The City of Long Beach awarded Master (Lu Kru) Oum Ry the highest citizen appreciation honor at his kickboxing gym’s anniversary celebration and I Am Oum Ry: A Champion Kickboxer’s Story of Surviving the Cambodian Genocide and Discovering Peace book launch last month.

Long Beach City Councilwoman Dr. Suely Saro spoke in appreciation of Oum Ry’s long service to the community, and announced that the new Cambodian Cultural Center in Long Beach will highlight Pradal Serey as one of Cambodia’s traditional arts, establishing an institution that will continue to teach the history of the martial art as part of Cambodian cultural identity.

To read about Oum Ry’s legacy and dedication to Kun Khmer both in Cambodia, and Long Beach, click here.