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By: Unknown on: 12:36 AM

Top 10 Best Car seats And associates 2015 Reviews

Top 10 Best Car Seats And Associates 2015 Reviews

Are you looking for the best car seat that delivers with exceptional professionalism? Have you been wondering from one place to another looking for a top-notch car seat that converts? Is your quest for a quality car seat that counts? Well, if all these inquisitions are creating a problem on your mind, then you have come to the right place. Prior to selecting the best car seats and associates in 2015, it is important to consider certain condition. This can be found in the likes of recommendation rates, satisfaction and just to mention a few. Reading through the top 10 best car seats & associates 2015 reviews, you are sure to find the right option.

10. Graco Affix Highback Booster Seat

The product is specially designed for grown up children. It is a stylish and safe booster seat recommended for children between 30-100 lbs. The Graco Affix comes with several unique features that parents and children love. When talking about safety, the product surpasses the US standards. It is easy to install and use. However, it also comes with a unique feature called the self-buckle function for children. This function ensures that children remain independent when using the product. Graco Affix unleashes cup holders, bold colors, and comfortable fabrics. These features make it a great hit with children as well. The product is one of the cheapest to find in the marketplace.

[Azonasinid asinid="B00AHVR7ZI"]​

9. RECARO Performance Sport Harness To Booster Seat

 

RECARO booster seat is recommended for children between 20-120 pounds. Studies have shown that the product comes with race inspired safety properties. This includes HERO harness system, full side impact protection, and a safety strip unit. The product offers world-class protection and surpasses all new safety standards. There are great features that you can discover when purchasing the product. This can be found in the likes of air mesh ventilation, padded memory foam, cooling fabrics, cup holders and just to mention a few.

[Azonasinid asinid="B00B507DN6"]​
8. The First Years Compass B540 Booster Seat

The product is the best that you can find fewer than 100 dollars. It comes with great features of usability, comfort, and safety. The product is basically designed for children having weights between 30-100 lbs. It comes with height adjust feature that can help your children grow normal. Another great feature of the product is the 2 convenient retractable cup holders. This feature often keeps your baby happy.

[Azonasinid asinid="B006JW9P9U"]

7. Britax Marathon G4.1 Convertible Car Seat



The product remains that newest line of kid's safety seats from Britax. The product comes with all the great features of the G3, but with some extra properties. This can be found in the likes of a HUGS harness system, a new insert for infants up to 22 lbs, a line and just to mention a few.

[Azonasinid asinid="B00G34TIDW"]​

6. Peg Perego Premium Convertible Car Seat

Among parents, this product is one of the highest rated convertible car seats. Though, it is expensive but comes with great features that you can always rely on, time and again. The product unleashes great features such as crumple zones, 10-way adjustable side impact protection, energy absorbing foam and much more.

[Azonasinid asinid="B005WH3R9M"]​

5. Britax Marathon 70-G3 Convertible Car Seat

Britax Marathon 70-G3 is known as one of the best performing convertible car seats in the market. It comes with a gamut of racing inspired protection properties. This can be found in the likes of SafeCell technology, side walls, harness ultra guard system and integrated steel bars.

[Azonasinid asinid="B009LQWUZC"]​

4. RECARO ProRide Convertible Seat

RECARO ProRide convertible seat provided extraordinary protection for kids. The protection of the product comes with enhanced head wings for total security. Users will discover other great features such as the safety stripe system, energy absorbing foam, adjustable 5-point harness and just to mention a few.

[Azonasinid asinid="B003IT4YAM"]​

3. Britax Frontier G1.1 Booster Seat

When counting on Britax booster seats, the Frontier remains one of the best. If you are looking for a car seat with the best features, the Frontier remains one in a million.

[Azonasinid asinid="B00BEVF1XU"]

2. Chicco Keyfit 30 Infant Car Seat

Studies have shown that Chicco Keyfit remains the most well-known baby seat today. It comes with the easiest installation procedure that users can depend on, time and again.

[Azonasinid asinid="B00AHPZZGC"]​

1. Diono Radian RXT Convertible Car Seat

The product comes with maximum security for your children. However, it comes with different sizes and weight. The product is basically fabricated to carry children between 5-45 lbs.

[Azonasinid asinid="B005MQR96U"]​

 

 

Top 10 Best Car seats And associates 2015 Reviews

By: Unknown on: 11:36 PM

Top 10 Best Computers And Accessories 2015 Reviews

Top 10 Best Computers And Accessories 2015 Reviews

Every year marks a new chapter for the computing world, both with regard to computers and their accessories. Developments in the field over the last few years have resulted in the availability of highly powerful computers and several accessories to complement their broadening functionalists.

For a computer or a computer accessory to stand out from the rest, it must offer unmatched quality and an undeniably potent combination of features. These computers and accessories are the top as of 2015 for offering great value for money to their users.

10. Verbatim 4.7 GB Recordable Discs

With Verbatim recordable DVDs, you can record high quality video of up to 2 hours. The disc will work with most DVD-ROM drives and other DVD players. The discs features a special recording dye that improves the read/write performance, which is what makes them stand out in a fairly undifferentiated market.

[Azonasinid asinid="B00081A2KY"]​

9. Cyber Acoustics 30 W Speakers with Sub woofer

Most conventional computer speakers usually fall short when it comes to producing good bass sounds. Cyber Acoustics fixes this problem by having a subwoofer that ensures that you get full high quality sounds, thanks to a 5.25-inch subwoofer that complements the clean balanced sounds from its quality satellite speakers.

[Azonasinid asinid="B00BXF5HQ8"]​

8. Logitech Wireless Gaming Headset with 7.1 Surround Sound

This Logitech wireless headset allows you to have a truly immersive gaming experience, thanks to high quality 7.1 surround sound, a 40-feet wireless range and a broad multi-platform compatibility. The headset also features several controls, including one-touch commands over chat clients and the ability to mute when rotated upwards.

[Azonasinid asinid="B003VANOFY"]​

7. iXCC Lightning Cable

This Apple certified cable is a must have for Apple fanatics and anyone else who owns an Apple device, be it be an iPhone or an iPad. The cable will charge your Apple devices at high speed and can withstand consistent use without failure. Equally important is the fact that your Apple devices will not register a warning message when you connect the cable as would be the case when using a non-standard cable.

[Azonasinid asinid="B00J46VVKE"]​

6. Logitech Wireless Touch Keyboard K400

The thoughtfully designed keyboard offers a comfortable and convenient typing experience, thanks to the lack of a cord as well as an inbuilt multi-touch touchpad. The keyboard can work from distances of up to 33-feet, which is equivalent to 10 meters.

[Azonasinid asinid="B005DKZTMG"]​

5. Transcend 32 GB Class 10 Flash Memory Card

With the market flooded with low quality flash memory cards, getting a good memory card is critical if you want to avoid losing important information every now and then. Transcend's Class 10 memory card solves this issue. This memory card comes with a lifetime warranty, which means that failure is the last thing you will need to worry about when using the card. Additionally, the card supports high data transfer rates of up to 30 Mb/s. You can even choose memory sizes of 64 GB and 128 GB, or even 8 GB and 16 GB.

[Azonasinid asinid="B003VNKNF0"]​

4. AmazonBasics High-Speed HDMI Cable

This HDMI cable from Amazon supports Ethernet connections, 3D, 4K, as well as audio return. As a buyer, you also get to decide whether to get a 3-feet cable or even a 25-feet cable depending on your needs. Of course, there are other length options in between. With this high quality cable, you will enjoy clear, vivid video. The cable offers high speeds, which makes it ideal for delivery of high quality signals between devices. For 4K video, the cable can deliver a maximum of 30 frames per second. The male-to-male cable also offers an inbuilt audio return.

[Azonasinid asinid="B00NH126Q0"]​

3. Lenovo ThinkServer TS140 Desktop Computer

Lenovo's TS10 desktop computer tops the desktop category for a host of reasons. Firstly, like a good desktop computer, this machine has 3 vacant bays for memory expansion. The processor on this computer is also quite strong with speeds of 3.4 GHz. The desktop has 4 GBs RAM, which can be expanded further using the additional 3 slots available on the machine. Besides being quite efficient, it offers a quiet use experience.

[Azonasinid asinid="B00F6EK9J2"]​

2. Apple iPad Air 2 Tablet Computer

A popular product by the technology heavyweight, Apple, iPad Air 2 is a purchase most buyers will not regret. iPad Air 2 has the very best when it comes to features. To begin with, the tablet has a 2048 x 1536 retina display and a 9.7-inch screen. Buyers can also choose to have memory capacities of either 16 GB, 64 GB, or 128 GB. This tablet is also outfitted with a powerful 8 MP camera and can offer up to 10 hours of battery life.

[Azonasinid asinid="B00OTWTMQS"]​

1. Apple MacBook Pro MGX72LL/A Laptop With Retina Display

While clearly not a budget laptop, the Apple MacBook Pro with Retina Display is one of the best laptops computers out there. The screen size choices are 13.3-inch, which is the most popular variant, although there is also the 15.4-inch variant. Buyers also get to choose from 128 GB, 256 GB and 512 GB of memory.

[Azonasinid asinid="B0096VDM8G"]​

The resolution on this laptop is quite high at 2560 by 1600. The 9-hour battery life on this machine is also a feat most high-end laptops cannot hope to achieve. The laptop is also powered by a powerful 2.6 GHz Dual-Core Intel i5 processor which can attain speeds of up to 3.1 GHz with Turbo boost.

Top 10 Best Computers And Accessories 2015 Reviews

By: Unknown on: 11:05 PM

Top 10 Best Men Backpacks in 2015 Review

In this Top 10 Best Men Backpacks in 2015 Review, you see the best backpacks from various top manufacturers. When it comes to backpacks men find their backpacks as important as women regard their fashionable handbags. Backpacks are an accessory that men treasure and find valuable at the same time as being both practical and useful. A back pack gives a glimpse of your personality and who you are and most men put a lot of thought into their backpacks, while others simply want a large bag that they can carry around with the things they either need on a daily basis or when going hiking and camping.

10. 2015 Hot Waterproof Swiss Gear Multifunctional Men Luggage & Travel Bags Brand Knapsack

This Swiss men’s backpack has outstanding features such as waterproof rain cover, padlock, specially contoured straps for ultimate comfort, and various external pockets with elasticized mesh making sure your belongings are secure. Internal pockets include a pocket for your MP3 player. It furthermore boasts a sturdy construction and plenty compartments making it an ideal survival accessory.

[Azonasinid asinid="B00T386RK2"]​

9. 2015 Adidas Men’s Golf Backpack Sport Bag

Attractive distinctly and familiar Black and White Adidas backpack with lateral compression straps mesh pockets. It has a top handle for carrying as well as adjustable strap featuring the main compartment as well as a padded compartment for laptop. Adidas is a well-known and popular brand and does not disappoint with this ultra-durable latest 2015 compartmentalized backpack.

[Azonasinid asinid="B00U2MUGJQ"]​

8. Herschel Supply Co. Heritage Backpack

This technical weave Herschel Backpack is elegant, sturdy, yet lightweight at a height of 16.5-inhes x depth of 5.72-inches and width of 12-inches. Although it does not have many compartments, it is great as durable, yet lightweight for hiking and walking, with a laptop pouch on the inside.

[Azonasinid asinid="B00B2DKGUI"]​

7. Hynes Eagle Vintage Multifunctional Large Canvas Backpack

A huge high-density canvas material featuring genuine leather straps with a main compartment, two side pockets with buttons made of leather, front pocket, as well as laptop sleeve and excellent for hiking, climbing, etc. and also attractive for daily street use.

[Azonasinid asinid="B00PLHZKHK"]​

6. Kimlee Hiking Daypack Camping Backpack

This is a sturdy backpack for men made from water repellent material and one of the view that has a padded waist protector. The backpack front features a zipper and no inner frame for added lightweight backpacking. It is a 40-liter backpack for men with many hidden pockets.

[Azonasinid asinid="B00Q60M26S"]​

5. 2015 TaylorMade Corporate Men’s 3.0 Backpack

This backpack features 11 pockets in total with easy access top opening, adjustable carry straps and while incredibly sturdy it is still lightweight at 1.1 pounds. The pockets include a laptop sleeve, water bottle sleeve, sunglasses pocket and more.

[Azonasinid asinid="B00TLYCN4W"]​

4. Sprayground Kumo Japanese Weave Backpack

This 2015 men’s backpack has the unique Japanese weave style making it a striking 100 percent Polyester water resistant backpack from the 2015 collection. It features reinforced shoulder straps and well as SBS zippers. It has main compartments, mesh zipper pockets, hidden back compartment, stash pocket, sunglasses pocket and more.

[Azonasinid asinid="B00PX7JOSO"]​

3. Gumstyle 2015 New Stylish Leather Large Capacity Backpack

This backpack for men is a durable PU leather material, has placement for iPad and 14-inch laptop, extra main compartment and side mesh pockets. It has adjustable shoulder strap for comfort and convenience with large dimensions of 11.4-inches x 6.7-inches x 18.9-inches.

[Azonasinid asinid="B00U679UH6"]​

2. Burton Day Hiker Pack 25L 2015 RASTA

Weighing 1.7 pounds, this Black 2015 men’s backpack is named the Rasta for its green yellow and red straps. It has a 25-liter capacity and the perfect crossover backpack equally suitable for street use and mountain climbing and hiking.

[Azonasinid asinid="B00K76M0GE"]​

1. BESTOPE 2015 New Upgrade High-capacity Portable Man Boy Canvas Backpack

A great tubular shaped travel duffle bag and backpack for the modern man of 2015. It is a big, simple bag, with an external zip inter layer, and a large capacity bag that interprets great fashion sense while still being functional.

[Azonasinid asinid="B00L66YMRE"]​

This diverse top ten best men backpack in 2015 review gives you a brief, yet adequate description of the various options available to you. From everyday street use backpacks, to rugged outdoors backpacks, most backpacks feature a separate safe compartment for laptops and accessories such as sunglasses that needs special protection and safe storage. Look at the Top 10

Top 10 Best Men Backpacks in 2015 Review

By: Unknown on: 9:33 PM

Top 10 Best Rated Baby Car Seats 2015 Reviews

Top 10 Best Rated Baby Car Seats 2015 Review​​

If you want to ensure the safety of your child while on the road, then the first step you need to take is to choose the right baby car seat that will support your baby’s weight and fits your car. Modern day baby car seats tend to have additional features as a result of which they can be installed easily. With such a large variety of baby car seats from so many different brands, getting the right one can be tricky. Fortunately, reading the following top 10 best rated baby car seats 2015 reviews will help you decide which one will effectively keep your baby safe on the road.

10. BOB B-Safe Infant Car Seat

This B-SAFE Infant Car Seat from BOB comes in the same fabrics that are featured on BOB strollers. This baby car seat can be installed onto the BOB Infant Car Seat Adapter and the BOB stroller can be transformed into a coordinating travel system. The 5-point harness will never get tangled and the liner is capable of absorbing energy from shocks.

[Azonasinid asinid="B00CJICURW"]​

9. UPPAbaby Mesa 2015 Safety Car Seat

This Mesa 2015 Safety Car Seat form UPPAbaby sports a sleek design along with various superb convenience and safety features. Despite its distinct design and engineering, this car seat is relatively simple. It can be installed quite easily and includes one-button stroller release, while it can also be inserted directly into the Cruz or Vista to serve as a performance travel system.

[Azonasinid asinid="B00OU9347I"]​

8. Baby Trend Flex-Loc Infant Car Seat

This Flex-Loc Infant Car Seat from Baby Trend will make it possible for you to enjoy car trips with your baby. A 5-point safety harness is featured by this infant car seat, which can be adjusted using just one hand, and also includes a push-button release. The carrying handle is comfortable and smooth, and the EPS energy-absorbing foam and soft head support will keep your baby safe.

[Azonasinid asinid="B007O1NROO"]​

7. Evenflo Embrace LX Infant Car Seat

This Embrace LX Infant Car Seat from Evenflo is a comfortable, easy to use and safe baby car seat, with features that make it convenient to ensure that safety of a child while traveling. This baby car seat is lightweight with a pivoting canopy and a plush head pillow that can be removed. A level indicator is included its adjustable auto base to ensure that your baby is reclining properly.

[Azonasinid asinid="B00J69XJ04"]​

6. Maxi-Cosi Mico AP Infant Car Seat

This Mico AP Infant Car Seat from Maxi-Cosi features an Air Protect feature that will protect your child from side impacts, while your little one’s head and neck will be effectively supported by the Cozi-Dozi insert. This baby car seat can be installed both with and without its base, while there is also a multi-position canopy so that your baby’s sensitive skin is not damaged by the sun.

[Azonasinid asinid="B00O9W43OY"]​

5. Britax B-Safe 35 Infant Car Seat

The SafeCell Impact Protection system has been integrated into this B-Safe 35 Elite Car Seat from Britax, which will ensure the safety and security of your child while on the go. Crash forces will be minimized by the energy-absorbing base of this steel framed baby car seat, while your child’s head and neck will be secured by its Complete Side Impact Protection PLUS feature.

[Azonasinid asinid="B00OVSBY20"]​

4. Graco SnugRide Click Connect 35 Car Seat

This SnugRide Click Connect 35 from Graco is one of the bestselling car seats available today because of it is ease to use and includes various safety features, while it is reasonably priced too. This car seat is also compatible with Graco’s Click Connect bases and strollers. There is a simple red knob that can be used to crank the adjustable foot up and down when installing this seat.

[Azonasinid asinid="B00H8MQ4US"]​

3. Chicco Keyfit 30 Infant Car Seat and Base

This car seat and base from Chicco can be installed very easily. When it comes to comfort, convenience, and safety, the Keyfit 30 is an optimal infant carrier. The newborn insert of this car seat and base can be removed, and babies between the ages of 4 and 30 pounds can be accommodated by it. A 5-point safety harness is also included in its thick cushioned seat.

[Azonasinid asinid="B00JRYSLU6"]​

2. Graco SnugRide 30 Classic Connect Infant Car Seat

The SnugRide 30 Classic Connect is one of the top-rated baby car seats from Graco that has undergone rigorous safety testing. As long as your baby weighs anywhere between 4 and 30 pounds and has a height below 30 inches, this car seat will effectively keep him/her secure. The base has a latch, which means that the car seat can be detached from it and the base can be left behind in the car.

[Azonasinid asinid="B00AHPZZGC"]​

1. Britax B-Safe Infant Car Seat

This B-Safe Infant Car Seat from Britax comes equipped with Click & Go adapters, which means that it can be easily snapped into one of the company’s many strollers. This is a lightweight car seat with a comfortable and ergonomic handle, so carrying your baby around while he/she is strapped in this seat will not be laborious. It also features an energy-absorbing foam liner for safety.

[Azonasinid asinid="B008KCR7U6"]​

Conclusion

The right baby car seat that offers the utmost crash protection and will accommodate your child for the longest period of time is the best choice. Now that you have read the above top 10 best rated baby car seats 2015 reviews, you will be able to buy a car seat that is the safest possible choice for your little one.

Top 10 Best Rated Baby Car Seats 2015 Reviews

By: Unknown on: 1:05 AM

Khmer Classic Fumbling

Khmer traditional wrestling is a folk wrestling style from Cambodia. Bas-reliefs of certain Angkor temples depict both men and women competing in this form of wrestling. Female wrestlers are displayed on the Banteay Srei temple.

A traditional Khmer wrestling match consists of three rounds. A round may be won by forcing an opponent to his back. A wrestler wins the match by winning two of the three rounds. After each round the loser is asked if he wishes to continue with the match.

Wrestlers participate in pre-match ritual dancing before the match. The match is accompanied by the music of two drums (called Skor Ngey and Chhmol, “female drum” and “male drum”). Traditional matches are held during the Khmer New Year and other Cambodian holdiays.

There were two types of wrestling championships: traditional and modern, in this first ever held National Wrestling Championship. The Khmer traditional wrestlers aim to throw their competitor on their back – if they can wrestle their competitors and make the competitors’ back touch the ground for just a short period, they will be the winners. But the modern wrestlers consider the entire fight and it is on their techniques that they gain scores.



Fighting in the Dirt is a Matter of Preserving Khmer Heritage : Two drums beat. Wrestlers, dressed in colorful gonsain (loin cloths) dance. As they whirl around the mats, they take the forms of various animals, the monkey, the crocodile, or the dragon. The dancing, which could last several minutes, serves the dual purpose of warming up their muscles, and paying respect to their trainers. When the signal is given, they tear at each other in a frenzy, trying to throw one another. The drum beats faster.

The men look like two crocodiles locked up in a battle to the death. Seeing that neither will gain an advantage, they break off, and resume their dance. The bout continues, in this fashion, with the men alternately wrestling and dancing. Finally, one manages to throw the other. There is a scramble on the ground, until one opponent allows either his shoulder blades or chest to touch the floor. The referee steps in and declares a winner. After receiving his trophy, the winner dances again.

The Khmer traditional wrestling championships take place each August, in the Olympic stadium, along side the modern Olympic Wrestling Championships. Although held on the same day, the two sports differ dramatically in both execution and outcome. Olympic wrestling is a sport, played by modern athletes wearing singlets made of spandex. The national team, based in Phnom Penh, is composed of 16 members, ten men and six women. Naturally, they lead the nation in the number of medals won. Both of the team’s coaches were trained abroad, one in Russia and one in North Korea.

In addition to having proper equipment and twice-daily training sessions, the members of the national team receive a monthly cash stipend of thirty dollars, which, although a paltry sum by western standards is slightly higher than the average income of $26 in Cambodia. With so many advantages it is nearly impossible for provincial teams to compete. The world of traditional wrestling, on the other hand, is a level playing field, dominated by the teams from Prusat and Kandal provinces.

According to Vath Chamreun, a wrestling official and leading trainer in Phnom Penh, “The best wrestlers are from Prusat Province.” He was quick to point out that entrants in the Olympic wrestling competition were barred from participation in the traditional wrestling competition. While the sport of Khmer wrestling is dying out, many see preservation of the sport as a matter of national pride and culture.

“Before the Khmer Rouge, nearly every village wrestled.” Explained Vath Chamreun. “They wrestled at festivals and on holidays, such as Khmer New Year or Pchum Benh. But the art was banned during the Khmer Rouge time and many of the top wrestlers and coaches were killed.” In the 1980’s, under the Vietnamese, the wrestling was still banned. “In 1985, Prusat was the first province to have wrestling again. It wasn’t official, they just started doing it.”

Vath Chamreun laughed, and made it sound as if some village men, drunk on rice wine, started having a go at each other. And this was the rebirth of Khmer traditional wrestling. After the end of the Vietnamese domination of Cambodia, some villages resumed wrestling, although most did not. The first official championships were not held until 2001.

“In some provinces the wrestling has started up again, but it has been incorporated into Bokator and other traditional Khmer martial arts. So, it is no longer pure wrestling.”

“There were many martial arts in Cambodia, dating back to the Angkorian or pre-ankorian period.” Explained Vath Chamreun, who is working on a book of Khmer fighting sports. “Khmer wrestling was just one part of Khmer martial art. They used wrestling to chose the strongest men to be the military leaders. They also incorporated wrestling into military training. First, the soldiers trained wrestling. Later, they trained with swords, sticks, and other weapons.”

As historical proof, Vath Chamreun referenced the bass relieves, carved on the walls of the ancient temples, such as Angkor Wat, depicting soldiers in wrestling poses.

“Each year, the king’s representatives called all the people from the provinces and organized a wrestling tournament. Anyone could fight. There were no weight divisions. One person would enter the circle and the official would say, who will fight him? And, volunteers came. They used incense sticks, cut in half, to time the rounds.” They fought three rounds.  “If you lost a round they would ask you, are you strong or do you want to quit?”

If you quit, you lost. If you continued, the first person to get three wins won the game. A pin wasn’t needed. When you were thrown on the ground, that was a lose.

“There were no technical rules, just throw the man down.” Laughed Vath Chamreun. At the time of Angkor, you could also use some martial arts techniques such as kicks.” Apparently, if a man was being thrown, he was allowed to kick, but only when he was in the air.

When Vath Chamreun was a child, some old men told him about the days when you could kick. “It was very dangerous, since nearly all the kicks were in the head. People got killed all the time.” As a result, you are not allowed to strike, today.

Comparing Khmer wrestling with other martial arts, Vath Chamreun said. “When a wrestler and a martial artist fight, the wrestler must get very low, so he can’t be hit.” Demonstrating, Vath Chamreun ducked under my punch and grabbed the nerve beneath my lat muscle. Then he twisted his body and grabbed my leg. He lifted and threw me on my back. “Wrestler against boxer, the wrestler has to be willing to sacrifice. He will get hit several times. But then he can throw the boxer.”

He demonstrated another technique where he grabbed me around my middle and turned his knuckles into the small of my back. When he applied pressure, I could feel bone grinding on bone. Once again, he lifted me and threw me. He assured me that both moves could be done with gloves on. “In the old days, Khmer boxing, Bradal Serey, was done without gloves and no rules. These types of grappling moves were common.”

In another scenario, throwing from the boxing clinch, Vath Chamreun landed on top of me, head butting me in the jaw. Done at full speed, a single head butt to the jaw could end a fight quickly.

The continued existence of Khmer wrestling is greatly dependent upon the provincial people. Unfortunately, resurrecting any cultural asset in the provinces is problematic. Most provincial families are subsistence farmers, concerned more with earning a living and having enough to eat than they are about playing sports. The poverty also robs them of strength, making it impossible to train. Even for the national sport, Khmer boxing (Bradal Serey), it is difficult to keep the tradition alive. Most provincial boxing coaches said that their students only trained in the dry season, because the roads were impassable in the rainy season and because the boys were needed back at their family farms. At least with boxing there is the chance of someday turning pro and earning an income. But most provincial families see wrestling and other sports as a dead end. They would invest a lot of time and energy for nothing.

As a result, traditional wrestling teams don’t have regular practices. Most only prepare for a few days before the competitions. For many villages, the only competition they participate in is the National Championships. The Khmer Traditional Wrestling Championships are a sterile affair. To see the real event, practiced as it once was, you need to visit a village in Kandal Province, on Pchum Benh holiday.



The village inhabitants wake up at 5:00 AM and walk to the Wat, where they toss food offerings on the ground, in honor of their ancestors. Next, they go to the shrine and receive a blessing from the monks. The first event of the day is the buffalo racing, which is done, in pairs, racing three hundred to five hundred meters beginning at the temple. The winner normally receives a small cash prize of about 10,000 Riels ($2.50) provided by the local government. When everyone has had a chance to race, the wrestlers change clothes. They light incense sticks at the temple, and then insert the sticks in the ground, in a circle, forming the wrestling ring.

The wrestlers can earn small sums of money, put up by the village officials. Sometimes they can also get tips from visiting dignitaries or tourists.

A small ensemble of two drums and no string instruments plays, as the men wrestle. At the same time, there are traditional stick fights. The stick fights, like the wrestling and boxing, are accompanied by music and preceded by dance. In these battles, the men fight with long staffs, really striking at each other. Every time they make contact with their opponent’s head or body, they earn a point. The one with the most points wins. The stick fighting was different than other types of stick fighting I had seen elsewhere in Asia. The men often held the stick by the end and swung it like a baseball bat. Another common technique was thrusting, where the stick was held like a spear, and one opponent would stab at the other.

“This is a real fight.” Insisted Japleun, one of Phnom Penh’s leading wrestlers, and a native son of the Kandal Village. “The men are really fighting, because they want to win.”

Other than the obvious dangers associated with hitting each other in the head with a six foot wooden pole, it seemed that great care was taken to preserve the health and safety of the village competitors. For example, when I trained with Japleun at the Olympic Stadium, I saw him win by suplex, tossing an opponent over his head. But here in the village, such techniques were banned, as they might cause injury. In most bouts, when one opponent managed to get into a throwing position, the bout was stopped and a win was awarded.

On the day Japleun took me to his village, the rain poured, turning the dirt road into a sea of mud, and we swerved to avoid hitting a young boy ridding a water buffalo. Our car skidded to a halt in Vihear Sour village, Kandal province. My companions were Hok Chheang Kim the head coach of the national wrestling team and Chap Loeun, the 27 year old, 73 kg Cambodian wrestling champion. In spite of the heavy rain, the villagers came out in droves to welcome the hero home.

While Japleum signed autographs, Coach Kim told me about the days when he trained in Russia. “I went there to learn to be a wrestling coach. It was snowing in September, when I arrived and still snowing six months later when I left.”

The villagers tied a diaper around my waist and under my legs. All the men in the village were wearing similar attire. Half wore red and half wore blue, like in kick boxing. The rules were simple. Place your opponent’s back on the ground and you get a point. Three points is a win. So, when the score reaches two to zero, the fight is over. Fights were quick and furious. One wrestler would shoot in but in the muddy, dirty ground, it was hard to do a controlled slide. The fighters would lock up, toss and roll. Chaploeun was exceptionally skilled from his years of experience training in Phnom Penh. He did some complicated maneuvers, such as lifting and flipping his opponents.

When it came my turn, I found it hard not to let my back touch the gound. In free style fighting (Mixed Martial Arts), it is perfectly acceptable and even advantageous to fight from your back. Several times, my opponent and I locked up. I was able to get him in a reverse full nelson, then spin around and take his back. Normally at that point I would throw my weight backwards pulling him down on top of me, lock my legs around his (grape hooks) and choke him out (rear naked choke). In Khmer wrestling, unfortunately for me, the second my back hit the ground I had lost.

Wrestling on a clean matt in Phnom Penh was one thing, but wrestling barefoot, in the dirt, as it was traditionally done, was something else. The rain and sweat made it hard to grab your opponent. The mud was gritty and ground into your butt crack and abrased the skin, it also irritating inside my diaper. Wet sand ran into my mouth and I suddenly knew how an oyster felt. I made a pearl the size of an orange.

My fights had a bit of panache, but I lost all of my bouts. This was particularly pathetic since I outweighed most of my opponents by about forty kilos. Of course this was allowed since there are no weight divisions in Khmer Traditional Wrestling.

Seeing how badly I did, one very old woman said. “Please come back for Pchum Benh.” I think she was planning to match me with the smallest guy in the village and bet against me.

Japleun introduced me to the village wrestling coach, The Thain, who explained that they didn’t practice regularly, like the team at the Olympic Stadium. According to him, every man woman and child in the village could wrestle. Even the women compete in traditional wrestling.

“They don’t need to train.” Said The Thain. “When they bring the buffalo to the rice fields, they wrestle amongst themselves. Particularly, one month before Pchum Benh, they wrestle in the fields to prepare for the big day.” The Thain explained that wrestling was a kind of play for the village boys who were bored with their farm work. “Some only train three days or one night before Pchum Ben.”

My wrestling ordeal behind me, all the wrestlers and I took a shower, Khmer village style. Normally, people in these kinds of villages don’t even have running water, so they stand outside their house and dump buckets over their head, wearing a sarong. In this village, however, one man had a compressor pump. He fired it up, attached a fire hose to it, and we all got hosed off, like in a prison movie.

After we had changed clothes, Chapleun took me to the temple, Wat Vehea Sua, where he showed me the statue of the village patron saint, General Meun Ek. He is the military commander who defended Cambodia from Thailand. Before boys from the village go to the army, the first pray before the statue. They take a small piece of dirt from behind the statue, and carry it with them for protection.

“Every club prays before they wrestle. Said Japleun. “They have small Hindu statues and give thanks to the ancestors for creating martial arts. We pray, please stay in my heart and make me strong.” Inside the temple, there was yet another live band, playing music. “We pray for the spirit of the Wat.” Japleun, pointing at a Buddha statue.

“If they play music the spirit will welcome you.” Explained Kimsong, who is an expert on Khmer religion and culture. “After that, he will recognize you and protect you wherever you go. In our mind we can say, Buddha please protect us from enemies and give us success and prosperity.” Kimsong ended by telling me, “The music is a language for us to communicate with the spirits of the gods.”

Perhaps playing music at traditional wrestling, boxing, stick fighting and other events is a way of asking the gods to preserve the Khmer culture.

 

Source : http://www.mardb.com

Khmer Classic Fumbling

By: Unknown on: 10:31 AM

Sovanna Phum Skill Connection

Phnom-Penh, Cambodia | Khmer shadow theatre, like all traditional arts, was particularly threatened during the Khmer Rouge. The Sovanna Phum Art Association works to promote traditional Khmer culture by offering an artistic platform for education, creation and performance dedicated to traditional arts. Since 2010, Carène has been supporting a project to replace the collection of traditional puppets used during the performances of the association.

Khmer traditional performing arts

Khmer traditional performing arts suffered tremendously during the years of the Khmer Rouge. The goal of the Sovanna Phum Art Association is to revive them in order to preserve these treasures of ancestral Khmer culture. Founded in 1994, the association provides both a platform allowing Cambodian artists to live from their art thanks to the many performances organized all over the country and an opportunity to spread Khmer culture in wider circles of the population.

Reviving ancestral Khmer culture 

Civil war, and particularly the years between 1975 and 1979, during the bloody regime of the Khmer Rouge, were marked by a purge of all liberal influences as well as of religion and the arts. The Sovanna Phum Art Association, founded in 1994, is dedicated to revive ancestral Khmer arts and culture.

The Sovanna Phum Art Association

Today, Sovanna Phum has a dynamic network of 120 energetic professional artists.  Most of the artists of Sovanna Phum were students and graduates from The Royal University of Fine Arts in Phnom Penh. The artistic activities of the association include shadow puppet theatre, classical and folk dances, traditional music and musical theatre accompanied by drums. In addition to its own artistic activities, Sovanna Phum Art Association is regularly requested to develop educational traveling shows on important issues in order to raise awareness in a society where the illiteracy rate is still very high.

The project financed by Carène

In its performances, the association uses a collection counting about one hundred traditional shadow puppets. Most of them belong to a great master of this art, the association’s cofounder, Mann Kosal. These puppets have been used for performances for over 20 years. Some of them should probably be in a museum, while others are very damaged by intensive use and transportation and as a result the artists are hindered in conveying to the audience the full range of nuances that make up the richness of their art.

The project supported by Carène in 2010 consists in recreating most of the shadow puppets used by the association. It is important to underline that the manufacturing of the puppets is also a traditional art that employs numerous artisans and artists. The largest puppet can require up to two months of work for an experienced artist.

The Carène Foundation’s contribution

2010

The Sovanna Phum Art Association’s traditional shadow puppets have been used for performances for over 20 years. Some are very damaged and they need to be replaced. It is important to underline that the manufacturing of the puppets is also a traditional art, and Mann Kosal, cofounder of the association, is a great master of this art. The contribution of the Foundation in 2010 (USD 13,270) was used to buy the necessary materials to enable the Sovanna Phum Art Association to continue manufacturing new shadow-puppets to replace the aging ones.

2011

Given the quality of the partnership and cooperation with Sovanna Phum Art Association, our Foundation Board has decided to continue supporting the Association in 2012 and to grant a new contribution of USD 16,988 in order to:

• Complete the acquisition of a new truck and the manufacturing of a mobile stage for an amount of USD 8,382.


• Allow the theatre company of the Sovanna Phum Art Association to tour the country, enabling them to collaborate with the Ministry of Health and the CIOMAL [1]Foundation on a pilot project for the early detection of leprosy. These traveling shows aim at raising awareness, in a playful and fictional way, about the dangers of leprosy.

[1]The CIOMAL Foundation conducts its own projects and coordinates projects of the Sovereign Hospitaller Order of Malta in fighting against leprosy and helping its victims.

 

Source : http://www.fondationcarene.org

Sovanna Phum Skill Connection

By: Unknown on: 10:17 AM