Pankration is an Official Style of Wrestling under FILA that closely resembles MMA. The referees score the matches as they go so there are no Judges decisions.

Here is an updated version of the Rules:
YouTube - Pankration Rules Video (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GzSqZN6CAI8&feature=channel_page)

See some live matches this Saturday at the Fight Expo in the Del Mar Fairgrounds at 8PM
Teams from Camp Pendleton, 29 Palms, Undisputed MMA and Millennial MMA will compete in head to head team matches.

Amateur Fighters of all ages can compete for a State Title at the April 5th California State Championships at Santa Ana College.

See www.fightleague.org for more info.

^That has to be one of the clearest explanations of a given ruleset I've seen. Great video.

Very informative and clear. As well as nice demonstrations of the attacks.

Also, this may seem like a rather silly question, but must one be affiliated with a school that offers Pankration in order to partake in the tournaments? Or is it open to other styles? Also, can one partake in a tournament if not currently affiliated with a school but has had prior training in a martial art?

Pankration Tournaments are open to all styles, schools and individuals. In our case its not as much a style of Martial Art but the rules of the sport.

Its almost a mix of full contact karate and submission-lite...like very watered down mma.

This is what it looks like in Competition:
YouTube - 2008 California State Pankration Championships Promo (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ixZ3mhUJoGo)