Lethwei: the Newest Asian Martial Arts Sensation

Lethwei is a traditional form of boxing that comes from Myanmar. It is usually held in village lots that are stained by blood and sweat of the combatants. Before the start of every match, the fighter performs a ritual called lat kha maung. The ritual is said to have originated from farming villages.

The martial arts is a virtual unknown in the rest of the planet but it is experiencing a rediscovery and revival in Myanmar and across the globe. Last August, a Lethwai event was held at the Woodlands Sports Hall in Singapore. Other events are scheduled in Bangkok and this could bring a new era for the sport.

Lethwai was once said to be a sport only for rugged thugs. Lone Chaw, a practitioner of the martial arts, had eight stitches across his face after a fight when he was just 17 years old. But schools have been established in Myanmar that gave Lethwai better reputation.

Lone Chaw is one of the instructors at the Thut Ti Myanmar Traditional Let Whay Club in Yangon. His students are not people who you consider as brutes. Some of his students include foreign investment bankers, Myanmar celebrities, and doctors.

Win Zin Oo, founder of the gym, said that foreigners started going to the gym two years ago. At present, classes that teach Lethwai are half local and half foreigners. Classes during the weekend have up to ten students.

The gym is proud to have trained Sean “Mr. Hammer” Bardoe, a Lethwai fighter from the UK. Bardoe has displayed physical and mental toughness that made him a crowd favorite and gave him a draw in the fight.

People who study Lethwai in the gym don’t want to be professional fighters. The exercises taught to the beginners are simplified forms of the martial arts. Each training session costs 5,000 kyat or $5 per person.

Photo by Delmas alain