Lethwei Kickboxing Fight in Myanmar
We are all familiar with the sport of Muay Thai, sometimes referred to as Thai boxing. Well what about Burmese Lethwei Kickboxing, pronounced Let Whay (Lethwei)? An unarmed form of martial art from the country we now call Myanmar, formerly known as Burma.
Similar in many ways to the more familiar styles including Indochinese kickboxing, namely Muay Thai from Thailand, Muay Lao from Laos, Tomoi from Malaysia and Pradal Serey from Cambodia. Here we see an A typical Lehtwei fight between local fighters Lone Chaw and Wunna.
Lethwei Kickboxing is a particularly brutal form of standup with only wrapped hands. Which also includes headbutts to your opponent! Fought by both the rich and the poor of Burma down through the centuries. Lethwei is kickboxing at it’s most brutal is very much the same as Muay Thai before the new rulesets were imposed to make the sport more appealing internationally.
How Lethwei Modernised its Rules
So while the sport of Muay Thai saw some essential reforms to modernise. In real terms, Lethwei only saw some minor changes to its historical ruleset. Allowing it to carry on with its main core of brutal fighting techniques.
Today the sport which is sometimes also referred to as Burmese boxing is getting a larger and larger following. As fans seek out even more brutal forms of combat, suddenly the sport seems to have exploded on to the international scene.
Following the interview with Lethwei champion Dave Leduc on the Joe Rogan Experience podcast. Many fans of both Muay Thai and MMA have tuned in to find out more about the lesser-known National sport of Myanmar.
And while it may be amongst the most brutal sports in the world, it still has some defining features which make it appealing to your average combat sports viewer.
Today as the sports body of Myanmar push to market it to the wider world gets underway. The question as to whether people are ready for unbridled brutality is yet unanswered.