Lethwei is one of the oldest striking arts. Its origins go all the way back to the Pyu Empire in Myanmar which ruled from the 2nd century BCE to the 11th century. At the time, people from this region used Lethwei as a hand-to-hand weapon to fight in many wars. But even in ancient times, they also used it as a form of entertainment, and the matches were very popular. And of course, very brutal and dangerous. Lethwei is one of the most versatile striking arts ever created as it trains you to use your entire body as a weapon. At the same time, it is very a brutal fighting system since fighters compete bare-knuckle, and it includes dirty moves like headbutts. There are various types of striking arts out there that look similar to one another. This is notably true for kickboxing where most styles share the same techniques and rules. But the one striking art that clearly stands out is Lethwei, or “Burmese Boxing”, and the reason is very simple. The interesting fact is that, back in those days, Lethwei matches looked a lot like the ones in modern times. People fought in the sandpits without gloves, and there were no judges or decisions. The events were open to any male who wanted to test their skills and 온라인경마 courage against other males. There were no decisions, judges, or draws as matches could end only via knockout. Though this may sound brutal, that is how Lethwei matches look in modern times as well.
This is why the people in the western world, even the ones who follow combat sports, have never heard of Lethwei. The sport is simply too brutal, which is why it is illegal in most countries. The biggest change came in 2016 with the birth of the “World Lethwei Championship(WLC)”, the first global promotion. WLC started to hold events under modern rules, and it also allows fighters from other countries to come and test their skills in Lethwei competition. Lethwei is not a complex art and techniques are quite simple and easy to pick up. Yes, fighters compete bare-knuckle and use headbutts, but apart from these brutal moves, Lethwei is the same as most other striking arts. In fact, it shares the same kicks, punches and clinch work with Muay Thai. The focus is on mixing kicks with the punches from the distance, and fighting at close range and in the cling using elbows and knees. The emphasis is on dirty boxing in the clinch, and doing as much damage with a single strike, always chasing a knockout.