Kun Khmer
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. 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 derives from centuries-old traditions, namely Bokator, the close-quarter combat system used during the Khmer empire. The official Khmer name of the sport is Kbach Kun Pradal Khmer (Khmer: ក្បាច់គុនប្រដាល់ខ្មែរ [kʰɓac kun prɑɗal kʰmae] lit. 'Khmer Martial Art of Boxing').
| Also known as | Pradal Serey, Khmer Boxing, Kbach Kun Pradal Khmer |
|---|---|
| Focus | clinch fighting, strike (attack) |
| Hardness | full-contact |
| Country of origin | Cambodia |
| Famous practitioners | Eh Phouthong, Thun Sophea, Albert Veera Chey, Keo Rumchong, Meas Chantha, The Ouk family, Oumry Ban, Thoeun Theara |
| Parenthood | Bokator |
| Olympic sport | No |
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. The clinch is used to wear down the opponent. In the clinch, opponents battle for 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. In Kun Khmer, more victories come by way of an elbow technique than any other strikes.