Bokator
Cambodian martial arts
斗狮拳 · ボッカタオ
- Country of origin
- Cambodia
- Type
- martial arts, tradition
Bokator (Khmer: ល្បុក្កតោ, lbŏkkâtaô [lɓokatao]) or Kun Bokator (គុនល្បុក្កតោ, kun lbŏkkâtaô [kun lɓokatao], lit. 'the art of pounding the lion') is an ancient Cambodian battlefield martial art. It is one of the oldest fighting systems existing in the world and is recognised as intangible cultural heritage by UNESCO.
Oral tradition indicates that Bokator (or an early form thereof) was the close-quarter combat system used by the ancient Cambodian armies before the founding of Angkor, the capital city of the Khmer Empire. The martial art encompasses hand-to-hand, wrestling and weapon techniques.
External links
Facts from Wikidata Q1394188 (CC0); quoted introduction from English Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Data retrieved 2026-10-22.
Data: Wikidata (CC0 1.0); Wikipedia (English) (CC BY-SA 4.0). Retrieved 2026-10-22.