LOK KRU OUM RY BAN
FOUNDER AND HEAD INSTRUCTOR OF THE LONG BEACH KICKBOXING CENTER
PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED KHMER KICKBOXING ASSOCIATION
PRADAL SEREY CHAMPION
HUMBLE BEGINNINGS
The second youngest of six children, Oum Ry grew up with a loving family on an island in the Mekong River in Koh Chen in central Cambodia.
TRAINING PRADAL SEREY
Oum Ry took an interest in Pradal Serey as a teenager when walking past a gym. Initially the coaches tried to discourage him by telling him he was too small. Eventually his persistance paid off and he was accepted for training.
WORLD CHAMPION
At age 23 Oum Ry became a champion in Pradal Serey. He became one of the most popular fighters because of his ability and personality. A smaller fighter, audiences marveled that he took on larger opponents and even was given the nickname “piston” because of his strong and rapid knees in his inside game. He was also considered the “gentleman fighter” as he would help opponents that he knocked down back to their feet. By the time he stopped fighting in 1975, he had fought 309 times, winning 278 (200 by knock out) losing 28 by decision and 3 draws. Oum Ry was never knocked out by an oppoent.
Cambodian Genocide
The Cambodian genocide was the resultof the madness of the Khmer Rouge and the regime of Pol Pot. It is considerned one of the worst genocides in human history. The cruelty and horror are unimaginable. In this time Oum Ry and his family tried to keep his identity secret as the Khmer Rouge killed fighters and anyone they felt could be a threat to their authority. Unfortunately much of Oum Ry’s family perhished during this period and he was able to not only escape the Khmer Rouge who began to figure out his identity but the Vietnamese who had invaded to neutralize Pol Pot. The Vietnamese mistakenly believed Oum Ry to be an agent of the KGB. Oum Ry was able to make an escape to a refugee camp in Thailand.
COMING TO AMERICA – A FRESH START
His path going from Thailand to Manilla Philippines to Chicago, Oum Ry immigrated to the United States. His new beginning as a refugee was also humble in comparison to the noteriety and fortune of a champion kickboxer. He worked as a cleaner in hotels as he learned English. Within a few years he had found an investor who was interested in having this former champion opening a gym for Khmer Kickboxing.
LONG BEACH KICKBOXING CENTER
The Long Beach Kickboxing Center was established in 1987 and was the first Southeast Asian style kickboxing gym in Southern California. Located in the Little Cambodia area of Long Beach, Oum Ry’s school has produced 19 Champions. The gym has a staff of former professional fighters and current fight promoters such as Kru Ronald Smith and Kru Calvin Darby as well as other experinced coaches and young up and coming fighters to help Kun Khmer grow not only in this community but world wide. Sadly in 2023, the gym had to move from its original location where it had been for 35 years but forunately, a new location was found just down the street so Long Beach Kickboxing still remains in the heart of the Cambodian area of Long Beach.
