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Meet Bokator, One of the Oldest Martial Arts in Southeast Asia

Meet Bokator, One of the Oldest Martial Arts in Southeast Asia

Martial arts are an important and ancient part of South East Asian culture. Many South East Asian nations have their own style and tradition and compete with each other for credibility, authenticity and popularity. Cambodia is no different, and has two particularly strong traditions; Pradal Serey (also known as Kun Khmer) and Bokator , both of which have been claimed to be the “original” Southeast Asian martial art.

Let's talk about Bokator, it currently enjoys the popularity  in Cambodia. 

Bokator is an ancient Khmer martial art that is said to be over a thousand years old. It was created by a Khmer king in the 12th century. In the old days, it was used as a fighting technique in war.  With its roots steeped deep in history — carvings of bokator fighters can be found in abundance on the walls of Angkor Wat — the martial art was crafted by Angkorian armies to help the Khmer Empire keep its grip on the region from the 9th to 15th centuries.

Bokator in Angkor Wat | fullcontactmartialarts.org
Bokator in Angkor Wat | fullcontactmartialarts.org
Bokator in Angkor Wat | scmp.com
Bokator in Angkor Wat | scmp.com

 

Believed to be the father of other Southeast Asian fighting forms, bokator is esteemed for its weapons techniques and was carved into a deadly fighting tool to help crush the empire’s invading enemies.

However, the test of time has seen bokator fade into the shadows of other martial arts, such as Cambodian kickboxing (kun Khmer) or neighbouring Thailand’s Muay Thai.

In 1995, Cambodia was keen to unite all the ASEAN nation martial arts under one name “Sovannaphum boxing” or “SEA Boxing”, representing Thailand, Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar. However, this was not accepted by other nations – especially Thailand – who were keen to preserve their unique form and name of their international sport. 

A still from the documentary Surviving Bokator | © Surviving Bokator
A still from the documentary Surviving Bokator | © Surviving Bokator

 

And with the skills being passed down in typical Khmer fashion — orally from generation to generation — when the Pol Pot-led Khmer Rouge ruled the country from 1975 to 1979, bokator masters were targeted, along with other artists and intellects. Almost a quarter of the population was killed or perished under the communist regime.

However, bokator is now fighting back, as the few remaining masters pass on their skills to the next generation of fighters, who are taking on the task of keeping their heritage alive and kicking.

What is Bokator?

Formally referred to as lobokkatao, bokator is an ancient Cambodian martial art that was developed by Angkor as a close-quarter combat system.

The term itself translates into “pounding a lion”, with bok meaning to pound and tormeaning lion.

Bokator fighters | federationkhmersakyant.com
Bokator fighters | federationkhmersakyant.com

 

Unlike the combat sport of kickboxing, bokator was designed with one main purpose: to win on the battlefield. This means it includes a diverse range of knee and elbow strikes, shin kicks, submissions and ground fighting.

The knees, hands, elbows, feet, shins, head, shoulders, hip, jaw, fingers — you name it — can be used to strike an opponent into submission today, or to cause death in Angkorian times.

Bokator fighter | federationkhmersakyant.com
Bokator fighter | federationkhmersakyant.com

 

And it isn’t just body parts that are used in the fighting; weapons form part of it too, with bamboo sticks, spears and even the krama — a traditional Cambodian scarf — used in many of the tens of thousands of bokator moves.

There are a number of Bokator and Kun Khmer fighting schools around Cambodia – the biggest concentration existing in Phnom Penh and a few in Siem Reap. Battambang is also well-known for producing Kun Khmer champions. There are very few classes available that are aimed at tourists, as most schools exist to train the next generation of Cambodian fighting champions. However there are some that will welcome drop-ins to their classes, although be prepared for an intense physical workout, and the likelihood that few people will speak English, or a second language.

Source ;

CulturalTrip.com

Siemreap.net

Bokatorfilm.com

federationkhmersakyant.com

Akhyari Hananto

I began my career in the banking industry in 1997, and stayed approx 6 years in it. This industry boost his knowledge about the economic condition in Indonesia, both macro and micro, and how to More understand it. My banking career continued in Yogyakarta when I joined in a program funded by the Asian Development Bank (ADB),as the coordinator for a program aimed to help improve the quality of learning and teaching process in private universities in Yogyakarta. When the earthquake stroke Yogyakarta, I chose to join an international NGO working in the area of ?disaster response and management, which allows me to help rebuild the city, as well as other disaster-stricken area in Indonesia. I went on to become the coordinator for emergency response in the Asia Pacific region. Then I was assigned for 1 year in Cambodia, as a country coordinator mostly to deliver developmental programs (water and sanitation, education, livelihood). In 2009, he continued his career as a protocol and HR officer at the U.S. Consulate General in Surabaya, and two years later I joined the Political and Economic Section until now, where i have to deal with extensive range of people and government officials, as well as private and government institution troughout eastern Indonesia. I am the founder and Editor-in-Chief in Good News From Indonesia (GNFI), a growing and influential social media movement, and was selected as one of The Most Influential Netizen 2011 by The Marketeers magazine. I also wrote a book on "Fundamentals of Disaster Management in 2007"?, "Good News From Indonesia : Beragam Prestasi Anak Bangsa di dunia"? which was luanched in August 2013, and "Indonesia Bersyukur"? which is launched in Sept 2013. In 2014, 3 books were released in which i was one of the writer; "Indonesia Pelangi Dunia"?, "Indonesia The Untold Stories"? and "Growing! Meretas Jalan Kejayaan" I give lectures to students in lectures nationwide, sharing on full range of issues, from economy, to diplomacy Less
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