Bowing To Predators: A Memoir on Abuse Hidden in Tradition

by Sandrine Lavoie-Filion

What if the people who were supposed to teach you how to defend yourself were the ones you needed protection from?
Sandrine was only a teenager when she started karate. Her excitement was short-lived, however, as what should have been a safe place for her to grow quickly became a place of fear, pain, harassment, betrayal, and abuse.

In this jaw-dropping story, Sandrine exposes some of the dojo’s best-kept secrets to reveal the abuse and how she was able to heal from it. This vulnerable and powerful story will give you a brand new perspective on abuse hidden in sports, and aims to help women heal from similar experiences.

382 pages, Kindle Edition

Published December 1, 2025

Reviews

[Natasha Morris · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a raw read about experiences, pain, emotional, and mental abuse.
Reading this I felt so much anger towards the person inflicting all of this hurt. I felt the physical pain from training and the emotional pain from words spoken.
Reminding me we are never alone.
This author has shown incredible strength by writing this memoir.
I will pick this up and read it many times, as I do her 1st book.

I even learned a very important tip if you are ever physically attacked by someone. I’ll always make sure my fingernails are long enough.

[Izzy Thurber · Rating 4 out of 5]

I reached out to Sandrine on TikTok when she posted about looking for ARC readers for this book, and she sent me over a copy! It’s the first ARC I’ve done, and it was really awesome to be a part of the creative process of writing in that way, especially for a story so personal and important. Sandrine tells the story of the grooming and abuse she experienced in karate in a way that is easy to follow and expertly picks apart the patterns that allow for kids to be groomed in these types of environments, which I’m sure must’ve been a challenge as trauma always makes memories a bit harder to piece together. While pointing out these patterns, she intersperses a lot of sentiments that survivors of really any type of abuse could really do to hear, as well as emphasizing the bystander effect when it comes to protecting kids. Definitely a unique read as well, specifically talking about the sports context and the hierarchies and cultures in karate that allowed this kind of behaviour to seem normal. All in all this was a really emotional read, but really well told and important to share!

[Alinar Den · Rating 5 out of 5]

This isn't a book about karate, though there were quite a few details I learned from it about this fascinating martial art.

This book is an emotional journey of a girl who was broken, but managed to survive, to heal and to find her voice. I am so proud of her for doing this, for finally standing up for herself and telling her truth.
This story is one of a kind. It's truly powerful, raw, mind-blowing... and also so mindful.
Highly recommended!

[Maja · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book in a few days because I couldn't put it down. The story is powerful, important. There needs to be more stories like this one shared. Speaking to the abuse that happens in sports, and the harm that can be caused. Vulnerable, bold and brilliant. I was rooting for you the whole time, I'm so glad you got out. Found yourself and are learning to be gentle and kind to yourself. Those things that were said about you weren't true.

[Amy Lucille · Rating 5 out of 5]

A powerful, validating memoir that shines light on abuse, hidden in places we’re taught to trust.

Bowing to Predators: A Memoir on Abuse Hidden in Tradition by Sandrine Lavoie-Fillion is one of those books you finish and sit there afterward like,
“Wow. I need a minute.”

Sandrine starts karate as a teenager, excited to learn self-defense, but instead finds herself inside a system built on fear, power, and silence. Her sensei isn’t a tough mentor. He’s a narcissistic bully who targets teenage girls, hurts opponents (including a few of the teenage students) during sparring just to prove dominance, and hides cruelty behind the word tradition.

Another instructor in the dojo grooms girls too… but quieter, sneakier, and just as damaging. He’s a classic covert narcissist—appearing to the outside world as the perfect gentleman, while hiding behind a mask of dishonesty and manipulation.

What makes this memoir different is that it doesn’t live in the trauma. Sandrine shares enough for you to understand the depth of the betrayal, but the heart of this book is her healing. The slow realization that this wasn’t discipline… it wasn’t “normal”… it was abuse. And the resolution that walking away wasn’t weakness—it was survival.

Her healing journey is the soul of this story. Writing the book becomes part of reclaiming her voice, her body, her power. It’s raw, vulnerable, and incredibly brave. The letters to her younger self, then to the reader, are heartbreaking, yet powerful at the same time.

If you’ve ever been told to stay silent because “that’s just how it is,” if you’ve ever had your boundaries erased in the name of loyalty, this book will wrap around your heart and whisper: It wasn’t you.

[Moon'S Read · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bowing to Predators is a memoir about the physical and emotional suffering the author went throght at an age where she should have been protected. The writing is incredibly raw and vivid that you can feel the pain, anger, and fear as if you’re living it alongside her. One revelation in particular coming from the person I least expected, left me absolutely furious..😤

The inclusion of letters throughout the book, especially the final message addressed to readers, adds a heartfelt and unforgettable layer to the experience..🫶🏼

Despite the unimaginable trauma she endured, Sandrine stands her ground, fighting back with every ounce of strength she has. Her courage is extraordinary, and I am genuinely proud of her for telling her story with such honesty and bravery. This book is, without question, an act of justice to herself.

It was painful to know that cases like these happen far more often than we think. Abuse whether physical, emotional, or psychological, remains far too common, even today. Sandrine’s story serves as a powerful example that manipulators can be confronted, and that survival can be transformed into empowerment.

This is not an easy book to read, but it is a MUST READ...
I highly recommend it.

And yes, thank you for the pro tip!!😉

[Kate King · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sandrine Lavoie-Filion opens her life in a way that most people could never imagine — raw, unguarded, and with an honesty that reaches straight into the heart. It takes enormous courage to look back at a childhood shaped by pain, confusion, and silence, and to tell that story out loud. She may not have felt strong at the time, but she was — incredibly strong — standing firm in the face of forces that tried to break her.

To love a book like the one she’s written is to feel every word she’s poured onto the page. She’s written it in a way that people can connect to and feel. It isn’t a hate-fest, nor does it come from a place of victimhood. Instead, it’s a journey of growth and reclamation — a testament to resilience, healing, and the quiet, steady grace that comes from survival.

Through grit and grace, Sandrine has become a beacon for others who may still be walking their own road to healing. Her words remind us that no matter how much was taken, the human spirit still finds ways to rise — and to shine.

[Elara Price · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bowing to Predators didn’t just tell Sandrine’s story, it stirred up pieces of my own. Her descriptions of abuse at an age when she should have been protected felt painfully familiar, and there were moments I had to stop reading because the fear, anger, and betrayal hit so close to home.

Betrayal by someone she should’ve been able to trust absolutely shattered me. I wasn’t just furious for her. I was furious for the younger version of myself, too.

So much throughout the book felt deeply personal and validating, like she was speaking directly to survivors who still carry their own scars.

Despite everything, Sandrine’s refusal to stay quiet and her bravery in telling the truth made me feel both proud of her and seen in my own healing. This may not be an easy read for everyone, especially if you have trauma of your own, but for me, it was powerful, validating, and worth every moment spent in the pages.

I highly recommend it! Always remember to take care of yourself while you read. 💗

[Anthony Karrier · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bowing to Predators is a powerful, eye-opening memoir about overcoming abuse and manipulation. It’s an essential read for any parent with children in sports or any activity where adults have influence and unsupervised access.

[Sarah Grima · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bowing to Predators is not an easy read — nor should it be. It’s a raw, unflinching account of one woman’s experience in a dojo that became a place of control, manipulation, and abuse instead of discipline and growth.

The author’s courage in telling her story is extraordinary. She writes with clarity, honesty, and a quiet strength that stays with you long after the final page. This book forces readers to confront the darker sides of systems built on hierarchy and obedience — and the ways power can be abused behind closed doors.

Powerful, uncomfortable, necessary.