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Published: March 28th 2012
My time in Phnom Penh was characterized by sports I had never seen before - kick boxing and shuttlecock.
I was lucky to be in Phnom Penh on a Saturday because that is the day that kick-boxing matches are held throughout the afternoon. Surprisingly they are free, as they are paid for through the TV rights and sponsorships. Before Phnom Penh, I had never even considered going to watch a fight and wasn't sure what I would think of it. I didn't know if I would find it exciting or would be horrified by the violence.
By the end of the first match I was hooked. The way that it works is that the boxers have to fight along to music. As the music gets faster, the fight gets faster. This builds up the anticipation and by the fifth and final round it is non-stop action. I was amazed that some of the fighters stayed on their feet. The blows they were taking and giving should have knocked them flat, but nothing seemed to hold them back - even blood dripping down their faces and a few misplaced kicks ot the family jewels (the ref
did call a pause each time the latter occured) didn't stop them. It was one of the most exhilirating afternoons I have had, and I suspect I will be attending more kickboxing if I get the chance, both while over here and at home.
After the kickboxing, we headed back into the heart of the city to wonder along the river near the palace. One of the main things we wanted to see was not the palace, but instead the competitive shuttlecock players that gather by the water. I've played the game in China, and have always thought of it as hackie sack with feathers (at least, that's how we played it). Watching these men play it makes it truly look like the sport that it is. Instead of just kicking the shuttlecock around, the group of men were sending it flying with kicks from behind there back, elbow hits, and target hits where it flew between a circle made with their arms before being kicked by a foot that hurled the shuttlecock back through the arm-hole it had just come. Men were catching it with their backs, and immitating scorpions, never missing a turn. It was
fun to watch and was the perfect compliment to the earlier kickboxing.
We ended the evening with a nice meal (I have developed a love for Cambodian cuisine, but more on that in the next blog) and then headed to a "mini-bar" that some locals and backpackers staying long-term created. They rented the driveway in front of a store and created a temporary bar with small plastic chairs and music from an ipod. even though the space could only fit about 10 comfortably, as the hours went on the party spilled into the street. It was a great way to end the day.
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non-member comment
Kickboxing???
really???