By DARIO LOPEZ-MILLS
The Associated Press
BATTAMBANG, Cambodia -- I originally traveled here, the heartland of Cambodian kickboxing, to look for schools and fights to watch. When I arrived, all the kickboxers in town had gone.
I found out they were in Pailin, near the border with Thailand, for a series of matches against Thai opponents. For seven hours, I followed their trail on a dirt road.
Finally there, I found two people whom I read about in an Associated Press story in 2004: Sao Thin and his son, Sao Bunthoeun. They run a small, humble school in the city of Battambang.
I introduced myself to Sao Thin. He in turn, introduced me to his students, both male and female, who were to fight that night. The air was full of the traditional music used in the kickboxing matches.
And of course, there were fights.
Cambodians believe that kickboxing, or Pradal Serei, originated 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.
They believe that Pradal Serei predates Muay Thai, the Thai version of the kickboxing martial arts. The basis of this argument is the bas-relief left behind by early Khmers in the ancient temples of the Bayon. Nevertheless, there has been strong debate among Cambodia and Thailand as to the true origins of Southeast Asian kickboxing.
In 1975, kickboxing, as well as almost all forms of cultural expression, was banned by the Khmer Rouge, the extremist communist party that ruled Cambodia from 1975 to 1979. Many of Cambodia's top fighters were executed and the art of Khmer kickboxing was almost wiped out.
Slowly, Pradal Serei, or Khmer kickboxing, is making a comeback.
It is the national sport of Cambodia and fights are regularly televised. Many new schools have sprung up and the older ones that were shut down are slowly re-emerging with a new crop of young fighters.
From what I had read in the 2004 story, Sao Thin was struggling with meager resources to keep up his school. Not much has changed since. Sao Thin continues to struggle but has not given up.
This asap photo essay is a tribute to Sao Thin's efforts, as well as the efforts of Cambodia, to revive an art that was almost wiped out.
---
See the photogallery here: http://asap.ap.org/data/interactives/_sports/cambox/
I found out they were in Pailin, near the border with Thailand, for a series of matches against Thai opponents. For seven hours, I followed their trail on a dirt road.
Finally there, I found two people whom I read about in an Associated Press story in 2004: Sao Thin and his son, Sao Bunthoeun. They run a small, humble school in the city of Battambang.
I introduced myself to Sao Thin. He in turn, introduced me to his students, both male and female, who were to fight that night. The air was full of the traditional music used in the kickboxing matches.
And of course, there were fights.
Cambodians believe that kickboxing, or Pradal Serei, originated 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.
They believe that Pradal Serei predates Muay Thai, the Thai version of the kickboxing martial arts. The basis of this argument is the bas-relief left behind by early Khmers in the ancient temples of the Bayon. Nevertheless, there has been strong debate among Cambodia and Thailand as to the true origins of Southeast Asian kickboxing.
In 1975, kickboxing, as well as almost all forms of cultural expression, was banned by the Khmer Rouge, the extremist communist party that ruled Cambodia from 1975 to 1979. Many of Cambodia's top fighters were executed and the art of Khmer kickboxing was almost wiped out.
Slowly, Pradal Serei, or Khmer kickboxing, is making a comeback.
It is the national sport of Cambodia and fights are regularly televised. Many new schools have sprung up and the older ones that were shut down are slowly re-emerging with a new crop of young fighters.
From what I had read in the 2004 story, Sao Thin was struggling with meager resources to keep up his school. Not much has changed since. Sao Thin continues to struggle but has not given up.
This asap photo essay is a tribute to Sao Thin's efforts, as well as the efforts of Cambodia, to revive an art that was almost wiped out.
---
See the photogallery here: http://asap.ap.org/data/interactives/_sports/cambox/
1 comment:
It's time to kick Thai boxer. let them see the power of Cambodia boxer. They have been looking down upon us. they think they're smarter than us, but they never felt the pain that we do under khmer rouge. Now southern thailand start to rock Thailand to let them felt the war and paint.
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