I Am Oum Ry: A Champion Kickboxer’s Story of Surviving the Cambodian Genocide and Discovering Peace

As told to Zochada Tat and  Addi Somekh Afterword by Michael G. Vann, Ph.D. 224 pages with 80 illustrations, including maps.December 2022. Hardcover.Ebook also available. $26.95 | 9781954600072 (hc) December 2022 $18.95 | 9781954600171 (pb) June 2023 From champion to refugee to martial-arts teacher, a kickboxing innovator tells of his career, remarkable survival and journey toward self-understanding. When I was 6 years old, my grandmother told me, “The rice won’t bear grain if it stands tall, but it will if it bows.” I have always followed her advice: “Be calm, be kind, be brave.” To this day, because of my grandmother, I am not afraid of anybody. Oum Ry grew up on a Central Cambodian island in the MeKong River in a family of silver engravers. When his family couldn’t afford his food or schooling, he lived with monks until seeking out masters of Cambodian kickboxing, a martial art called Pradal Serey. He was the smallest kid but would become national champion at 23 years old. Over 15 y