Written by: Chim Linna
The martial art of Bokator was created more than 1000 years ago, even before the Angkorian period, and it has approximately 8000 to 10000 techniques. But in this day and age, most Cambodian people know almost nothing about this great martial art, others do not even believe that we have a martial art of our own.
Therefore a question mark immediately appears. The Khmer martial art Bokator contains a comprehensive list of techniques and styles, at least as many as the Chinese martial art Kung Fu, yet the majority of Cambodians know nothing of this fearsome art. Why is a complete system of fighting less famous than the simplified sport of Kun Khmer, traditional Khmer kick boxing?
The ancient Khmer martial arts are very important as they are a reflection of what was achieved in the past, how one people can survive without modern weapons such as missiles, explosives or even guns and yet still build an empire that had as its capital the largest pre-industrial city in the world.
