What martial arts does Kratos use in God Of War?

God Of War’s favorite antihero Kratos is one of gamings most famous fighters. Originally a brawler who used brute strength, he has since developed into more of a rounded, technical fighter and martial artist. After all, the gaming team behind God Of War had a lot of mythology and history to draw upon as Kratos was also the name of a real god in ancient Greek legend.

Here, he was based on strength and was one of Zeus’s main servants. Returning to the video game, it’s fair to say that there’s enough evidence to show us that Kratos is well trained in various martial arts. Read on for more information.

Kratos knows Greek wrestling

Unsurprisingly, Kratos knows how to wrestle which is to be expected considering that ancient Greeks loved wrestling. In some of the newer games, you can see Kratos use his wrestling skills. For instance, at one point he does a double leg takedown on a Draugr and finishes by standing and stomping on his enemy.

You would expect him to be well versed in wrestling considering that he was apparently the best Spartan warrior when he was younger. If you know about the history of Sparta, then you’ll know that they produced a society of brutal fighting machines. To be awarded the rank of the top warrior is no easy feat. This is referenced in one of the God Of War comic books which mentions this and maybe where his wrestling skills comes from.

Kratos knows Pankration

Pankration was also a big part of ancient Greek culture and is often referred to as ancient MMA. Of course, you would be right in assuming that Pankration would have fewer rules compared to modern MMA which is more structured, however the point is that many ‘modern’ arts were actually practiced thousands of years ago by Greek fighters. In the picture below, Kratos can be seen getting an overhook on his enemy and using this to punch them in the face. This is commonly used in modern MMA.

A little-known fact is that UFC Champion Khabib Nurmagomedov was also a Pankration champion before turning pro and it can still be practiced competitively today. Like his wrestling days, Kratos would have trained this when younger which also makes sense when explaining why he’s such a good fighter, both when it comes to striking and grappling.

Kratos knows Boxing

Although there’s a lot of Greek mythology that surrounds wrestling and Pankration, perhaps Kratos’s biggest skill is his boxing. When it comes to his boxing technique, Kratos is second to none and can punch his enemies incredibly hard. This actually makes sense though, considering that God Of War is essentially a ‘hack and slash’ game.

Here, the objective is to go around beating up opponents through striking, and primarily by punching them. This was especially the case in the earlier versions of the game on the PS2. Many of his main attacks included uppercuts, jabs, and swinging haymakers. These are all fundamental parts of boxing. It should be noted that Kratos was best known for his offensive boxing ability, rather than his defensive head and footwork. Nonetheless, as he is a God, this isn’t much of a worry where defense is concerned.

Kratos knows Kenjutsu

In many of the games, Kratos is seen handling various weapons and often uses swords. These are often curved but are nonetheless proof of Kratos knowing Kenjutsu. This is an umbrella term that describes someone that is skilled at sword fighting. Again, this is a realistic addition to the game when thinking about his ancient Greek heritage.

Basically, the ancient Greeks would use a variety of weapons, including swords, spears, and axes. Obviously, during his earlier days – Kratos would have had to learn the art of sword fighting. This wouldn’t have been called Kenjutsu at the time which is Japanese, but for convenience today it would be best explained as Kenjutsu.

Kratos knows Viking martial arts (axe throwing)

In the PS4 God Of War games, Kratos is seen fighting in the Viking era against Nordic Gods and enemies. As a result, he picks up some of the Viking martial arts such as axe throwing. These days, many people practice axe throwing as a fun hobby. If you’ve ever done this then you’ll quickly realize that it’s actually very skillful and requires great technique.

Whilst in Midgard, Kratos uses an axe rather than swords and often uses it by throwing his axe at enemies to kill them from distance. Although axe throwing isn’t really recognized as a martial art these days, it would have been used in Scandanavia many years ago. Similarly, the skill of axe fighting in close combat would have also been used back then as well.

Conclusion

Overall, Kratos can be described as a tough fighter whose style isn’t always easy on the eye or particularly stylish but is also incredibly stylish at the same time. For example, his wrestling is tiresome but is very difficult to defend against, whilst his boxing is also hard to fight against and is effective against multiple attackers. With this said, it would be fair to describe the fighting style of Kratos as rough but very effective.

A nice touch when thinking about Kratos is also the historical aspects of the game. For instance, when in Greece he opts for a traditional Greek sword, but when switching to Scandanavia he changes to an axe which shows a keen eye and attention to detail from the games makers. In conclusion, even without his Godly powers and strength, Kratos would still be a tough opponent based on his years of training in various martial arts from his childhood. On a similar note, his years of wrestling and Pankration would also add to his mental strength which is also a key attribute for any martial artist.