San Kim Sean
Grandmaster San Kim Sean’s story is marked by tragedy and survival. He escaped death in the Cambodian genocide (1975-1979) but was incapable of saving his two young children, from which he vowed to never again be powerless. He fled Cambodia to train and teach martial arts in exile, but decades later returned upon learning that Bokator was unknown to young Cambodians and was vanishing. Combing the countryside, he sought out surviving Bokator masters, gaining their support and knowledge. He opened the doors of the Bokator Academy in the capital of Phnom Penh, struggling to train and maintain a dedicated group of young instructors to carry the sport forward into the 21st century. Today in his 70’s, Grandmaster’s fight to ‘survive Bokator’ continues, with the concern that many of the ancient techniques will pass away with the genocide generation.
Grandmaster San Kim Sean’s story is marked by tragedy and survival. He escaped death in the Cambodian genocide (1975-1979) but was incapable of saving his two young children, from which he vowed to never again be powerless. He fled Cambodia to train and teach martial arts in exile, but decades later returned upon learning that Bokator was unknown to young Cambodians and was vanishing. Combing the countryside, he sought out surviving Bokator masters, gaining their support and knowledge. He opened the doors of the Bokator Academy in the capital of Phnom Penh, struggling to train and maintain a dedicated group of young instructors to carry the sport forward into the 21st century. Today in his 70’s, Grandmaster’s fight to ‘survive Bokator’ continues, with the concern that many of the ancient techniques will pass away with the genocide generation.
