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Kun Khmer

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Pradal Serey (Khmer: ប្រដាល់សេរី;English: Khmer Boxing) is the name of the centuries old kickboxing martial arts of Cambodia. Pradal Serey is the Khmer style of a system of Indochinese martial arts known universally worldwide as Muay Thai. Pradal means fight and serey means free. Translated literally, it means "Free Fighting". Pradal Serey is founded on four techniques which consists of: blows of the fist, kicks (comprising of kicks from the shin and feet), blows of the elbow, and blows of the knee. The clinch is also used to wear down the opponent.Template:IndicText

The modern Pradal Serey differs from the original art. The technique and moves of the art have changed to support the sport version seen today. It is considered one of the national sports of Cambodia. It is also known as Kbach Kun Khmer, Sovanna Phum, Traditional Khmer Boxing or Brodal Serei depending on the translation.

File:CamboKShowdown.jpg
Phnom Penh - Cambodian kickboxers getting ready to attack

Rules and Match Set Up

A match consists of 5 sets of 3 minute rounds and takes place in a 6.1 meter square boxing ring. A one or two minute break occurs between each round. At the beginning of each match boxers practice the praying rituals known as the Kun Kru. Traditional Cambodian music is played during the match. The music is played used the instruments of the skor yaul (a type of drum), the sraliai (a flute like instrument) and the stringed chhing. Boxers wear leather gloves and shorts.

File:Knock out.jpg
Cambodian Kickboxer celebrating victory

Rules:

  • 1. A boxer is not allowed to strike his opponent while he is on the ground.
  • 2. A boxer is not allowed to bite.
  • 3. When an opponent can not fight anymore, the referee stops the fight.
  • 4. Blows to the back of the opponent are not allowed.
  • 5. A boxer may not hold on to the ropes.
  • 6. Blows to the genitals are prohibted.

Victory can be obtained by knockout. A knockout occurs when a boxer is knocked down to the ground and can not continue fighting after a 10 second count by the referee. Victory is also obtained from the end of the match when judges decide by a point system which fighter was more effective. If fighters end up with the same score a draw is called.

History

Pradal Serey was developed in Cambodia around the 9th Century during the Angkor era when the Khmer Empire dominated and controlled most of what is now Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos.[1] It was broadly used among the Cambodian military to protect the country from being invaded by its rival nations. The art is believed to be the fighting system of the Angkor army and one of the reasons why the Khmer empire was such a dominant force in South East Asia.

File:Bayonfight.jpg
Bayon bas-relief of the Cambodian military getting ready to go war using Pradal Serey and War elephants.

The Khmer people believe Pradal Serey historically predates Muay Thai, a Thai form of kickboxing. The basis of this argument is the bas-relief left behind by early Khmers in the ancient temples of the Bayon and other Angkor temples. Much of the writing on ancient Khmer art has either been destroyed or adopted by the invading Thai armies when the Siamese sacked and looted Angkor and took Khmer captives including members of the Khmer royal court back to Ayutthaya. [2] There have been heated debates between nations about the true origins of South East Asian kickboxing.


The Near Extinction of Pradal Serey

On April 17, 1975, during the chaos of the Vietnam War, a communist group called "The Khmer Rouge" overthrew the Cambodian government and rose to power after Lon Nol's pro-democratic government was crumbling after America left the Vietnam War . The Khmer Rogue's plan was to eliminate modern society and create an agriculture utopia.[3]. The Khmer Rouge executed all educated people, others whom had ties to the old government or anyone who was believed to be an enemy (doctors, teachers, soldiers, actors, singers, Khmer boxers, etc.) and threw the remaining Khmer population into labor camps, in which many died of starvation and diseases, to be re-educated under the new government. An estimated 2.5 million Cambodians or 20% of the population died during Khmer Rouge Regime. This lasted for four years until 1979 when the Vietnamese along with ex-Khmer Rouge officers overthrew the Khmer Rouge.

Pradal Serey had been banned during the Khmer Rouge era and many boxer were executed which caused the art of Khmer Kickboxing to be almost wiped out from Khmer history. Today Pradal Serey is being revived in Cambodia after peace has finally been established.

Pradal Serey Today

File:Kun Khmer Logo2.JPG
Kun Khmer Logo in Australia

Pradal Serey is making a strong comeback since its banishment back in the 70's. Numerous gyms have opened and large masses of students, local and foreign, have come to train in Cambodia. There are weekly matches held, in which many are televised, and many of Cambodia's best have traveled internationally to compete. There are currently about 70 boxing clubs. Cambodia is making an attempt to market their style of boxing to the same caliber of Muay Thai.

During the Cambodian Civil War, Cambodia claims Thailand monopolized kickboxing and promoted its style, Muay Thai, to the world. The Thai have set up an international boxing committee in which almost 100 countries participate which lead to why Southeast Asian kickboxing is widely known as Thai boxing. Cambodians have argued there was no such thing as Muay Siam that existed before the name change of Siam to Thailand. At an ASEAN meeting in 1995, Thailand wanted to rename Southeast Asian kickboxing as Muay Thai or Thai Boxing. The Cambodians proposed to rename the sport as "Sovanna Phum" boxing or "SEA Boxing", which represented Thailand, Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar. Other south east Asian nations also have their own style of kickboxing. Sovanna Phum means "golden land" in both the Khmer and Thai which came from the language of Pali and refers to mainland Southeast Asia. "SEA" is a popular acronym referring to Southeast Asia. Unfortunately, Thailand would not compromise. In a battle for culture heritage, both countries are not giving up. At the 2005 Southeast Asian Games, Cambodia did not enter the Muay Thai event.

Recent exposure of Khmer Kickboxing to the western world have come from traveling journalists and tourists.

Notable Khmer Boxers

Pradal Serey promoters

See also

References

Notes

  1. ^ Michael Freeman, Claude Jacques: Ancient Angkor, Asia Books, ISBN 974-8225-27-5.
  2. ^ The Ayutthayan period, britannica.com (retrieved November 5, 2006).
  3. ^ Sites, Kevin. July 18, 2006. Year Zero, Yahoo.com (retrieved November 5, 2006)
  4. ^ [1], ch5cambodia.com (retrieved November 5, 2006).


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