| Pradal Serey, or Khmer Boxing, means "free fighting | | | | schools in Phnom Penh. Far from being commercial |
| style" in Khmer language. It is believed to be the oldest | | | | operations, such schools were created by survivors, to |
| of South East Asia's ancient martial arts. Bas-reliefs at | | | | pass whatever was left of pradal serey to the new |
| the Bayon, in the ancient city of Angkor, show Khmer | | | | generations, thus keeping the country's heritage alive. |
| soldiers displaying combat techniques involving knees, | | | | Since 2003, Khmer boxing has been officially |
| elbows and kicks. Even though any written record of | | | | supported by the Government as an important part of |
| Khmer boxing had been lost for centuries, it is believed | | | | the Khmer heritage and it's attracting a growing |
| by the Cambodians that this was the army's standard | | | | number of young athletes. Professional fighters now |
| combat style at the time of the Khmer Empire's | | | | earn a living from sponsorships and cash prizes, but |
| maximum expansion (9th century AD). | | | | they're far behind their Thai counterparts in terms of |
| Pradal Serey, or Khmer Boxing, means "free fighting | | | | income. On average, a professional Khme boxer earns |
| style" in Khmer language. It is believed to be the oldest | | | | 20 USD a fight, plus some goods from the sponsors, |
| of South East Asia's ancient martial arts. Bas-reliefs at | | | | mostly Thai-based companies already involved in |
| the Bayon, in the ancient city of Angkor, show Khmer | | | | muay thai events in Thailand. |
| soldiers displaying combat techniques involving knees, | | | | Cambodian authorities have been very vocal about the |
| elbows and kicks. Even though any written record of | | | | history of their native martial art, especially with their |
| Khmer boxing had been lost for centuries, it is believed | | | | Thai neighbors. Whilst pradal serey was already |
| by the Cambodians that this was the army's standard | | | | around approximately one thousand years ago, no |
| combat style at the time of the Khmer Empire's | | | | such thing as muay thai, or even muay Siam, was |
| maximum expansion (9th century AD). | | | | recorded at the time. Moreover, they argue that when |
| Khmer boxing was on the verge of extinction, together | | | | the Khmer empire collapsed in the 12th century AD |
| with all forms of Khmer culture, during Pol Pot's Khmer | | | | and Angkor was abandoned to the jungle, Siamese |
| Rouge regime (1975-1979). In order to rapidly create a | | | | intruders captured Khmer soldiers and assimilated their |
| new, ultra-Maoist society based on an Utopian, | | | | captives' fighting style into their own army's standard. |
| agricultural life as in the centuries before, the Khmer | | | | Thus pradal serey is, according to Cambodians, the |
| Rouge announced Year Zero and systematically | | | | true ancestor of muay boran and so of muay thai! |
| destroyed the country's infrastructure. All "enemies of | | | | Don't tell this to a Thai, though... |
| the revolution" were executed. These included | | | | From a spectator's point of view, pradal serey |
| teachers, aristocrats, educated people, monks, doctors, | | | | appears very, very similar to muay thai. In truth, many |
| artists, foreign speaking Cambodians, actors, singers | | | | techniques derived from muay boran are actually |
| and Khmer boxing practitioners. Everybody else was | | | | known and permitted in muay thai professional bouts, |
| sent for re-education to labor camps upcountry, which | | | | but they are very rarely implemented. Cambodian |
| later became sadly known as the "killing fields". Millions | | | | fighters instead rely much more on elbws and knees, |
| died of starvation, diseases and summary executions. | | | | often performing stilish and graceful moves reminding |
| A big portion of the centuries-old Khmer cultural | | | | of muay boran forgotten moves. Khmer boxing is |
| heritage, including pradal serey and its teachers, | | | | exciting to watch, as it's faster and more technic than |
| disappeared in only four years. | | | | muay thai, without the brutality proper of Let Wei. |
| Following the country's slow recovery from the 20 | | | | Nowadays Pradal Serey has its own boxing circuit and |
| years-old civil war that erupted after the Khmer | | | | fights are televised on Cambodian Channel 3 and 5 on |
| Rouge were ousted by the Vietnamese in 1979, | | | | weekends. |
| Khmer boxing slowly resurfaced in small, private | | | | |