Kun Khmer (Khmer: គុនខ្មែរ [kun kʰmae] lit. 'Khmer Martial Art'), or Pradal Serey (Khmer: ប្រដាល់សេរី [prɑɗal seːrəj] lit. 'Free Boxing'), is a combat sport that originated in Cambodia.[3] The sport consists of stand up striking and clinch fighting, where the objective is to knock an opponent out, force a technical knockout, or win a match by points. The sport was codified in Cambodia by the French colonial administration in the early 20th century, and was derived from centuries-old traditions, namely Bokator, the close-quarter combat system used during the Khmer empire.[4][5] The official Khmer name of the sport is Kbach Kun Pradal Khmer (Khmer: ក្បាច់គុនប្រដាល់ខ្មែរ [kʰɓac kun prɑɗal kʰmae] lit. 'Khmer Martial Art of Boxing').[1]
Kun Khmer is most well-known for its kicking technique, which generates power from hip rotation rather than snapping the leg. Kun Khmer consists of four types of strikes: punches, kicks, elbows, and knee strikes.[6] The clinch is used to wear down the opponent. In the clinch, opponents battle for the dominant position for short range strikes by way of elbows and knees. Cambodian fighters tend to utilize more elbow strikes than that of other martial arts in the region.[7] In Kun Khmer, more victories come by way of an elbow technique than any other strikes.
Kun Khmer developed from the ancient Khmer martial arts, now commonly referred to as Bokator. Dating back to the 1st century AD,[8] the martial arts in Cambodia are deeply rooted in the country's history, and are depicted in the various bas-reliefs of the Angkor period.[9] During the early 20th century, the local martial traditions were codified by the French administration, giving birth to Pradal Serey, now more widely known as Kun Khmer. Boxing matches were originally fought in dirt pits with limited rules, while hands were wrapped in rope.[4] From 1920 to 1930, it was common for boxing matches to result in deaths. In order to avoid the fatal casualties, the French set up a series of rules that combined Western boxing with Khmer boxing. The introduction of boxing rings, rounds, and gloves, as well as the prohibition of life-threatening techniques, transformed the local martial arts into a sport. With those new sets of rules, French and Khmer boxers would compete against each other in tournaments.[10] In the 1960s, Cambodian boxing promoters held inter-martial arts exhibitions.[11]
During the chaos of the Vietnam War, Cambodia was undergoing its own civil war. On April 17, 1975, the Maoist Communist rebels, the Khmer Rouge, overthrew the government of the Khmer Republic then-led by Lon Nol. The Khmer Rouge's plan was to eliminate modern society, and create an agrarian utopia.[12] The Khmer Rouge executed educated people, others who had ties to the old government, or anyone who was believed to be “advantaged” by the old society (doctors, teachers, soldiers, actors, singers, boxers, etc.), and forced the remaining Khmer population into labor camps—in which many died of starvation and diseases—to be re-educated under the new government. Traditional martial arts were banned at this time, and many boxers were executed or worked to death, which nearly caused the demise of Kun Khmer. An estimated 1.7 million Cambodians, or 21% of the population, died during the Khmer Rouge regime, according to the studies of the Cambodia Genocide Program of Yale University.[13] This despotic subjugation lasted for four years until 1979, when the Vietnamese, along with ex-Khmer Rouge officers, including former prime minister Hun Sen, overthrew the Khmer Rouge. During the relative peace since the departure of the Vietnamese and the re-establishment of the Kingdom of Cambodia, the country's traditional arts were revived, including Kun Khmer.[14]
Kun Khmer made a strong comeback since its prohibition in the 1970s.[15] Cambodia has made an effort to popularise its style of boxing, despite the lack of financial funding. Numerous gyms have opened, and large masses of students, local and foreign, have come to train in Cambodia. There are weekly matches held, the majority televised live, and many of Cambodia's best have traveled internationally to compete. There are currently approximately 70 boxing clubs nationwide.[16] In 1987, one of the first Kun Khmer schools abroad opened in the United States. It was started by a former national champion by the name of Oumry Ban in Cambodia Town, Long Beach,
