Kropeu Ha, Kla Krap and Srongea Pen Are Styles of Khmer Wrestling

Mr. Seng Bunsong, the Elder Khmer martial arts master and the former Khmer martial artist in the 1980s, explained that, the Khmer wrestling today comes from the word Pro Chab (catching), the style of Monkey, which had become Khmer Wresthling. Due to seeing by this elder Khmer martial arts master, wrestling style or style of Monkey (Pro Chab) has three main styles such as: Kropeu Ha style, Kla Krap style and Srongea Pen style.

According to the Khmer dictionary of Samdech Sanghareach Chuon Nat, the word “Chambap (Wrestling)” means, there are two persons or more persons wrestling each other. For example, Chambab or Pro Chab each other (wrestling each other) or overthrow by technique or force.

The above explanation is similar to the actions and images of wrestling, which are a combination of techniques and physical strength that each athlete must have rules and regulations of competition properly and as like as the international condition.

Mr. Seng Bunsong explained the difference between the words “Snieut (technique)” and “kbach (style)”, “Snieut Kun” it refers to “Me Kun” or the principle of the martial arts.

For “Kbach Kun” is a separate element from “Snieut Kun”. For example, Kbach Kropeu Ha, Kbach kla krap and Kbach Srongea Pen are styles of Monkey Pro Chab or Khmer wrestling.

This elder martial arts master told that: Khmer wrestling has been existed for a long time, and he has depended on some sculptures and evidence at Angkor Wat. Mr. Seng Bunsong explained that, Khmer wrestling is modeled after the monkey styles, which are agile. The Khmer wrestling style was originally called “Snieut Monkey Pro Chab (monkey wrestling)” by ancient martial arts practitioners.

This elder martial arts master said: “In the ancient rules, we have the monkey gripping technique. The reason why monkeys are used in this style is because monkeys are fast and can catch quickly, dodge fast and turn quickly. The monkeys dodge fast, the front and back moves are fast. So, the style of monkeys Pro Chab become to be Cham Bab (Wrestling).”

Cham Bab (Wrestling) or Pro Chab (Catching) has many arguments and evidence in some temples, especially in the Temples of territory of Siem Reap province. Khmer wrestling style is a combination of three main styles: Kropeu Ha Style, Kla Krab Style, and Srongea Pen Style. This is according to Mr. Seng Bunsong.

This elder martial arts Master has further explained that, when the crocodile opens its mouth (Kropeu Ha), it remains still in one place, but when a crocodile attacks, it will bite, twist and turn to kill and eat. As for Kla Krab Style (Crouching Tiger), Mr. Bunsong explained that if the tiger crouches down, it does not act, but if the tiger attacks, it jumps and tears its prey. As for the Cobra (Srongea Pen Style), if it only rounds its body, it is not active, but when writhing, it twists and grabs its prey.

"We talk about the crocodile action. If a crocodile opens its mouth, it doesn't do anything. But if a crocodile attacks, then the crocodile is active. The crocodile jumps out of the water and grabs the animal and drags the prey into the water. The same a tiger, when attacking its prey, it bites and kills the animal, tearing it apart and eating its prey. The snake is also the same. When it catches its prey, it starts to writhe. Srongea Pen means this snake. In our martial arts, it is the same." Mr. Seng Bunsong explained this.

The Ancient Khmer martial arts and techniques are related to wild animals, and some of the techniques, styles, and martial arts have taken the names of those animals and to be named as techniques, styles and martial arts. And some others used animals as characters in the Reamker story to call them. For example, Hanuman (Monkey) lifts the mountain, Tupi loses his horn, a buffalo hides his calf, an elephant goes on a journey for love, Hanuman conquers Langka city...etc.

For naming of the martial arts are associated with some of these animals, Mr. Seng Bunsong explained that, this is because the Khmer ancestors from ancient times lived with wild animals and learned those martial arts according to the characteristics of each animal.

“People, our ancestors, had lived in the forest, were lived with animals. At first, animals persecuted them, and then they learned from the animals and killed them. Tigers live on land, crocodiles live in water, and snakes live in trees. In their lives, they had to live and learn to understand these three animals. In our martial arts, we cannot end with just this catching, but it must end with things like as strangling the neck, breaking the arm, or hitting the knee, or locking the knee, or breaking the elbow and heel. This is in the Srongea Pen style, such as pinning the leg and the leg-locking style. These three techniques cannot be missing. Kropeu Ha, Kla Krab and Srongea Pen, these three styles cannot be missing.” The elder master explained this.