Keeping khmer history alive

Help A Living Part of Cambodian-Cambodian/American History Master Oumry Ban and his gym, The Long Beach Kickboxing Center has had difficulties during the Covid-19 crisis that has caused the California government to take precautions to close all gyms during the period of trying to flatten the curve of the spread of the virus. Master Ban was born in 1944 during the Japanese occupation of Cambodia during WW2. By age 14 Oumry took an interest in Khmer Kickboxing, known as Pradal Serey, one day when running home from school. He watched some adults training and asked to try. The men remarked that he was too small but Oumry insisted that he still wanted to try. Within two days, the brave young man declared that he could spar with experience fighters. He was allowed to match with the experienced fighters on his third day and as one might expect, this didn’t go well for Oumry who got his lesson through a busted lip, eye, and nose. But a true champion was awoken in him and he kept coming back the days after his initiation. His fight career had a rocky start, losing several of his first bouts but soon he found his style: pressing forward into close range and unleashing powerful knees and elbows. He won his first national title in 1964 and compiled a record of 278 wins and 31 losses with 200 wins by the way of knockout. His primary knock out tools were the knee and elbow. Master Oumry was a crowd favorite known for his willingness to take on fighters of heavier weight classes and his ability to knock them out. In 1970, when Cambodia fell into civil war, Master Oumry enlisted in the army and saw action in some battles. The army, realizing he was a celebrity of great stature in their nation, sent their treasure back home to fill an administrative position so that he might resume his fighting career. During this time he fought international opponents in the way of star fighters from Thailand. His style of finishing opponents with knees and elbows continued to dazzle the fans. By 1975 Cambodia was collapsing to the Khmer Rouge and the people had hoped it would bring peace. Unfortunately, as history tells us, that was not to be the case and years of horror and death followed. To survive Oumry took on the persona of a humble, common man to survive, telling the Khmer Rouge that he was only a humble man who fought for food. In late 1978 under the threat of a new squad of even more vicious Khmer Rouge coming to his province, he fled into the mountains and survived by sneaking down in the night to find food.  In the spring of 1979 Oumry came across a Vietnamese soldier who told him that they had now occupied Cambodia and driven the Khmer Rouge out so he could safely go home. Upon returning home he found that his family had all been murdered by the regime. Eventually heading into refugee camps in Thailand, Oumry and his new wife survived on small change Oumry made on taking fights. Having not trained for years and the pinnacle of his career behind him, these were tough fights. They decided it was time to leave and came to the United States via the Philippines in the early 1980’s.  Oumry eventually settled in Long Beach’s “Cambodia Town” community in 1986 and his celebrity was remembered by the community there. Another refugee Paline Soth invested money to help Master Oumry open the Long Beach Kickboxing Center which was the first Southeast Asian kickboxing gym in Southern California making both the building and Master Ban pieces of history.   Master Oumry took on students, many of whom became successful champions over the years. In 2006, Master Oumry was attack from behind and knocked unconscious by several assailants at a restaurant in Long Beach. The exact motivations for the attack remain unclear but the perpetrators were caught, tried, and convicted. The community was shocked by such a violent attack on a living legend. Again, the eternal champion, Master Oumry, who was going to sell his business after 20 years, took the incident as a sign to once again fight back against the odds and continue training as he does until today.  Master Oumry now not only trains professional fighters but kids in the community as well as the average person looking to learn the art of Pradal Serey. His notoriety has even brought him students such as the legendary Dan Inosanto known for being the world’s leading authority on Jeet Kune Do after the death of his friend and instructor, Bruce Lee. Master Inosanto , already having years of experience and master grades in the Filipino Boxing arts of Panantukan and Suntukan as well as Muay Thai had heard of Master Ban almost 20 years ago and had always wanted to study with him and began his training under Master Ban over 7 years ago. Master Ban and the Long Beach Kickboxing Center are treasures and need your help to make it though this Covid-19 crisis period.