From battlefield to sport arena: the rebirth of bokator
Filed Under Cambodia, Sport | 3834 Comments
Grand Master San Kim Sean conjures up images of King Jayavar man VII, the Buddhist ruler who united a war-torn Cambodia in the 12th century.
Sean says Jayavarman was an expert of the ancient Khmer martial art of bokator, and like Jayavarman, he is using bokator to make Cambodia great.
“Everything Jayavarman VII achieved came from bokator,” Sean said. “I cannot build temples as he did, but I follow in his footsteps. I want to make Cambodia great in the 21st century as he did in the 12th.”
Beginning on September 26, 2006, Sean came a little closer to achieving his aim. The first Khmer Bokator Championship was held over four frenetic days in Phnom Penh’s Olympic Stadium.
Attracting 307 participants, sizable audiences, and unprecedented levels of media attention, it has gone some way in furthering Sean’s dream of having Cambodia’s indigenous martial art recognized across the globe. Read more