siem reap city – San Kim Sean was smiling on Saturday as he entered the arena at the elephant corral in the Angkor temple complex amid a throng of cheering fans.
A martial arts grandmaster, Mr Kim Sean had a vision of resurrecting the long-lost Khmer mixed martial art of bokator, and he was moments away from the sport’s first series of international bouts.
Followed by more than 50 students, the grandmaster paraded around the corral atop an elephant, waving to the crowd. Television crews from as far away as France were in place to film as one of Cambodia’s oldest traditions took the stage. For Grandmaster Kim Sean, it was a dream come true.
It was France versus Cambodia: five of France’s most promising martial artists against Cambodia’s best. The French fighters were ready. They came small in numbers—just the five plus a small entourage of trainers and supporters. But what they lacked in numbers, they made up for in stature and superior strength. Some had less than two weeks of experience in bokator, but it did not matter. They were trained professionals, and it showed: five fighters, five fights, five decisive victories.
Before the predominantly Cambodian spectators even knew what hit them, it all seemed to be over. Four of the five fights ended in the first round, with one bloodied and bruised Khmer fighter after another signaling to a referee that he had had enough.
“It is not an even fight,” said French coach Philippe Sebire, who will be starting a bokator academy in the Cardamom mountains in Kampot province in October. “We sincerely wanted the Khmers to win a few, but they are poor and don’t have the proper meals and training. In boxing, we are a family, not enemies.”
Mr Sebire is the father of one of the victorious fighters, Benjamin Sebire.
After three matches, the downtrodden fans were hungry for a strong performance by a home-team fighter. It finally came when 25-year-old, two-time national champion Say Tevin took to the arena.
With the sound of the whistle, the Siem Reap-born fighter took to the 19-year-old Jordan Gomez from Marseilles in a whirlwind of punches and knee kicks. It was a high-energy affair. As the crowd roared, both fighters were dropping to the ground in a series of body locks and hold maneuvers while momentum swung to one fighter, then the other. At the end of the three-round bout, Mr Gomez was declared the winner. But the crowd paid homage to Mr Tevin, a fighter who gave it his best.
After the fight, Mr Tevin rushed to the exit, disappointed by the result, but said he would do better next year.
Despite the lopsided results, Grandmaster Kim Sean remained in high spirits.
“Today was a great win for bokator and a proud day for Cambodia,” he said. “Our fighters did not have enough time to build up their bodies, and also to eat,” he said, adding that he thought the fighters looked tired. “Next year, though, we want to do it all again, and we hope to have the privilege to do it.”
