Culture of Cambodia

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The culture of Cambodia has had a rich and varied history dating back many centuries and has been heavily influenced by India. In turn, Cambodia greatly influenced Thailand, Laos and vice versa. Throughout Cambodia's long history, a major source of inspiration was from religion. Throughout nearly two millennium, a Cambodians developed a unique Khmer belief from the syncreticism of indigenous animistic beliefs and the Indian religions of Buddhism and Hinduism. Indian culture and civilization, including its language and arts reached mainland Southeast Asia around the 1st century A.D. Its is generally believed that seafaring merchants brought Indian customs and culture to ports along the gulf of Thailand and the Pacific while trading with China. The first state to benefit from this was Funan. At various times, Cambodia culture also absorbed elements from Javanese, Chinese, Lao, and Thai cultures.

The majority of Cambodians (nearly 90%) are of Khmer heritage, and an even greater proportion speak Khmer the official language of Cambodia. Other languages spoken include French, Chinese, Vietnamese and English (which has become increasingly common).

Cambodia is predominantly Buddhist with 95% of the population being Theravada Buddhist, and the majority of the remaining population follow Islam, atheism, or animism.

Contents 1 History 2 Architecture 2.1 Apsaras and devatas 2.2 Blind doors and windows 2.3 Central sanctuary 2.4 Colonettes 2.5 Corbelling 2.6 Enclosures 2.7 Gallery 2.8 Gopura 2.9 Hall of Dancers 2.10 House of Fire 2.11 Library 2.12 Lintels and pediments 2.13 Nagas 2.14 Quincunx 2.15 Srahs and barays 2.16 Temple mountain 3 Customs 4 Wedding traditions 5 Music 6 Cuisine 6.1 Herbs 6.2 Spices 6.3 Kroeung 6.4 Vegetables 6.5 Fruits 6.6 Meats 6.7 Noodles 7 Dance 8 Classical Dance 9 Folk Dance 10 Vernacular Dance 11 Sports 12 The ancient sport of Bokator 12.1 Pradal Serey 12.2 History 13 Khmer Traditional Wrestling 14 Football 15 References 16 External links

[edit] History

The golden age of Cambodia was between the 9th and 14th century, during the Angkor period, during which it was a powerful and prosperous empire that flourished and dominated almost all of inland south east Asia. However, Angkor would eventually collapse after much in-fighting between royalty and constant warring with its increasingly powerful neighbors, notably Siam and Dai Viet. Many temples from this period however, like Bayon and Angkor Wat still remain today, scattered throughout Thailand, Cambodian, Laos, and Vietnam as a reminder of the grandeur of Khmer arts and culture. Cambodia's unparalleled achievements in art, architectures, music, and dance during this period have had a great influence on many neighboring kingdoms, namely Thailand and Laos. The affect of Angkorian culture can still be seen today in those countries, as they share many close characteristics with current-day Cambodia.

[edit] Architecture

Main article: Architecture of Cambodia

The Angkorian architects and sculptors created temples that mapped the cosmic world in stone. Khmer decorations drew inspiration from religion, and mythical creatures from Hinduism and Buddhism were carved on walls. Temples were built in accordance to the rule of ancient Khmer architecture that dictated that a basic temple layout include a central shrine, a courtyard, an enclosing wall, and a moat. Khmer motifs use many creatures from Buddhist and Hindu mythology, like the Royal Palace in Phnom Penh, use motifs such as the garuda, a mythical bird in the Hinduism.

The architecture of Cambodia developed in stages under the Khmer empire from 9th to the 15th century, preserved in many buildings of the Angkor temple. The remains of secular architecture from this time are rare, as only religious buildings were made of stone.

The architecture of the Angkor period used specific structural features and styles, which are one of the main methods used to date the temples, along with inscriptions.

[edit] Apsaras and devatas

Apsaras, or celestial dancing girls, originated in Indian mythology (in the story of the Churning of the Ocean of Mllk, or samudra manthan), but their widespread use as a motif for decorating the walls and pillars of temples and other religious buildings was a Khmer innovation. The term is sometimes used to refer not only to dancers but also to other minor female deities and heavenly nymphs, although minor female deities who are not depicted dancing are usually called devatas rather than apsaras. True (dancing) apsaras are found in the Halls of Dancers and are seen in bas-reliefs flying above sacred scenes, while the largest population of devatas (around 2,000) is at Angkor Wat, where they appear individually and in groups.

[edit] Blind doors and windows

Blind doors were typically used to balance true doorways. Shrines frequently opened only towards one direction: the other three sides featured blind doors to maintain symmetry. Blind windows were often used along otherwise blank walls.

[edit] Central sanctuary

The central sanctuary was home to the temple's primary deity, that to whom the site was dedicated. The god or Buddha, as appropriate, was represented by a statue (or in the case of Shiva, sometimes by a linga). As the temple was not place for worship by the population at large, the sanctuary needed only to be large enough to hold this statue; it was never more than a few metres across. Its importance was instead conveyed by the height of the tower above it, by its location at the centre of the temple (both indicative of the sanctuary's representing Mount Meru) and by the greater amount of decoration on its walls.

[edit] Colonettes

Colonettes were used as decoration on either side of doorways.

[edit] Corbelling

Rather than true arches, the Khmers used corbel arches. These were constructed by adding layers of stones to the walls on either side, with each layer projecting further towards the centre. This method, while adequate, made the temples particularly prone to collapse once the buildings were no longer maintained.

[edit] Enclosures

Khmer temples were typically enclosed by a concentric series of walls, with the central sanctuary in the middle; this arrangement represented the mountain ranges surrounding Mount Meru. The enclosures are numbered from the centre outwards. Galleries frequently ran along them, while passage through them was through gopuras at the cardinal points.

[edit] Gallery

The gallery was a passageway running along the wall of an enclosure or along the axis of a temple, often open to one or both sides. The form evolved during the 10th century from the increasingly long hallways which had earlier been used to surround the central sanctuary. During the later Angkor Wat period, additional half galleries on one side were introduced to buttress the structure of the temple.

[edit] Gopura

A gopura was an entrance building. Each enclosure of a temple usually had a gopura at each of the four cardinal points. In plan, they were most often cross-shaped, elongated along the axis of the enclosure wall; where the wall had a gallery, this could be connected to the arms of the gopura. Many gopuras had a tower at the centre of the cross. The lintels and pediments were often decorated, and guardian figures (dvarapalas) were often placed or carved on either side of the doorways.

[edit] Hall of Dancers

The Hall of Dancers is a type of structure found at Ta Prohm, Preah Khan, Banteay Kdei and Banteay Chhmar. It is a rectangular building elongated along the temple's east axis; and divided into four courtyards by galleries. The roofs were made of perishable materials and have disappeared. The pillars of the galleries are decorated with dancing apsaras, hence the presumption that the buildings were used for dancing.

[edit] House of Fire

The House of Fire, or Dharmasala, is found only in temples constructed during the reign of Jayavarman VII. It seems to have been a "rest house with fire" for travellers. An inscription at Preah Khan tells of 121 such rest houses lining the highways into Angkor. Perhaps also the House of Fire functioned as repository the sacred flame used in religious ceremonies. A House of Fire has thick walls, a tower at the west end and south-facing windows. Houses of Fire are found at Preah Khan, Ta Prohm and Banteay Chhmar.

[edit] Library

Structures commonly known as "libraries" are a common feature of Khmer temple architecture, but their purpose remains unknown. Most likely they functioned broadly as religious shrines rather than strictly as repositories of manuscripts. Freestanding buildings, they were normally placed in pairs on either side of the entrance to an enclosure, opening to the west.

[edit] Lintels and pediments

Because of their position at the point of entrance to the temple, lintels (horizontal blocks at the top of doorways) and pediments (triangular panels above the lintels) had particular significance in Khmer temple architecture. The decoration of lintels passed through a series of styles which provide a useful guide for the dating of temples; protective kalas, nagas and makaras were common motifs. Also frequently appearing were the gods associated with the direction in which the particular lintel faced.

[edit] Nagas

Mythical serpents, or nagas (often with five or seven heads), were commonly used as decorative motifs in Khmer architecture. Naga bridges were causeways or true bridges with nagas running down either side as balustrades. In some cases, as with the bridges at the entrances to Angkor Thom, the nagas were held by gods and demons as in the story of the Churning of the Ocean of Milk. The significance of the nagas may be as explained as bridges between the world of the gods and that of men, or as guardians of wealth.

[edit] Quincunx

The identification of the central sanctuary with Mount Meru was often emphasised by the inclusion of four towers surrounding the central prang in the form of a quincunx (Mount Meru having five peaks in this arrangement). The rectangular plan of the typical Khmer temple easily lent itself to this design. The quincunx also appears elsewhere in designs of the Angkor period, as in the riverbed carvings of Kbal Spean.

[edit] Srahs and barays

Srahs and barays were reservoirs, generally created by excavation and embankment respectively. The two largest at Angkor were the West Baray and the East Baray, located on either side of Angkor Thom. Temples were built in the middle of both of these (the West and East Mebons), while Neak Pean was built at the centre of Preah Khan's Jayatataka. It is not clear to what extent the significance of the reservoirs was religious, agricultural, or a combination of the two.

[edit] Temple mountain

Temple mountains took the form of representations of Mount Meru, home of the gods in Hindu mythology. The style was influenced by Indian temple architecture. The temples were built in a series of tiers, each shorter than the last to create an illusion of greater height. The first known example was Ak Yum, although very little of that structure now remains; others at Angkor were Bakheng, Bakong, Baphuon, Pre Rup, Ta Keo and most notably Angkor Wat. Each of these was in turn the state temple, and thus the religious centre of the whole empire.

[edit] Customs

Customary Cambodian teachings include: that if a person does not wake up before sunrise he is lazy; you have to tell your parents or elders where you are going and what time you are coming back home; close doors gently, otherwise you have a bad temper; sit with your legs straight down and not crossed (crossing your legs shows that you are an impolite person); and always let other people talk more than you.

Khmer culture is very hierarchical. The greater a person's age, the greater the level of respect that must be granted to them. Everyone in Khmer culture is given a hierarchical title before the name - in some cases names are shortened with the title added before the name is given - which varies in relation to the person. In some cases elders are referred to by a family title even though there is no relation, out of respect to their seniority in life. Referring to someone by the improper title is a sign of disrespect and would be assumed as improper parenting or a lack of respect for elders.

Main article: Cambodian clothing

Cambodians traditionally wear a checkered scarf called a "Krama". The "krama" is what distinctly separates the Khmer (Cambodians) from their neighbors the Thai, the Vietnamese, and the Laotians. The scarf is used for many purposes including for style, protection from the sun, an aid (for your feet) when climbing trees, a hammock for infants, a towel, or as a "sarong". A "krama" can also be easily shaped into a small child's doll for play. Under the Khmer Rouge, all Khmer were forced to wear a red checkered "krama".

In Khmer culture a persons head is believed to contain the persons soul therefore making it taboo to touch or point your feet at it. It is also considered to be extremely disrespectful to point or sleep with your feet pointing at a person, as the feet are the lowest part of the body and are considered to be impure.

One traditional Khmer belief taught by monks is that there are three types of delusions or addictions which will lead to the self destruction of a man which are

• women ("srey")
• alcohol ("srah"), and
• gambling ("la-baing").

Some Khmer men and women wear a Buddha pendant in a necklace fashion. There are different pendants for different uses; some are meant for protection from evil spirits, some are meant to bring good luck. However, women are only allowed to wear a Buddha pendant if she remains "pure," or a virgin. It is considered a sin for non-virgin Khmer Buddhist women to wear the pendant.

When greeting people or to show respect in Cambodia people do the "sampeah" gesture, identical to the Thai wai and similar to the Indian namaste.

[edit] Wedding traditions

The legend of Preah Thaong and Neang Neak explains many Khmer wedding customs, in which the groom carries the bride's scarf, symbolizing he is from afar and is marrying into her family. In contradiction to Indian wedding customs where the bride holds the groom's scarf, as the case for Khmer, the groom stays with the bride's family. In accordance with the Khmer wedding ritual weddings take three days. The bride and groom wear garments decorated with jewelery and are surrounded by family and guests. The bride and groom wear garments as a sign of respect to their parents and parents in law, both of which offer their blessing to the couples. They also pray to the monks for a happy life.

[edit] Music

Main article: Music of Cambodia

Especially in the 60s and 70s, the 'big two' duet of Sinn Sisamouth and Ros Sereysothea had been a large hit in the country. However after their deaths, new music stars have tried to bring back the music. Cambodian music has undergone heavy westernization.

The Cambodian pinpeat ensemble is traditionally heard on feast days in the pagodas. It is also a court ensemble used to accompany classical dance for ritual occasions or theatrical events. The pinpeat is primarily made up of percussion instruments: the roneat ek (high bamboo xylophone), roneat thung (low bamboo xylophone), kong vong touch and kong vong thom (small and large sets of tuned gongs), sampho (two-sided drum), skor thom (two large drums), and sralai (quadruple-reed instrument).

[edit] Cuisine

Main article: Cuisine of Cambodia

Khmer Cuisine is similar to that of its Southeast Asian neighbors. It is relatively unknown to the world compared to its neighbors but has been described as somewhat similar to Thai cuisine but less spicy. Many of the Khmers who knew how to cook authentic Khmer cuisine before the civil war were killed during the Khmer Rouge Regime.^[1] Cambodian cuisine also uses fish sauce widely in soups, stir-fried cuisine, and as dippings. Curry dishes known as kari (in Khmer, ការី) shows it's ties with Indian cuisine. Influences from Chinese cuisine can be noted in the use of many variations of rice noodles. Beef noodle soup known simply as Kuyteav (គុយទាវ) is a popular dish brought to Cambodia by its Chinese settlers. Also, Banh Chiao is the Khmer version of the Vietnamese Bánh xèo.

Khmer cuisine is noted for the use of prahok​​​​ (ប្រហុក), a type of fermented fish paste, in many dishes as a distinctive flavoring. When prahok is not used, it is likely to be kapǐ​ (កាពិ) instead, a kind of fermented shrimp paste. Coconut milk is the main ingredient of many Khmer curries and desserts. In Cambodia there is regular aromatic rice and glutinous or sticky rice. The latter is used more in dessert dishes with fruits such as durian. Almost every meal is eaten with a bowl of rice.

Typically, Cambodians eat their meals with at least three or four separate dishes. Each individual dish will usually be one of either sweet, sour, salty or bitter. Chili is usually left up to the individual to add themselves. In this way Cambodians ensure that they get a bit of every flavor to satisfy their palates.

[edit] Herbs

Many herbs are used in Khmer cuisine are showcased in Khmer spring rolls known as naem (ណែម) which is also a Khmer version of the Vietnamese "nem". The herbs used are usually perilla, basil, heartleaf (Houttuynia cordata), Vietnamese coriander (Polygonum odoratum), and Chinese chives (Allium tuberosum). Coriander (Coriandrum sativum) is used mainly as a garnish for many served-hot dishes such as beef noodle soup and bo bor (in Khmer,), a type of congee.

[edit] Spices

Prior to the 16th century the chili was relatively unknown in Asia until the arrival of the Portuguese.^[2] It was a great many years before chili was introduced to Cambodia. Tamarind, now commonly found in the form of a soup base, is a common ingredient in sour dishes such as samlar machu . Star anise is a must when caramelizing meats in palm sugar such as pork in the dish known as pak lov. Turmeric, galangal, ginger, lemongrass and Kaffir lime leaves are essential spices in Khmer cooking^[3], Khmer stews, and nearly all curries.

[edit] Kroeung

From India, by way of Java, Cambodians have been taught the art of blending spice paste using cardamom, star anis, cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg , ginger and turmeric. Other native ingredients such as lemongrass, galangal, garlic, shallots, cilantro, rhizome and kaffir lime leaves are added to these spices to make a most unusual and complex spice blend called "kroeung" which is a very important and aromatic paste commonly used in Cambodian Cooking^[4]. This herbal paste is the base flavor of countless Khmer dishes^[5], often dubbed as the Kroeung Dishes because any dish prepared using Kroeung will have the word Kroeung attached. Using Kroeung (គ្រឿង) is a must when it comes to preparing Kroeung Dishes. Some examples include Tirk Kroeung vegetable platter with Kroeung dipping paste. Another example can be Cha Kroeung, stir-fried ground chicken, beef, pork, or cow tongue with Kroeung used as the seasoning.

[edit] Vegetables

Many vegetables used in Khmer cuisine are also used in Chinese cuisine. Unusual vegetables such as winter melon, bitter melon, luffa, and yardlong bean can be found in soups and stews. Oriental squash can be stewed, stir fried or sweetened and steamed with coconut milk as a dessert. Vegetables such as mushrooms, cabbage, baby corn, bamboo shoots, fresh ginger, Chinese broccoli, snow peas, and bok choy are commonly used in many different stir fry dishes simply known as chha (ឆា). Banana blossoms are sliced and added to some noodle dishes like nom banh chok.

[edit] Fruits

Fruits in Cambodia are so popular that they have their own royal court. The durian is considered the King, the mangosteen the queen, sapodilla the prince and the princess as the "milk fruit" (phlai teuk doh ko). Other popular fruits include: the jan fruit, kuy fruit, romduol, pineapple, rose apple, jackfruit, papaya, watermelon, banana, mango and rambutans. Although fruits are usually considered deserts, some fruits like mangoes and pineapples are eaten with rice as main dishes. Fruits are also made into beverages, mostly shakes, popular fruits for shakes are durian, mangoes, bananas.

[edit] Meats

Fish is the most common form of meat in Khmer cuisine. Dried salted fish known as trei ngeat (ត្រីងៀត) are a favorite with plain rice porridge. The popular Khmer dish called amok uses a kind of catfish steamed in a savoury coconut based curry. Pork is quite popular in making sweet Khmer sausages known as twah ko (ត្វារគោ). Beef and chicken are stewed, grilled or stir fried. Seafood include an array of shellfish such as clams, cockles as well as crayfish, shrimp and squid. Lobsters are not commonly eaten because of their price, but middle class and rich Cambodians enjoy eating them at Sihanoukville. Duck roasted in Chinese char siu style is popular during festivals. Unusual meats include frog, turtle, and various arthropods like tarantulas, but would be difficult to find in Khmer cuisine abroad, but are enjoyed as everyday delights in Cambodia.

[edit] Noodles

Many elements of Cambodian noodle dishes were inspired by Chinese and Vietnamese cooking^[6] despite maintaining a unique Khmer variation. Prohok is never used with noodle dishes. Rice stick noodles are used in Mee Katang (មីកាតាំង), which is a Cambodian variation of Chow Fun. Unlike the Chinese styled Chow Fun, the noodles are plated under the stir fry beef and vegetables and is topped off with scrambled eggs. Burmese style noodles (មីកូឡា - Mee Kola) is a vegetarian dish made from thin rice stick noodles and steamed cooked with soy sauce and garlic chives. It is served with pickled vegetables Jroak (ជ្រក់), julienned eggs, and sweet garlic fish sauce garnished with crushed peanuts. Mi Cha (មីឆា) is sweet egg noodles stir fried with pork and cabbages.

[edit] Dance

Main article: Dance of Cambodia

Cambodian Dance can be divided into three main categories, classical dance which developed in the royal courts, folk dances which portray everyday life, and vernacular dances which are danced for social functions.

[edit] Classical Dance

Main article: Khmer classical dance

Khmer classical dance, also known as Khmer royal ballet or Khmer court dance, is a form of Cambodia dance originally performed only for royalty. It is called robam preah reachea trop in the Khmer language, which means 'dances of royal wealth.'

The dances have many elements in common with Thai classical dance, most likely a result of the royal Khmer court exchanging culture with the royal Thai court throughout the post-Angkor era. Khmer and Thai classical dance costumes once looked very similar to each other, but Khmer dance and costume have gone under slight changes and reforms brought on by the former Queen of Cambodia, Kossamak Nearireath. During the mid-20th century, it was introduced to the public where it now remains a celebrated icon of Khmer culture, often being performed during public events, holidays, and for tourists visiting Cambodia.

[edit] Folk Dance

Folk dances here refer to a performing art where it is performed for an audience. Khmer folk dances are fast-paced. The movements and gestures are not as stylized as Khmer classical dance. Folk dancers wear clothes of the people they are portraying such as Chams, hill tribes, farmers, and peasants. Some folk dances are about love, or are folktales about animals. The folk dance music is played by a mahori orchestra, which is similar to a pinpeat orchestra except that it contains many stringed and plucked instruments and a type of flute in place of the sralai (an oboe-like instrument).

[edit] Vernacular Dance

In Cambodia, vernacular dance (or social dance) are dances which are danced at social gatherings. Such dances include ram vong, ram kbach, ram saravan, lam leav (literally: "Lao dance") and so on. Some of these dances have much influence from the traditional dances of Laos. But rom kbach, for example, take heavily from the classical dance of the royal court. Rom kbach is a simple dances which uses hand gesture similar to that of classical dance and rom kbach song also utilize the melodies of classical dance songs and combine them with traditional Khmer and Western instruments.

Other social dances from around the world have had an impact on Cambodian social culture include the Cha-cha, Bolero, and the Madison. Such dances are often performed at Cambodian wedding receptions and banquets.

[edit] Sports

Main article: Sport in Cambodia

Cambodia has increasingly become involved in sports over the last 30 years.

Football is popular as is martial arts in particular. The martial arts of Bokator, Pradal Serey (Khmer kick boxing) and Khmer traditional wrestling are all practised in the country.

[edit] The ancient sport of Bokator

Main article: Bokator

Bokator/Boxkator, or more formally, Labok Katao(which means wielding a wooden stick to fight lions) (ល្បុក្កតោ), is an ancient Khmer martial art said to be the predecessor of all Southeast Asian kickboxing styles. Depicted in bas reliefs at Angkor Wat, Bokator was the close quarter combat system used by the ancient Angkor army. Bokator bears much of the responsibility for Cambodia's domination during the Angkorean era. It is believed that Jayavarman VII, the illustrious ruler of the Khmer Empire, was a practitioner of Bokator. Bokator weaves together Cambodia's ancient religious traditions of Buddhism and Brahmanism.

Unlike kick boxing, which is a sport fighting art, Boxkator was a soldier’s art, designed to be used on the battlefield. It can be considered a complete martial art, using strikes, throws, drags, trapping, locking, and some elements of ground fighting. Every single part of the body can be used as a weapon. Boxkator practitioners are trained to strike with knees, hands, elbows, feet, shins, and head. Even the shoulders, hip, jaw, and fingers can be used to fight an opponent to submission or death.

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 shows the fighter’s level of expertise. A series of grades, each taking at least five months to complete training seven days a week and 2 hours a day, are represented by different colors.

The first grade is white, followed by green, blue, red, brown and then black which has 10 degrees.

After completing their initial training, fighters wear a Black Kroma (scarf) for at least another ten years. To attain the Gold Kroma you must be a true master and must have done something great for Boxkator. And to become a true master it will definitely take some time as just in the unarmed portion of the art there are between 8000 and 10000 different techniques; only 1000 of which you have to learn to attain the black kroma.

The art contains 341 different styles some of which are the duck, crab, horse, bird, dragon, eagle, crane, wind, fire, water, earth (or stone,) king monkey, lion, elephant, apsara (traditional Hindu sacred nymph), and crocodile.

Because of its visually similar style, Bokator (Boxkator) is commonly wrongly described as a variant of modern kick boxing. Bokator has many forms based on styles as well as straight practical fighting techniques. While Pradal Serey is a more simplified freestyle fighting system which uses a few of the basic (white kroma) punching, elbow, kicking and kneeing techniques

[edit] Pradal Serey

Main article: Pradal Serey

Pradal Serey or Traditional Khmer boxing is a popular sport in Cambodia. 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.

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.

[edit] History

Styles of boxing have been practiced in Southeast Asia since ancient times. In the Angkor era, both armed and unarmed martial arts were practiced by the Khmers. Evidence shows that a style resembling Pradal Serey existed around the 9th century. 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.

At this time, the kingdom of Angkor dominated and controlled most of what is now Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos.^[7]This leads the Khmer to believe that Pradal Serey predates other Southeast Asian forms 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. ^[8] There have been heated debates between nations about the true origins of South East Asian kickboxing.

[edit] Khmer Traditional Wrestling

Main article: Khmer Traditional Wrestling

A traditional Khmer wrestling match consists of three rounds. A round may be won by forcing an opponent to his back. A wrestler wins the match by winning two of the three rounds. After each round the loser is asked if he wishes to continue with the match.

Wrestlers participate in pre-match ritual dancing before the match. The match is accompanied by the music of two drums (called Skor Ngey and Chhmol, "female drum" and "male drum").

Traditional matches are held during the Khmer New Year and other Cambodian holdiays.

[edit] Football

The Cambodian Football Federation is the governing body of football in Cambodia, controlling the Cambodian national team. It was founded in 1933, and has been a member of FIFA since 1953 and the Asian Football Confederation since 1957.

Phnom Pehn National Olympic Stadium is the national stadium with a capacity of 50,000 in Phnom Penh.

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• The portal of the Khmer culture, MONOROOM.info
• Cambodia Cultural Profile (Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts/Visiting Arts)
• Center For Khmer Studies
• Wats of Cambodia

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