Cricket Fighting
01-Jul-2008

In the midst of a circle of people, two warriors clash repeatedly. This is cricket fighting, the traditional game of rural Cambodia.

Cricket fighting has long been a tradition in Cambodia. Even today, it is still very popular in the countryside, says Mr Mich Ponn, tradition researcher at the Buddhist institute. For centuries, Khmer people have been entertained by this sport. Sitting in front of the hole, intently watching the cricket fighting, Mr. Roun explains the rules.

A hole is dug about 2 cm in depth and about 20cm in length in the rice field. If the bout is to take place in the village, then a bowl is used instead. As has been the tradition for centuries, the two crickets are carefully weighed and then matched up. The combatants are placed in the small fighting arena, with walls high and thick enough to prevent desertion. If two male crickets meet in the same place, they will usually fight each other. If they don’t want to fight, the owners will swab the head of a male cricket with a female in order to instigate the battle. Sometimes they’re stroked with a blade of grass get them roaring for action.

Then the insect warriors will square up briefly, antennae’s waving, before clashing together. The fights often only last a few minutes. They normally end without too much bloodshed as the loser often simply stops fighting. In the wild they would run away, chased by the victor, but the enclosed arena makes this impossible. The owner of the defeated cricket will spin them round three times to make sure his fighting spirit has gone. If he can fight again and defeats his opponent, then his opponent is given the same chance and the contest will be the best out of three.

There are two kinds of crickets used; the red cricket (called Chang Reth Pleung) and the black cricket (called Chang Reth Dek or Brar Louth Leak.) Often the Chang Reth Pleung is bigger than the Brar Louth Leak but is rarely as successful in battle. The main time for cricket harvesting is in the month of May and Kampong Thom has the greatest number. Though the traditional game of cricket fighting is very popular in rural areas, it is less known for city dwellers. Mr. Poon explains that it is very difficult for people in the city to catch the right crickets for fighting

Cricket fighting has always been very popular in Cambodia. According to Mr. Oung Vorn, an official of culture conservation at the Ministry of Culture and Fine Art, the tradition can be traced all the way back to the Angkor Wat period. Carvings on the Bayon temple wall display the spectacle, the same then as it is now. Often it is not money that is bet on the outcome, but cattle herding chores. The loser must go to the rice field and collect the winner’s cows. But the game can be also be used for financial gambling, because some elders who live in the towns like to bet with money.

Mr. Rottana has two passions. One is boxing and the other is cricket fighting. A business man at Svay Rieng market, Mr Rottana spends his afternoons from Monday to Thursday at the local coffee shop watching cricket fighting. His other afternoons are spent watching boxing on TV. He says there is often a lack of crickets for fighting, as villagers like to sell them fried for eating. The crickets can go for up to 1000 riel.

Even though he is busy with his business, he still takes his time to play the game as he feels it is part of his cultural heritage. It’s a very traditional game, he says. We understand how to play the game because we see our elders playing it and we follow their example.

Words by Mr. May Titthara
Photos by Mr. Heng Chivoan 

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