably true to say that the best competitors in any given era would also be the best competitors in another era, had they been born into that.
The real question to ask is how does any one competitor compare to his own peers?
My bet is on the chariots as they had stealth beating fire archers.
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