Lethwei: The Most Brutal Martial Art is Going Mainstream!
Also known as “Burmese boxing”, Lethwei is a full-contact striking art that might not be everyone's cup of tea. It is very similar to Muay Thai and the two arts share many similar techniques. But, Lethwei is more brutal since fighters fight bare-knuckle and can use headbutts as a weapon.
Even though it looks brutal, Lethwei consists of very useful techniques that may prepare you for any type of scenario both inside the ring or on a street. Few other martial arts will teach you better standup techniques.
You may not believe this, but millions of fight fans don’t have a clue of what Lethwei is. And the reason for this is quite simple. It has never become popular in the west due to the lack of rules and safety.
Yet, we think this is wrong and that Burmese boxing deserves more attention. In this article, we’ll tell you all you need to know and what makes it so special and beautiful.
The early history of Lethwei
Lethwei has a long history and tradition. Its origins date way back to the Pyu Empire in Myanmar around the 2nd century BC. At the time, Lethwei was the main part of the Myanmar soldiers who used it to battle against nearby countries.
To make their style more versatile, they used to mix Lethwei with other arts such as Bando and Banshay.
There is no clear trace of the very first event. The first matches used to be part of Buddhist festivals and other public events. But what we know is that these early matches were very violent and bloody. Fighters fought without any gear, protection, or rules in place which often led to serious injuries and even deaths.
Yet, the sport has not changed much from the early days. For instance, fighters still compete without gloves or any type of shin guards.
Modern Lethwei
The sport of Lethei has seen many ups and downs all through history. One of the darkest moments came during the British rule in Burma which lasted from 1824 to 1948. In short, the British have banned people of Myanmar to train or use Lethwei in any form.
But, Lethwei would start to rise from the ashes once again in the 1950s. Thanks to the former Olympic boxer, Kyar, Ba Nyein, the sport would enter a new era. In the following years, Lethwei would go from being “barbaric” to becoming a real martial art.
Nyein was the one to put a new set of rules in place which made the sport much safer. This opened the doors for the sport to hold many events both in Myanmar and International.
But, it took many decades for Lethwei to get the world’s attention. In 2001, three American kickboxers came to Myanmar to train and test their skills in Lethwei. They all got KO’d in a brutal fashion inside the first round. One of these fighters was Doug Evans, a former UFC and Bellator fighter.
This was a turning point and many International events would follow in the future.
The modern rules of Lethwei
Even though it may look brutal and fights could be bloody, modern Lethwei embraces a lot of rules. What makes it unique and diverse from the other striking arts is, of course, the lack of gloves. Fighters mainly fight wearing tape, gauze, or hand wraps and nothing else.
Further, Lethwei allows all types of punches, kicks as well as vicious knee and elbow strikes. Fighters can use sweeps, throws, or even takedowns to throw the rival off balance and take them down. So technically, Lethwei fighters are not just strikers. They need to learn how to maintain their balance and stop the rival from taking them down.
But what makes it brutal are the notorious headbutts. These kinds of strikes can lead to serious injuries and nasty cuts. I mean, we are talking about serious, long term damage. Here are some of the most popular headbutting techniques:
- Hkaung tike — Lethwei fighters use this technique during the clinch
- Hkaung sount tike (rushing headbutt)
- Hkun hkaung tike-is a flying heabutt technique
Time limits and rounds
Like in kickboxing or Muay Thai, matches consist of 3,4, or 5 rounds depending if it is a non-title or a title bout. Each round lasts three minutes and unlike in most other striking arts, the rest period between the rounds is 2 minutes.
Judges and referees
Each fight includes one referee overseeing the fight. They have the right to stop the fight at any moment, warn fighters, or take a point.
Further, modern rules include judges sitting beside and evaluating the fight. So fighter can win a match via KO, decision, or if the opponent is no longer able to continue.
Judges use a couple of criteria when deciding the winner of the fight. They will make a decision based on:
- Damage
- Significant strikes landed
- Aggressiveness inside the ring
Traditional Lethwei Rules
Traditional Lethwei matches differ from the modern ones a lot, notably when it comes to safety. But don’t let the word “traditional” fool you. There are still plenty of events all around Myanmar where fighters compete under old rules.
KOs, time outs, and the strongest fighter in Myanmar
The traditional rules are straight simple. The only way you can win a fight is via knockout. If both fighters are still standing at the end of the bout, the judges will declare a draw. It doesn’t even matter if one fighter dominated the fight from start to finish. You must score a KO to win.
What makes Lethwei unique is that fighters can use “time-out” during the fight. A fighter who sustained an injury or was knocked out has two minutes to recover. But it’s worth noting fighters can’t use the time out in the fifth round of the title fight.
In the wild Lethwei world, the “Golden Belt” is seen as the ultimate achievement. The dream of every fighter is to become the open weight Golden Belt champ. This is the super bowl of Lethwei and it means you are the best fighter in Myanmar.
How does the training look like?
Lethwei is a brutal fighting style and training sessions are really hard. All fighters need to be fit and have insane cardio levels to compete. Every part of your body needs extra strength so it can deal with all the punishment inside the ring.
When it comes to techniques, training shares a lot of similarities with Muay Thai. Like Thai boxers, they spend a lot of time running, sparring, working on the heavy bag, and hitting the pads.
On top of that, they must spend a lot of time conditioning their knuckles and making them stronger. You won’t believe how easy it is to break your hand when you punch bare-knuckle.
Although it looks barbaric, Lethwei fighters are among the most technical strikers in the world. They have amazing handwork, footwork, and can go toe to toe with the best boxers or kickboxers. And we don’t have to mention how durable and fit they are.
Further, you simply must be a cardio freak to compete in Lethwei. Fighters usually fight at a very high pace, non-stop throwing kicks and punches. I mean, they are pushing their bodies and mind over the limits on a daily basis in training.
Even though they fight for “only” three rounds, you must have top cardio to see the final bell.
Lethwei is based on tradition and respect
Lethwei is a true martial art that embraces traditional values. You will rarely see fighters hating each other or talking trash. They are all kind and respectful, even when they step and fight inside the ring.
Ahead of every fight, most fighters would do the famous Lekkha Moun. This is a way to call out the rival in a respectful way. Some fighters even perform Lekkha Moun in the middle of the bout.
The second tradition is the famous warrior dances called Lethwei Yay. Fighters perform this one after the fight to celebrate the win, but, they often do it before the bout as well.
Is Lethwei good for MMA?
In recent years, we can see more and more fighters like Phoe Thaw shifting to MMA and signing with the Asian ONE FC promotion. This is because Lethwei is very good for MMA, and here is why.
First, Lethwei fighters have a different mindset than fighters in boxing or kickboxing. They are always focused on getting the KO because that is the only way you can win a fight in their sport. They are not used to scoring points.
But, they would have to forget about those headbutting techniques. These are banned from MMA.
Further, the next reason why Lethwei is good for MMA is obvious. In MMA, fighters are wearing 4 OZ open finger gloves which offer very little protection. This is perfect for Lethwei fighters as they are used to fighting bare-knuckle. Instead of blocking the strikes with gloves, they know how to use head movement to dodge strikes.
For instance, boxers and Muay Thai fighters tend to rely too much on protecting their head and body with much bigger, 10+ OZ gloves.
As some of you may know, Muay Thai and Boxing are the most important striking styles in modern MMA. So, we have every reason to believe Lethwei fighters could do well inside the cage as the art is very similar if not better than boxing and Muay Thai.
Who are the most famous Lethwei fighters?
Throughout history, there have been many great Lethwei fighters and champions. Some of them have even fought in other arts like Muay Thai or MMA. We are going to address the names of some of the biggest ones that are known worldwide.
Tun Tun Min
Min is one of the most famous Lethwei fighters who became the youngest ever “Golden Belt” open weight champ at the age of 21. He defended his title an amazing 18 times before losing it in 2016.
Inside the ring, he is known for a very aggressive style of fighting and has an amazing 100% finishing rate. The western world knows him for his rivalry with Dave Leduc whom he fought three times in less than 2 years.
Dave Leduc
Leduc was the first non-Burmese to win the Golden Belt open weight title (under traditional rules) by defeating nonother than the legendary Tun Tun Min. In just a few years, he became the face of Lethwei in the western world and deserves a lot of credit for putting helping the sport going global.
Dave also fought in Muay Thai for around four years as well as MMA where he holds two wins. But, he has been fully committed to Lethwei since 2016.
Tway Ma Shaung
Also known as the “KO King”, Shaung is the former Golden Belt champ and the highlight real KO artist. What sets him above the others is a “kill or be killed” attitude inside the ring, the ability to take a huge punishment, and an elite set of skills.
World Lethwei Championship
WLC is the most famous Lethwei promotion based in Yangon, Myanmar. In some way, WLC resembles what UFC is in MMA. Its goal is to elevate the sport to another level and help it go global.
Founded in 2015, the promotion kicked off with the first WLC event in 2017. In the following years, WLC signed many Lethwei legends, along with the biggest star in the west, Dave Leduc. Dave quickly became the face of the game and he even went on to be a guest on the famous Joe Rogan podcast.
WLC is rising at a high rate and it has signed many deals with some big promotions like ONE FC and the UFC. And it is great to see the sport with such a long history receiving much-needed attention.
WLC events are now broadcasted through UFC Fight Pass and millions of fight fans can now enjoy on-demand content.
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