Bokator/Boxkator, or more formally, Labok Katao, Khmer martial art is possibly the predecessor of all Southeast Asian kickboxing styles. It is easy to believe that Bokator was the close quarter combat system used by the ancient armies of Angkor. The modern practioner of martial arts will recognise the more military style of Bokator. Angkoren Warriors will have been a key factor in enabling a succession of Angkorean Kings to dominate South East Asia for more than 600 years from 800 AD. Bokator may have indirectly held much of the responsibility for Cambodia's domination during that era. Popular belief is that Jayavarman VII, the ruler of the Khmer Empire, was a practitioner of Bokator.
Unlike kick boxing, which is a sport fighting art, Bokator was a soldier’s art, designed to be used on the battlefield. It can be considered a complete martial art, using a diverse array of elbow and knee strikes, shin kicks, submissions and ground fighting.
When fighting, Bokator practitioners still wear the uniforms of ancient Khmer armies. A kroma (scarf) is folded around their waist and blue and red silk cords called sangvar day, are tied around the combatants head and biceps. In the past it is said that the cords were enchanted to increase strength, although now they are just ceremonial.
The kroma (a cotton scarfe warn around the waste) shows the fighter’s level of expertise. The first grade is white, followed by green, blue, red, brown and then black which has 10 degrees.
The art contains 341 different styles based on the study of life in nature. For example horse, bird, dragon, eagle, crane. Each style contains several tecniques.
Reference; David P. Chandler, History of Cambodia. Chandler does not mention Bokator but does provide the best available picture of Angkor and early Cambodian history. Angkor was a city state of about 1,000,00 people when London was a population of 50,000. It was located in what is now north - western Cambodia.
Angkor was a wealthy empire that dominated South East Asia from 800 AD to 1400 AD. It was a Monarchy which ruled a vast heirachy of Officials, Elite, peasants and slaves and built some of the most spectaular buildings in the ancient world such as the famous Angkor Wat. The Ankorens were often at war, and often with their Cham neighbours from what is now the area surrounding Saigon in South Vietnam. Warriors fought hand to hand. Given this scenario is it easy to assume that some martial art was developed at this time.
The name Bokator is itself possibly an indicator of the age of Bokator. Pronounced bok - u -tow' (tow as in 'towel), 'tow' translates as Lion. There have never been lions in South East Asia. However lions were found in western India. Indian culture and philosophy was the major influence in Angkor.
All the great buildings of Ankgor are inscribed in Sanskrit and are devoted to Hindu Gods, notably Vishnu and Shiva. Religious life was dominated by Brahmins. The concept of the lion and of a martial art named 'striking a lion' will probably have coincided with the reign of the Angkorean Kings and during this Indian influence. The influence of the Brahmins diminished with the rise of Buddhism almost a thousand years ago.
Modern Decline and Revival: San Kim Sean (English name order: Sean Kim San) is largely credited with reviving Boxkator Khmer and is often referred to as the father of modern Bokator in Cambodia.
Unfortunately, during the Pol Pot regime (1975-1979) those who practiced traditional arts were either systematically exterminated by the Khmer Rouge, fled as refugees or stopped teaching and hid. After the Khmer Rouge Regime, the Vietnamese occupation of Cambodia began and the martial arts were completely outlawed.
During this time San Kim Sean had to flee Cambodia accused by the Vietnamese of teaching Hapkido and Bokator, which he was, and starting to form an army, which he wasn't.
Once in America he started teaching Hapkido at a local YMCA in Houston, Texas and later moved to Long Beach, California. After living in the United Sates and teaching and promoting Hapkido for a while. He found that no one had ever heard of Bokator. He left the United States in 1992 and returned home to Cambodia to give Boxkator back to his people and to do his best to make Bokator known to the world.
In 2001 moved back to Phnom Penh and after getting permission from the the new king began teaching Bokator to local youth. That same year in the hopes of bringing all of the remaining living masters together he began traveling the country, seeking out Bokator lakrus, or instructors, who had survived the regime. The few men he found were old ranging from sixty to ninety years of age and weary of 30 years of oppression; many were afraid to teach the art openly. After much persuasion and with government approval, the former masters relented, and Sean effectively reintroduced Boxkator to the Cambodian people.
The first ever National Bokator competition was held in Phnom Penh at the Olympic Stadium, from September 26 through the 29, 2006. The competition comprised of 20 lakrus leading teams from 9 provinces.
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