Its Kawmyout, Not Bokator

Joined: Nov 28, 2005 Posts: 25 Location: santa ana

Meet Vireak Sung folks. At 22 years old and weighing a mere 59 kilograms, he is the best fighter in Cambodia. Recently he was attacked by six thugs wielding samurai swords that tried to kill him for fame. He beat all of them and walked away with barely a scratch. Vireak is a practitioner of traditional Khmer martial arts called kawmyout.The word \"kawmyout\" is derived from the Kawm ethnic group who were the first practitioner of this style of martial arts. \"Yout\" is short for \"brawyout\" meaning to engage in battle. Kawmyout is the collective word for all Khmer combat methods. There are 13 known fighting methods separated into \"twear\" or \"gates\". Each gate is a completely different style of fighting from the other and often involves the use of different weapons. For example, gate 5 are sword techniques and gate 10 and 11 are grappling techniques. Most teachers of Kawmyout do not tell their students that gate 13 exists until they are sure those students have mastered the first 12 gates and of good moral character. Gate 13 is the ultimate technique, it is the use of magic.

Magic and martial arts are interwined in Khmer culture. When I was given this information by a council of elders who have their own martial arts school, I was not surprised. I remember watching Grawper Charavan, movie made in the 1960s. The antagonist, Charavan, and the protagonist, Grai Taung, were friends at a martial arts academy taught by a sage. The students were forbidden from entering the chamber of the sage where a book of magic was stored. Charavan snuck into his master\'s room to learn magic in secret. He became powerful and arrogant, which led to his demise. Magic wielding heroes are common in Khmer stories and myths. But even real people throughout Khmer history were said to have magical powers. There are Dejo Dahmden, Kliang Maung, and King Jayavarman VII to name some. Whether magic is real or merely a fool\'s trick is the up to the individual to believe. However, on cannot deny mysticism of Khmer martial arts.

The Discovery Channel\'s Fight Quest did a grave injustice to Khmer martial arts. They featured a charlatan name Kim San as the premiere bokator master. Kim San is a practitioner of Hapkido for over 25 years, he even said it himself. He never learned traditional Khmer martial arts so there is no way he can be an authority on what he has never mastered. It was a mistake of Fight Quest to feature him. But the worst that was done was calling Khmer martial arts bokator and allowing Kim San to tell his fairy tale about a villager crushing a lion with a knife. Le bokator is simply saying \"the bokator\" in French. There is no \"le\" before a noun in the Khmer language. So why do some ignorant people call khmer martial arts bokator? It is simple. Bokator is a weapon held in the arms like a gauntlet (glove) that is made from wood or bamboo and plated with iron. It is fast and excellent for close combat. Bokator is a popular weapon used by Khmer Issarack in their struggle to free Cambodia from French colonialism. This is why some people were led to believe that Khmer martial arts is called Le Bokator when it is not. It is Kawmyout.

BTW ladies, Vireak Sung is single and seeking sponsorship to fight in the US. He would make a fine catch for one lucky woman.

Joined: Nov 13, 2005 Posts: 2710

Cool,another inspiration to the generation. Keep it up. Very Happy

Joined: Oct 26, 2006 Posts: 262

he's perfect for a bodyguard!
_________________
baby let's chill !*~gigglez~*!

Joined: Mar 27, 2009 Posts: 19

Wow....!! Pukaeh main, som sorseur!!! Jis kbach kun boraan taeh saouk kud ott boraan daouch kbach kun te....hehehhee LOLz Bunhtaeh....nov taeh louy!!! Wink

13aby....neak kapeah bessdoung rir??

Joined: Oct 26, 2006 Posts: 262

Joined: Mar 27, 2009 Posts: 19

Ooohhh....kloun pran daeh rir proleung?? Auy yerng som mouy jomnaehk phong ban te?
Remember this song....we used to sing together?? "Auy som bessdoung mouy jomnaehk phong na bong na, Kroh mien veasna avey mliss te....Jeat pros taeh mouy sombo dauy mun snaeh....srey na kor jong daeh"....hahahaha lolz (u know I make up the last part)....hahahha Laughing