South Sound Martial Arts

Kru Srab Sroeuy grew up around Kun Khmer in Cambodia, took his first fight at age fifteen and began teaching the art in his own backyard and garage. South Sound Martial Arts grew out of that in 1996, and he still teaches every level in the room. Kun Khmer, also called Pradal Serey, is Cambodia's traditional kickboxing art, and the gym's focus is to teach it in its traditional form: “We teach it the way it was taught to us.” Every session opens with respect for the coaches, and students learn the Wai Kru, the ceremonial dance performed before a fight to honor teacher and family.

The gym is a member of the Kun Khmer International Federation, where Kru Srab serves as Vice President, and he co-founded the United Southeast Asian Cultural Association (USEACA) in 2007. He also owns and teaches at his own gym in Phnom Penh and takes students from Tacoma there to train and see where the art comes from.

Classes run at beginner, intermediate and advanced level, and the beginner class assumes no experience at all. The gym names its goals as better coordination, stamina and fitness, discipline and modesty, and having fun while learning self-defense, whether students want to get in shape or to compete. The fight team trains alongside everyone else, coached by Preston Sroey, who competes actively, and the gym co-promotes fight nights with USEACA featuring amateur and professional Kun Khmer bouts. Kids train in their own classes from age 6.

Group classes run Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday evenings; weekends are for private sessions only. Training happens on the second floor of the Soccer Center in the Dome District, in 2,500 square feet with heavy bags, kick pads, focus mitts and a 22 by 22 boxing ring.

The first class is free with nothing to sign. Newcomers wear shorts and a T-shirt, bring a water bottle and arrive fifteen minutes early to find the stairs, meet the coach and get their hands wrapped. Training is barefoot on the mats, and the gym lends gloves and pads for the first sessions; most people buy their own wraps and gloves once they know they're staying. A class opens with skipping, shadow work and conditioning for the whole room, then most of the hour goes to pad work with a coach. Membership runs month to month or on a year contract, and the gym prefers to talk through rates in person, so the free first class is when they come up.