View source for Lethwei

{{Short description|Burmese martial art}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2020}}

{{Infobox martial art
| image            = Tway Ma Shaung fighting Saw Shark in Myanmar.png
| caption          = 
| name             = Lethwei<br>လက်ဝှေ့
| aka              = Burmese boxing,<br/>Burmese bareknuckle fighting,<br>The Art of 9 Limbs
| focus            = [[Strike (attack)|Striking]]
| hardness         = [[Full-contact]]
| country          = Myanmar
| famous pract     = [[List of Lethwei fighters]]
| union            = [[Myanmar Traditional Lethwei Federation]]
| promotion        = [[World Lethwei Championship]], [[ILFJ]]
| module={{Infobox sport
| name           = Sport
| image          = 
| imagesize      = 220px
| caption        = 
| union          = [[World Lethwei Federation]]
| first          = 
| firstlabel     =
| country/region = Worldwide
| registered     =
| clubs          =
| contact        = Full
| team           =
| mgender        = 
| category       = Martial art
| equipment      =
| venue          =
| obsolete       =
| olympic        = 
| IWGA           = 
}}
}}

'''Lethwei''' ({{langx|my|လက်ဝှေ့}}; [[International Phonetic Alphabet|<small>IPA</small>]]: {{IPA|my|lɛʔ.ʍḛ|}}) or '''Burmese boxing''' is a [[Full contact fighting|full contact]] combat sport originating from [[Myanmar]] and is considered one of the most brutal martial arts in the world.<ref name="Bloody elbow">{{cite web|author=Lucas Bourdon|title=Lethwei champion Dave Leduc: 'I didn't like Muay Thai, because there were gloves'|url=https://bloodyelbow.com/2019/08/01/lethwei-champion-dave-leduc-interview-seth-baczynski-ufc-fight-pass-myanmar-kickboxing-muay-thai/|website=[[Bloody Elbow]]|date=August 1, 2019|quote=Lethwei, Myanmar’s national sport, is one of the most brutal striking styles in the world—allowing bare knuckle punches, elbows, kicks, knees and headbutts|archive-date=March 31, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230331191541/https://www.bloodyelbow.com/2019/8/1/20750483/lethwei-champion-dave-leduc-interview-seth-baczynski-ufc-fight-pass-myanmar-kickboxing-muay-thai}}
* {{cite web|title=World Lethwei Championship in Cambodia postponed again|url=https://www.khmertimeskh.com/50762699/world-lethwei-championship-in-cambodia-postponed-again/|author=Jose Rodriguez T. Senase|website=[[Khmer Times]]|date=11 November 2017|quote=Lethwei is one of the most aggressive and brutal martial arts in the world}}
* {{cite web|title=The Most Brutal Sport in the World Uses Bare Knuckles and Head Butts|url=https://www.vice.com/en/article/lethwei-brutal-sport-burmese-kickboxing-myanmar/|author=Karl R. De Mesa|website=[[Vice (magazine)|Vice]]|date=12 March 2019}}
* {{cite web|title=Myanmar's Lethwei - the most brutal combat sport in the world?|url=https://www.channelnewsasia.com/watch/myanmars-lethwei-most-brutal-combat-sport-world-video-1494691|website=[[Channel News Asia]]|date=27 October 2019|access-date=17 September 2022|archive-date=22 September 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220922011118/https://www.channelnewsasia.com/watch/myanmars-lethwei-most-brutal-combat-sport-world-video-1494691|url-status=dead}}
* {{cite web|title=Is Lethwei The Most Brutal Martial Art?|url=http://lethweiworld.com/is-lethwei-the-most-brutal-martial-art|author=James Rees|website=Lethwei World|date=25 August 2022}}
* {{cite news|author=Ondřej Jarůšek|date=12 November 2022|url=https://refresher.com/835-The-Most-Brutal-Sport-In-The-World-Burmese-Boxing-Is-Only-For-The-Strongest|title=The Most Brutal Sport In The World: Burmese Boxing Is Only For The Strongest|publisher=Refresher}}
* {{cite news|date=9 May 2021|url=https://thainewsroom.com/2021/05/09/canadian-boxers-action-turns-into-a-big-issue/|title=Canadian Boxer's Action Turns Into A Big Issue|publisher=Thai News Room|quote=Burmese bare knuckle boxing, considered the world's most brutal sport}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |author=Liam Fresen|date=June 30, 2023|url=https://www.sportskeeda.com/mma/news-exclusive-lethwei-legend-dave-leduc-responds-mike-perry-s-call-out-jre-it-will-like-luke-rockhold-fight|title=Lethwei legend Dave Leduc responds to Mike Perry's call-out on JRE - 'It will not be like Luke Rockhold fight'|website=[[Sportskeeda]]}}</ref> Lethwei fighters use stand-up striking techniques such as kicks, knees, elbows and punches, and the use of [[headbutt]]s is also permitted.<ref>{{cite news |author=Kyaw Zin Hlaing|date=1 September 2015|url=http://www.mmtimes.com/index.php/sports/16252-easy-win-for-lethwei-fighters.html|title=Easy win for Lethwei fighters|website=[[Myanmar Times]]}}</ref> Fighters compete bareknuckle, wrapping their hands with only tape and gauze.<ref>{{cite news|last=Olavarria|first=Pedro|title=Bando: The style of Burmese Martial Arts|url=http://fightland.vice.com/blog/the-styles-of-burmese-martial-arts|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150104002508/http://fightland.vice.com/blog/the-styles-of-burmese-martial-arts|url-status=dead|archive-date=4 January 2015|publisher=[[Fightland|VICE Fightland]]|date=2 December 2014}}
* {{cite news|last=Calderon|first=Justin|date=23 September 2014|url=https://edition.cnn.com/travel/article/myanmar-lethwei-boxing/index.html|title=Punches, headbutts, knockouts: Asia's 'new' martial arts sensation|publisher=[[CNN]]}}</ref><ref name="BRUTAL">{{cite web|title=Lethwei : The world's most brutal sport|url=http://uglychicken.com/lethwei-worlds-brutal-sport/|website=Ugly Chicken|date=4 October 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190707045037/http://uglychicken.com/lethwei-worlds-brutal-sport/|archive-date=7 July 2019|url-status=dead}}</ref> Disallowed in most combat sports, headbutts are important weapons in a Lethwei fighter's arsenal, giving Lethwei its name of the "Art of nine limbs".<ref>{{cite web|title=Lethwei Fighter Lands Torpedo Headbutt KO|url=https://www.scrapdigest.com/watch-lethwei-fighter-lands-torpedo-headbutt-ko/47984/|author=Darren|website=Scrap Digest|date=18 April 2019|access-date=17 July 2020}}
* {{cite news |author=Zarni Pyo|date=21 July 2017|url=https://www.mmtimes.com/in-pictures/26720-the-art-of-nine-limbs.html|title=The Art Of Nine Limbs|website=[[Myanmar Times]]}}
* {{cite web |url=https://thebodylockmma.com/lethwei/lethwei-everything-you-need-to-know-about-burmese-bareknuckle-boxing|title=Lethwei: Everything you need to know about Burmese bareknuckle boxing|author=Steven Rae|website=The Body Lock|date=13 March 2019}}</ref> In traditional rules, each corner is allowed one two-minute timeout per fight to revive a KO’d fighter. This, combined with its bareknuckle nature, gave Lethwei a reputation for being one of the bloodiest and most violent martial arts.<ref>{{cite web|title=BAREKNUCKLE BOXING Blood sport|url=https://southeastasiaglobe.com/bareknuckle-boxing-myanmar/|author=Paul Millar|website=South East Asia Globe|date=18 July 2018}}
* {{cite web|title=From Myanmar, with blood: The Singaporean fighting tradition to take the martial art of lethwei to the world|url=https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/asia/myanmar-lethwei-martial-art-tradition-wlc-singaporean-12006368|author=Jack Board|publisher=Channel News Asia|date=27 October 2019|quote=Lethwei is considered by some to be the world's most brutal martial art}}
* {{cite web|title='Once you get a taste, there's no turning back': brutal, bloody lethwei making Myanmar a martial arts mecca|url=https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/2119434/once-you-get-taste-theres-no-turning-back-brutal-bloody-lethwei|author=Matthew Scott|website=[[South China Morning Post]]|date=11 November 2017}}
* {{cite web|title=THE ART OF THE NINTH LIMB: HOW THE HEADBUTT CHANGES A FIGHT|url=https://fight-library.com/2023/12/20/the-art-of-the-ninth-limb-how-the-headbutt-changes-a-fight|website=The Fight Library|date=December 20, 2023}}</ref><ref name="Burmese Hero">{{cite web|author=Andrew Whitelaw|title=‘Maybe I was born in Myanmar in another life’: Canadian lethwei fighter Dave Leduc turns Burmese hero|url=https://www.scmp.com/sport/martial-arts/other-martial-arts/article/3021025/maybe-i-was-born-myanmar-another-life|website=[[South China Morning Post]]|date=2 August 2019}}</ref> Although popular throughout Myanmar, Lethwei has been primarily and historically associated with the [[Karen people]] of the [[Kayin State]]; the vast majority of competitive Lethwei fighters are ethnolinguistically of [[Karen people|Karen]] descent.<ref>Green, T. (2001). Martial Arts of the World An Encyclopedia (Vol. 1).
* Draeger, D. F., Smith, R. W. (1980). Comprehensive Asian Fighting Arts. Japan: Kodansha International.</ref><ref name="BRUTAL" />

== History ==
[[File:Physical culture (1908) (14802472843).jpg|thumb|300px|Late 19th century Lethwei match in Myanmar. The fighter on the left bears a [[Htoe Kwin]] tattoo and hitched up [[Longyi#Lethwei|longyi]] (paso hkadaung kyaik).]]
[[File:Bodleian Ms. Burm. a. 5 fol 162.jpg|thumb|left|300px|Watercolour painting from 1897 depicting a 19th century boxing match. All fighters wear [[Longyi#Lethwei|longyi]] and [[Htoe Kwin]] tattoos.]]
The traditional martial arts of Myanmar are regrouped under a term called "[[Mainland Southeast Asia martial arts#Myanmar|thaing]]", which includes [[bando]], [[banshay]], [[naban]], shan gyi and Lethwei. According to researchers, thaing can be traced in its earliest form to the 12th century of the [[Pagan Kingdom]] dynasty.<ref>{{cite news|last=H.|first=Thar|date=12 October 2019|url=https://www.frontiermyanmar.net/en/playing-for-beauty-and-playing-to-fight-myanmars-martial-arts|title=Playing for beauty and playing to fight': Myanmar's martial arts|publisher=Frontier}}</ref>

In [[Bagan]], it exists some carvings on temples and pagodas in the central Myanmar plains, which appear to show pairs of men locked in combat, suggesting the sport is potentially over a thousand years old.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.thenationalnews.com/sport/lethwei-myanmars-brutal-martial-art-attracting-all-comers-while-fighting-for-recognition-1.98823|title=Lethwei, Myanmar’s brutal Martial Art, attracting all-comers while fighting for recognition|date=December 30, 2015|website=[[The National (Abu Dhabi)|The National News]]}}</ref>

In ancient times, matches were held for entertainment and were popular with every stratum of society. Participation was opened to any male, whether noble or commoner. At that time, matches took place in sand pits instead of rings.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bornwarriorsmovie.com/index.php/news/entry/born-warriors-fighting-for-survival|title=Born Warriors: Fighting for Survival|last1=Giordano|first1=Vincent|website=15 July 2015}}</ref> Boxers fought without protective equipment, only wrapping their hands in hemp or gauze. There were no draws; the fight went on until one of the participants was knocked out or could no longer continue. Back then, Burmese boxing champions would enter the ring and call for open challenges.<ref name="Journal">{{cite book |title=Journal of the Royal Society of Arts, Volume 41 |publisher=G. Bell and Sons |date=1893 |page=151 |quote=At a Burmese boxing match, a champion will jump into the ring and dance about, smacking his chest and arms and cracking his fingers, challenging all comers.}}</ref>

Lethwei went through many years of suppression during the British colonial rule of Burma. The sport was revived under General [[Ne Win]]'s nationalistic government.<ref>Burmese Boxing Sees Revival. [[Black Belt (magazine)|Black Belt magazine]]. September 1970.</ref> Unlike Muay Thai, in Lethwei, punches are generally favoured over kicks because of their ability to draw blood more easily.<ref>{{cite web |title=What Happens When Muai Thai Fighters Try Lethwei?|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6oZH4_3G42E|website=[[The Joe Rogan Experience]]|date=October 29, 2019}}</ref> Traditional matches include the ''Flagship Tournament'', which are still fought throughout Myanmar, especially during holidays or celebration festivals like [[Thingyan]].<ref name="traditional">{{cite web|last1=Giordano|first1=Vincent|title=Burmese Lethwei: The Tradition of Child Fighters|url=http://www.allaboutmartialarts.com/Burmese-lethwei-the-tradition-of-child-fighters|website=AllAboutMartialArts}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bangkokpost.com/print/658636/|title=Women join in Myanmar's ferocious kickboxing|date=1 April 2016|website=[[Bangkok Post]]}}</ref> In rural areas, having a skilled child fighter has been a way of escaping poverty.<ref>{{cite web |title=The Violent, Lonely World of Myanmar's Child Boxers|url=https://narratively.com/the-violent-lonely-world-of-myanmars-child-boxers|author=Poppy McPherson|website=Narratively|date=31 July 2017}}</ref>

=== The New Era ===
In modern times, the sport is kept alive in [[Lower Burma]] in [[Mon State]] and [[Karen State]] where matches are held for events such as New Year's celebrations.<ref name="Bone crunching">{{cite web |author=Zaw Zaw, A|date=24 December 2015|url=https://sports.yahoo.com/news/foreigners-drawn-myanmars-bone-crunching-kickboxing-042426376.html|title=Foreigners drawn to Myanmar's bone-crunching kickboxing|publisher=[[Yahoo Sports]]}}</ref>

[[Kyar Ba Nyein]], who participated in [[boxing at the 1952 Summer Olympics]], pioneered modern Lethwei by setting in place modern rules and regulations.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.scribd.com/doc/14281120/Kyar-ba-nyein|title=Kyar ba nyein|publisher=Scribd|access-date=2015-03-04}}</ref> He travelled around [[Myanmar]], especially the [[Mon State|Mon]] and [[Karen people|Karen]] states, where Lethwei is more actively practiced. After training with some of the fighters, Kyar Ba Nyein brought some to [[Mandalay]] and [[Yangon]] to compete in matches.<ref name="bornwarriorsmovie1">{{cite web|last1=Giordano|first1=Vincent|title=Born Warriors Redux: A New Era Begins for an Ancient Sport|url=http://www.bornwarriorsmovie.com/index.php/articles/entry/born-warriors-redux-a-new-era-begins-for-an-ancient-sport|date=15 July 2015}}</ref>

In 1996, the [[Myanmar Traditional Lethwei Federation]] (MTLF), a branch of the [[Ministry of Health and Sports (Myanmar)|Myanmar's Ministry of Health and Sports]], added the [[#Tournament rules|modern Lethwei rules]] for the occasion of the ''Golden Belt Championship'' in [[Yangon]].<ref name=MDN>{{cite web |url=https://www.mdn.gov.mm/en/tun-tun-min-wins-myanmar-lethwei-world-championship|title=Tun Tun Min wins Myanmar Lethwei World Championship|date=19 August 2019|publisher=Myanmar Daily News}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Goyder|first=James |date=17 December 2014|url=http://fightland.vice.com/blog/the-burmese-kickboxing-style-of-lethwei-expands-into-singapore|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150130151514/http://fightland.vice.com/blog/the-burmese-kickboxing-style-of-lethwei-expands-into-singapore|url-status=dead|archive-date=30 January 2015|title=The Burmese Kickboxing Style of Lethwei Expands Into Singapore |publisher=[[Fightland|VICE Fightland]]}}</ref><ref name="Golden belt">{{cite news|author=Kyaw Zin Hlaing|url=https://www.mmtimes.com/sports/6839-two-two-wins-golden-belt-championship.html|title=Two Two wins Golden Belt Championship|date=20 May 2013|website=[[Myanmar Times]]}}</ref> The bouts, along with the undercard fights, were organized by the Ministry of Sport, Myanmar Traditional Lethwei Federation and KSM group. This marked a big addition to the art of Lethwei and potentially would make Burmese boxing more marketable internationally.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.combatsportsasia.com/burmese-lethwei-bare-knuckle-revival|title=Burmese Lethwei: Bare Knuckle Revival|last1=Giordano|first1=Vincent|date=13 August 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150906041409/http://www.combatsportsasia.com/burmese-lethwei-bare-knuckle-revival/|archive-date=September 6, 2015|url-status=dead}}</ref>

On 18 July 2015, [[ONE Championship]] held the first Lethwei fight in its history inside a cage at the occasion of [[2015 in ONE Championship#ONE Championship: Kingdom of Warriors|ONE Championship: Kingdom of Warriors]] in [[Yangon, Myanmar]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.onefc.com/features/6-fascinating-facts-every-martial-arts-fan-needs-to-know-about-myanmar-lethwei|title=6 Fascinating Facts Every Martial Arts Fan Needs To Know About Myanmar Lethwei|website=ONE Championship|date=14 June 2017|quote=''Pictures of Phyan Thway and Soe Htet Oo at Kingdom of Warriors''}}
* {{cite web|url=https://www.onefc.com/lifestyle/what-separates-lethwei-from-other-martial-arts|title=What Separates Lethwei From Other Martial Arts|website=ONE Championship|author=Matias Andres|date=14 March 2020}}
* {{cite news |author=Andrew Whitelaw|title="A lethwei style MMA fight" - Aung La N Sang on hybrid rules and touching on his Myanmar roots|url=https://www.sportskeeda.com/mma/news-aung-la-n-sang-keen-for-a-lethwei-style-mma-fight|work=Sportskeeda|date=28 April 2022|quote=''ONE Championship has promoted lethwei fights in the past''}}</ref> The fight showcased [[Myanmar|Burmese]] fighters Phyan Thway and Soe Htet Oo in a [[dark match]] and the result was a draw according to the [[#Traditional rules|traditional Lethwei rules]].<ref name="tapology.com">{{cite web|url=https://www.tapology.com/fightcenter/events/46084-one-championship-light-of-a-nation|title=ONE Championship: Light of a Nation|website=Tapology|access-date=4 September 2022}}</ref>

In 2017, [[ONE Championship]] and [[World Lethwei Championship]] officially entered into a partnership to share athletes to fight in each other's organization.<ref name="Business India">{{cite web|url=https://www.businessinsider.in/sports/news/mma-firm-one-championship-and-the-world-lethwei-championship-are-in-talks-to-cross-pollinate-each-others-organizations/articleshow/76197171.cms|title=MMA firm One Championship and the World Lethwei Championship are in talks to cross-pollinate each other's organizations|author=Alan Dawson|website=[[Business Insider India]]|date=4 June 2020|access-date=5 September 2022|archive-date=18 August 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220818120128/https://www.businessinsider.in/sports/news/mma-firm-one-championship-and-the-world-lethwei-championship-are-in-talks-to-cross-pollinate-each-others-organizations/articleshow/76197171.cms|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name="insider">{{cite web|url=https://www.insider.com/one-championship-wlc-talking-about-cross-pollenating-each-others-promotion-2020-6|title=World Lethwei Championship is open to a co-promotion in order to expand|author=Alan Dawson|website=[[Business Insider]]|date=4 June 2020}}
* {{cite web|url=http://sport360.com/article/boxing-mma/one-championship-mma/223041/world-lethwei-championship-to-be-held-in-myanmar-following-success-of-one-championship|title=World Lethwei championship to be held in Myanmar|website=Sport 360|date=16 February 2017}}</ref> On June 30, 2017, ONE Championship held a Lethwei match at [[2017 in ONE Championship#ONE Championship: Light of a Nation|ONE Championship: Light of a Nation]] between [[Thway Thit Win Hlaing]] and Soe Htet Oo. Thway Thit Win Hlaing would end up winning a decision according to [[#Tournament rules|WLC point system]].<ref name="tapology.com"/>

In 2016, Myanmar's first international Lethwei promotion called [[World Lethwei Championship]] (WLC) launched its events using the [[#Tournament rules|tournament Lethwei rules]].<ref name="myanmaritv.com">{{cite web|url=http://myanmaritv.com/news/world-letwhei-championship-biggest-intl-lethwei-competition-myanmar|title=World Lethwei Championship: Biggest Int'l. Lethwei Competition in Myanmar|publisher=Myanmari TV|access-date=25 May 2017}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=http://rough.asia/interviews/zay-thiha-bringing-lethwei-to-the-world/|title=Zay Thiha: Bringing Lethwei to the World|work=Rough Magazine|date=11 August 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170814051952if_/http://rough.asia/interviews/zay-thiha-bringing-lethwei-to-the-world/|archive-date=14 August 2017}}</ref>

In 2019, the [[World Lethwei Championship|WLC]] marked history by broadcasting [[2019 in World Lethwei Championship#WLC 7: Mighty Warriors|WLC 7: Mighty Warriors]], the first Lethwei event, internationally live on [[UFC Fight Pass]].<ref name="BJ penn">{{Cite news|url=https://www.thefightnation.com/world-lethwei-championship-lines-up-big-card-for-ufc-fight-pass-debut|title=World Lethwei Championship Lines Up Big Card for UFC Fight Pass Debut|website=The Fight Nation|date=31 January 2019|language=en|archive-date=5 April 2019|access-date=2 February 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190405064749/https://www.thefightnation.com/world-lethwei-championship-lines-up-big-card-for-ufc-fight-pass-debut/|url-status=dead}}</ref>
[[File:Lethwei fights Ye city Myanmar.png|thumb|A Lethwei match]]

==== Opening to the world ====
From 7 to 12 July 2001, twelve years after [[Burma]] changed its name to [[Names of Myanmar#History|Myanmar]], the first international event took place in Yangon with professional fighters from the [[United States]] facing Burmese fighters under full traditional Lethwei rules. The delegation of three American fighters brought by the [[International Kickboxing Federation|IKF]] were [[Shannon Ritch]], Albert Ramirez and [[Doug Evans (fighter)|Doug Evans]]. Ritch faced Ei Htee Kaw, Ramirez faced Saw Thei Myo, and Evans faced openweight Lethwei champion [[Wan Chai (fighter)|Wan Chai]]. All three Americans lost to the Burmese. A revenge match with American and European fighters was cancelled the last minute by Lethwei promoters and the military in 2002.

From 10 to 11 July 2004, the second event headlining foreigners took place with four Japanese fighters fighting against Burmese fighters. They were [[mixed martial arts]] fighters [[Akitoshi Tamura]], Yoshitaro Niimi, Takeharu Yamamoto and Naruji Wakasugi. Tamura knocked out Aya Bo Sein in the second round and became the first foreigner to beat a Myanmar Lethwei practitioner in an official match. International matches continued with the exciting [[Cyrus Washington]] vs. Tun Tun Min trilogy.

In 2016, after having previously fought to an explosive draw, [[Dave Leduc]] and [[Tun Tun Min]] rematched at the ''Air KBZ Aung Lan Championship'' in Yangon, Myanmar. The rematch was sweetened by an added bonus: ownership of the Lethwei Openweight World Championship Belt.<ref name="Dave Leduc Champion">{{cite web|title=デーブ・レダックチャンピオン Dave Leduc Champion|url=https://miruhon.net/51700|website=The Weekly Fight Japan|date=12 December 2016}}</ref> Leduc became the first non-Burmese fighter to win the Lethwei Golden Belt and become Lethwei world champion after defeating Tun Tun Min in the third round.<ref name="myanmar">{{cite news|author=Kyaw Zin Hlaing|url=http://www.mmtimes.com/index.php/sports/24187-myanmar-s-lethwei-goliath-toppled-by-canadian-dave.html|title=Myanmar's lethwei goliath toppled by Canadian 'Dave' |date=13 December 2016|website=[[Myanmar Times]]}}</ref><ref name="Champion du monde">{{cite news|url=http://www.journallarevue.com/sports/2016/12/20/tout-sauf-de-la-chance-pour-dave-leduc.html|title=Tout sauf de la chance pour Dave Leduc|author=Anthony Da Silva-Casimiro|date=20 December 2016|work=La Revue|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180612162416/https://www.journallarevue.com/sports/2016/12/20/tout-sauf-de-la-chance-pour-dave-leduc.html|archive-date=June 12, 2018|url-status=usurped}}</ref>

Following his title defence, Leduc said in an interview, "I have so much vision for this sport. I see Lethwei doing the same for Myanmar as what Muay Thai has done for Thailand."<ref name="the fight nation">{{cite web|last1=Eaton|first1=Matt|title=Embracing tradition: The rise of LethweiI|url=http://www.thefightnation.com/embracing-tradition-the-rise-of-lethwei/|website=The Fight Nation|date=18 April 2017|access-date=5 May 2017|archive-date=18 February 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190218174027/https://www.thefightnation.com/embracing-tradition-the-rise-of-lethwei/|url-status=dead}}</ref>

On April 18, 2017, for his second title defense under traditional rules,<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://miruhon.net/64893|title=Weigh ins for Lethwei in Japan 3 GRIT - 明日開催！第3回日本ラウェイ大会『ラウェイinジャパン 3 ～GRIT～』後楽園ホール大会！計量と公開記者会見終了|website=The Weekly Fight|date=17 April 2017}}</ref> [[Dave Leduc]] faced [[Turkish Australians|Turkish Australian]] challenger Adem Yilmaz at [[2017 in ILFJ#Lethwei in Japan 3: Grit|Lethwei in Japan 3: Grit]] in [[Tokyo]], Japan.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://miruhon.net/64893|title=4・18『Lethwei in Japan 3 ～GRIT～』全対戦7カード発表！ミャンマーvs.日本（4対4）vs.USA（2対2）にカナダの現ラウェイ王者が再参戦！相手は第1回大会参戦のオーストラリア選手！ – 週刊ファイト|website=The Weekly Fight|date=3 March 2017}}</ref><ref name="the fight nation"/> This marked the first Lethwei World title fight headlining two non-Burmese in the sport's history and for the occasion, the Ambassador of [[Myanmar]] to Japan was present at the event held in the [[Korakuen Hall]].<ref name="Myanma Allin Daily">{{cite journal|date=21 April 2017|title=Lethwei in Japan 3 GRIT|trans-title=Lethwei in Japan 3 GRIT is the third tournament is Japan|url=http://www.free4reader.com/issue_detail.php?id=10002|language=my|journal=Myanma Allin Daily|archive-date=25 August 2022|access-date=6 May 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220825213529/http://www.free4reader.com/issue_detail.php?id=10002|url-status=dead}}</ref>

On July 10, 2025, [[Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship]] co-owners [[Conor McGregor]] and David Feldman made a number announcements in [[Hollywood, Florida]]. One of the announcements included acquisition of majority shares in a Lethwei promotion in Asia.<ref>{{Cite web |title=BKFC’s Conor McGregor and David Feldman Break Game-Changing News, Top Champions Collide in Hollywood, FL |url=https://www.bkfc.com/news/bkfcs-conor-mcgregor-and-david-feldman-break-game-changing-news-top-champions-collide-in-hollywood-fl |website=bkfc.com |date=July 11, 2024}}</ref>

==== Sanctioning worldwide ====
Due to the violent ruleset, Lethwei is difficult to sanction and is illegal in most countries outside of Myanmar.<ref name="illegal">{{cite web |url=https://mmachannel.com/what-is-lethwei-burmese-bare-knuckle-boxing-explained|title=What Is Lethwei? Burmese Bare Knuckle Boxing Explained|access-date=21 July 2022|website=MMA Channel}}</ref> Even though headbutts are allowed in Lethwei, they are banned from most other combat sports including mixed martial arts, kickboxing, and Muay Thai.<ref name="ONE FC">{{cite news|url=https://www.onefc.com/lifestyle/what-separates-lethwei-from-other-martial-arts|title=What Separates Lethwei From Other Martial Arts?|author=Matias Andres|date=14 March 2020|website=[[ONE Championship]]|archive-date=June 20, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240620082956/https://www.onefc.com/lifestyle/what-separates-lethwei-from-other-martial-arts/}}</ref> As of 2022, Myanmar Lethwei is only legal in the following countries: [[Myanmar]], [[Japan]], [[Singapore]], [[Slovakia]], [[Austria]], [[Thailand]], [[Taiwan]], [[England]], [[United States]] (only the state of [[Wyoming]]), [[New Zealand]] and [[Poland]].<ref name="countries">{{cite web |url=http://lethweiworld.com/new-zealand-to-become-the-9th-country-to-host-lethwei-fights|title=New Zealand To Become The 10th Country To Host Pro Lethwei Fight|author=Aung Mint Sein|date=28 October 2020|publisher=Lethwei World|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230404050716/http://lethweiworld.com/new-zealand-to-become-the-9th-country-to-host-lethwei-fights/|archive-date=April 4, 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |author=Kyaw Zin Hlaing|date=30 April 2015|url=https://www.mmtimes.com/sports/14207-slovakia-the-next-stop-for-lethwei-stars.html|title=Slovakia the next stop for Lethwei stars|website=[[Myanmar Times]]|archive-date=July 20, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220720145933/https://www.mmtimes.com/sports/14207-slovakia-the-next-stop-for-lethwei-stars.html}}
* {{cite news|url=http://lethweiworld.com/lethwei-rising-in-popularity-slovakia|title=Lethwei Rising In Popularity In Slovakia|date=27 July 2022|author=Aung Mint Sein|website=Lethwei World|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230519002055/https://lethweiworld.com/lethwei-rising-in-popularity-slovakia/|archive-date=May 19, 2023}}</ref> The [[World Lethwei Federation]] has the responsibility to sanction and support the growth of Lethwei worldwide outside of [[Myanmar]].<ref name="WLF">{{Cite web |title=2nd Amateur Lethwei World Championship To Be Held In Poland In 2021|url=https://lethweiworld.com/poland-world-championship|author=Matthew Carter|date=September 18, 2020|website=Lethwei World|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230515214325/https://lethweiworld.com/poland-world-championship/|archive-date=May 15, 2023}}</ref>

== In popular culture ==
{{main|Lethwei in popular culture}}

Lethwei has been featured in variety of popular culture and mass [[Media (communication)|media]], including written works, live-action film and television and animation in Myanmar and occasionally abroad. In 2016, the sport gained worldwide attention after [[Dave Leduc]] defeated [[Tun Tun Min]], a [[Lethwei Golden Belt|Golden Belt]] champion.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Eaton|first1=Matt|title=Bare essentials: Canadian raises profile of Burmese combat sport|url=https://asiatimes.com/article/bare-essentials-canadian-raises-profile-burmese-combat-sport/|website=[[Asia Times]]|date=15 May 2017}}
* {{cite web |url=http://lethweiworld.com/dave-leduc-on-the-cover-of-legendary-magazine|title=Dave Leduc On The Cover Of Legendary Martial Arts Magazine|author=Matthew Carter|date=22 June 2020|website=Lethwei World}}
* {{cite web |url=https://www.vice.com/en/article/lethwei-brutal-sport-burmese-kickboxing-myanmar/|title=Inside a Burmese Lethwei Gym |author=Karl D. De Mesa|date=12 March 2019|publisher=[[Vice Media|VICE]]}}
* {{cite web |url=https://thebodylockmma.com/lethwei/a-royal-portrait-dave-leduc-king-of-lethwei|title=A royal portrait: Dave Leduc, King of Lethwei|author=Rhodri Morgan|date=20 July 2019|publisher=The Body Lock}}</ref> The same year, [[Born Warriors]] released a series of documentaries shot throughout Myanmar. In 2018, [[Frank Grillo]] travelled to Myanmar and featured Lethwei in the [[Netflix]] documentary ''[[FightWorld]]''.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2018/oct/24/can-netflixs-fightworld-help-rehabilitate-mmas-image|title=Can Netflix's Fightworld help rehabilitate MMA's image?|website=[[The Guardian]]|date=24 October 2018|access-date=11 July 2020}}</ref> In 2019, Lethwei was featured in [[The Joe Rogan Experience]] podcast by [[Joe Rogan]] with Leduc as guest.<ref name="JRE 2">{{cite news|url=https://www.jrepodcast.com/episode/jre-mma-show-81-with-dave-leduc/|title=JRE MMA Show #81 with Dave Leduc|date=October 29, 2019|publisher=[[The Joe Rogan Experience]]}}</ref><ref name="JRE">{{cite news|url=https://www.scmp.com/sport/martial-arts/mixed-martial-arts/article/3036975/dave-leduc-blasts-delusional-liam-harrison|title=Dave Leduc blasts 'delusional' Liam Harrison and challenges him to fight Lethwei|author=Nick Atkin|date=8 November 2019|website=[[South China Morning Post]]}}</ref> The sport has also been featured in the popular [[Japan]]ese [[manga]] series ''[[Kengan Ashura]]''.<ref name="manga 1">{{cite web |url=https://superherojacked.com/2022/06/25/saw-paing-workout|title=Saw Paing Workout: Train like The Kengan Ashura Lethwei Fighter!|date=June 25, 2022|publisher=Super Hero Jacked}}</ref> In the series, the [[Myanmar|Burmese]] Lethwei master named ''Saw Paing'', is so indestructible that an opponent shatters every bone in their hand trying to punch him.<ref name="manga 2">{{cite web |url=https://www.mmamania.com/2020/4/27/21233239/kengan-ashura-yabako-sandrovich-tournament-arc-fighting-fiction-japanese-anime-mma|title=Fighting Fiction: 'Kengan Ashura' perfects the martial arts tournament arc|author=Patrick L. Stumberg|date=27 April 2020|publisher=[[MMA Mania]]}}</ref>

== Traditional gesture ==
=== Lekkha moun ===
The ''lekkha moun'' is the traditional gesture performed by Lethwei fighters to challenge their opponents with courage and respect. The lekkha moun is done by clapping 3 times with right palm to the triangle shaped hole formed while bending the left arm. The clapping hand must be in form of a cup, while the left hand must be placed under the right armpit. The lekkha moun is done at the beginning of the [[Lethwei yay]] and can also be done while fighting.

[[File:provoc0.jpg|thumb|Illustration of the ''lekkha moun'']]

This invitation to fight is inspired from the birds of prey, like the eagle, as they flap their wings when flying and hunting.

=== Lethwei yay ===
The ''Lethwei yay'' could be described as a ''fight dance''. It is performed before the fight as a way to showcase the fighter's skills and as a victory dance after the fight. The lekkha moun is usually confused with the lethwei yay, but the lekkha moun is done along with the Lethwei yay.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Andres |first1=Matias |title=What Separates Lethwei From Other Martial Arts? |url=https://www.onefc.com/lifestyle/what-separates-lethwei-from-other-martial-arts/ |website=[[ONE Championship]]|date=14 March 2020}}</ref>

Before modernisation, especially in colonial times, the pre-fight dance was more commonly referred to as han yay (ဟန်ရေး). Performed in accordance with the tempo of the traditional orchestra (ဆိုင်း), it incorporated a much more elaborate dance and show of skills. Boastful poetry was sometimes recited along with the dance.<ref name="forward">{{cite magazine|author1-link=Kyar Ba Nyein|last=Ba Nyein |first=Kyar |date=1 March 1968 |title=တိမ်ယံကထွက်လာသော ဗမာ့လက်ဝှေ့ |magazine=ရှေ့သို့ |page=27 |url=https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=1764128223826658 |access-date=8 September 2021 |trans-title=Forward|language=my}}</ref>

<gallery>
File:dance0.jpg|
File:percut0.jpg|
</gallery>

== Rules ==
[[File:Lethwei bloody handwraps.png|thumb|300px|Bloody Lethwei hand wraps]]

'''Permitted techniques'''

* Headbutts
* All punches
* All elbow strikes
* All knee strikes
* All kicks
* Extensive clinching
* Sweeps, throws and takedowns

The use of the feet, hands, knees, elbows and head is permitted.

'''Rounds'''

Each bout can be booked as a 3, 4 or 5 round fight with 3 minutes per round and a 2-minute break in between rounds. Championship bouts are 5 round fights with 3 minutes per round and a 2-minute break between rounds.

'''Fighting attire'''

The Burmese bareknuckle boxing rules prohibits the use of gloves.

* The fighters must only wear tape, gauze and electrical tape on their hands and feet.
* The fighters shall wear only shorts, without a shirt or shoes.
* The fighters must wear a groin protector.
* The fighters must wear a [[Mouthguard|gum shield]].

The fighters are required to apply the wrapping in front of the fight officials, who will endorse the wraps.

'''Referee'''

One referee oversees the fight. The referee has the power to:
* End the fight if he considers one fighter to be significantly outclassed by his opponent.
* Stop the fight and refer to the doctor if a fighter is heavily wounded.
* Warn the fighters. He makes sure the fight proceeds fairly and in compliance with the rules.

=== Traditional rules ===
The traditional rules, also known as ''yoe yar'' rules, which comes from the [[Burmese language|Burmese]] ''Myanma yoe yar Letway'', which means ''Myanmar traditional boxing''.<ref name="Rules">{{cite news |author=Mark Schroeder|date=17 September 2019|url=https://www.thefight-site.com/home/introduction-to-lethwei-1|title=Introduction to Lethwei|publisher=The Fight Site}}</ref> Traditional matches are still fought throughout Myanmar, especially during festivals or celebrations like [[Thingyan]].<ref name="traditional" /> Traditional Lethwei is notorious for not having a scoring system and for its controversial rule of '''knock-out only to win'''.

At the end of the match, in the eventuality that there is no knockout or stoppage, if the two fighters are still standing, even if one fighter dominated the fight, the match is declared a draw. Fighters can win by incapacitating their rivals in a few different ways.

* A knock-out ('''KO''') is when a fighter falls to the ground, leans unconscious or if a fighter is unable to stand up or defend themself for 20 seconds (10 counts with 1 count every 2 seconds).
* When 3 counts are performed in a single round, the fight is terminated and scored as knock-out (count limit) ('''KO''').
* When 4 counts are performed during the entire duration of the fight, the match is terminated and scored as knock-out (count limit) ('''KO''').
* A technical knock-out ('''TKO''') is when a fighter forfeits, has an injury or is in a position that can damage or severely harm them if the fight continues. The ring doctor is consulted and makes the decision.<ref name="martialartsentertainment.com">{{cite web|url=http://www.martialartsentertainment.com/born-warriors-documentarian-vincent-giordano-interview-part-2/|title=Born Warriors: Documentarian Vincent Giordano Interview Part 2|last1=Xegarra|first1=Guillermo|website=Martial Arts Entertainment|date=7 June 2016}}</ref>

'''Promotions that use traditional rules'''
* Most Lethwei promotions in Myanmar
* Annual Myanmar Lethwei World Championship
* Air KBZ Aung Lan Championship
* [[International Lethwei Federation Japan]]
* Challenge fights
* Flagship Tournaments
* Festivals & celebrations

==== Special time-out ====
* If a knockout or injury occurs, the fighter can take a special 2 minute time-out to recover. After the time-out the fighter can choose whether he wishes to continue the bout or not. Each fighter may only do so once during the fight.<ref>{{cite news |last=Looi |first=Florence |date=8 September 2015 |url=http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2015/09/myanmar-lethwei-fighters-bare-knuckles-150908100052020.html |title=Myanmar's Lethwei fighters bare their knuckles |publisher=[[Al Jazeera English|Al Jazeera]]}}</ref>
* The time-out cannot be used in the fifth round.
* The use of the time-out is considered as 1 count.

==== Golden Belt ====
{{Main|Lethwei Golden Belt}}
The traditional ''Lethwei Golden Belt'' is regarded as the highest and most prestigious award for Lethwei fighters.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Dave Leduc Vs Samnang to Headline MFC 2|url=https://www.combatsportsuk.co.uk/dave-leduc-vs-samnang-to-headline-mfc-2|date=April 10, 2023|author=James Rees|website=Combat Sports UK|quote=The Openweight Lethwei World Championship is one of the most prestigious titles in combat sports.}}</ref><ref name="openweight">{{cite news|author=Kyaw Zin Hlaing|url=http://www.mmtimes.com/index.php/sports/24187-myanmar-s-lethwei-goliath-toppled-by-canadian-dave.html|title=Myanmar's lethwei goliath toppled by Canadian 'Dave'|date=13 December 2016|website=[[Myanmar Times]]}}</ref> Not to be confused with the annual ''Golden Belt Championship'', composed mostly of younger rising talent and using the [[#Tournament rules|tournament rules]] point system.<ref name=MDN /><ref name="Golden belt" />

There is only one ''Golden Belt'' champion for each weight categories, with the openweight class champion being considered the strongest fighter in Myanmar.<ref name=":7">{{Cite news|url=https://www.mmtimes.com/sports/18254-a-tun-tun-minute.html|title=A Tun Tun Minute|last=Hlaing|first=Kyaw Zin|website=[[Myanmar Times]]|date=22 December 2015}}</ref> The openweight Golden Belt champion is the equivalent of being pound-for-pound champion in the world of Lethwei.<ref name="shwe sai">{{cite web|title=SONS OF LETHWEI LEGENDS TO MEET IN THE RING AT WLC: KING OF NINE LIMBS|url=https://apmma.net/sons-of-lethwei-legends-to-meet-in-the-ring-at-wlc-king-of-nine-limbs|date=22 June 2019|publisher=Asia Persuasian MMA|access-date=24 April 2020|archive-date=26 November 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201126122825/https://apmma.net/sons-of-lethwei-legends-to-meet-in-the-ring-at-wlc-king-of-nine-limbs/|url-status=dead}}</ref>

=== Tournament rules ===
In 1996, the [[Myanmar Traditional Lethwei Federation]] created the tournament ruleset for the inaugural Golden Belt Championship tournament.<ref name="Rules" /> The two-minute injury timeout was removed and judges were added ringside to determine a winner in the event there was no knockout. This modified ruleset prevents the outcome of a draw and helped choose a winner to advance in the tournament. Myanmar's first international promotion, the [[World Lethwei Championship]], opted for this ruleset in order to follow international safety regulations and have clear winners.<ref name="Golden belt" />

'''Judging criteria'''

The knockout is still highly desired under this ruleset, but in the event that a bout goes the distance, judges will present a decision. The 3 judges should score the bout based on:

* aggression
* damage
* amount of blood drawn
* number of significant strikes per round

Fighters have a maximum of 3 knockdowns per round and 4 knockdowns in the entire fight before the fight is ruled a knockout.

== Techniques ==
Aside from punches, kicks, elbows and knee attacks, Burmese fighters also make use of head-butts, raking knuckle strikes and take downs.
<gallery>
File:lethwei-Elbow.jpg|Spinning elbow strike
File:lethwei-Hight-kick.jpg|Roundhouse kick
File:lethwei-Knee-Elbow.jpg|Knee and elbow strike
File:lethwei-Knee-Hand.jpg|Knee and punch
File:Lethwei-Step-Elbow.jpg|Jumping knee and elbow
File:HookKick001.jpg|Back hook kick
</gallery>

{{anchor|Headbutt}}

=== Headbutt (''Gowl Tite'') ===
{| class="wikitable"
|-
!English !! Burmese !! [[MLC Transcription System|Romanization]] !! [[help:IPA|IPA]]
|-
| '''Thrusting/Forward Headbutt''' || ထိုးခေါင်းတိုက် || ''Htoe Gowl Tite'' ||
|-
| '''Upward Headbutt''' || ခေါင်းပင့်တိုက် || ''Gowl Pint Tite'' ||
|-
| '''Side Headbutt''' ||  ခေါင်းရိုက်  || ''Gowl yite'' ||
|-
| '''Clinching Headbutt''' || ချုပ်ခေါင်းရိုက် || ''Choke Gowl Yite'' ||
|-
| '''Flying/Diving Headbutt''' ||  ခုန်ခေါင်းတိုက် || ''Khnoe Gowl Tite'' ||
|-
| '''Rushing Headbutt''' ||  ခေါင်းဆောင့်တိုက် || ''Gowl Sount Tite'' ||
|-
| '''Downward Headbutt''' ||  ခေါင်းစိုက်တိုက် || ''Gowl Site Tite'' ||
|}

{{anchor|Punching}}

=== Punching (''Let Thee'') ===
[[File:Lethwei figths in Ye city Myanmar 2.png|thumb|300px|Lethwei fighters landing a punch]]

{| class="wikitable"
|-
!English !! Burmese !! [[MLC Transcription System|Romanization]] !! [[help:IPA|IPA]]
|-
| '''[[Jab]]''' || ထောက်လက်သီး || ''Htouk Let Thee'' ||
|-
| '''[[Cross (boxing)|Cross]]''' || ဖြောင့်လက်သီး || ''Fyount Let Thee'' ||
|-
| '''[[Uppercut]]''' || ပင့်လက်သီး || ''Pint Let Thee '' ||
|-
| '''[[Hook (boxing)|Hook]]''' || ဝိုက်လက်သီး || ''Wide Let Thee'' ||
|-
| '''[[Overhand (boxing)]]''' || စိုက်လက်သီး || ''Site Let Thee'' ||
|-
| '''[[Backfist]]''' || တွက်လက်သီး || ''Twet Let Thee'' ||
|-
| '''[[Punch (combat)#Basic types|Spinning Backfist]]''' || လက်ပြန်ရိုက် || ''Let Pyan Yite'' ||
|-
| '''[[Hammer Fist|Hammer fist]]''' || ပင့်လက်သီး || ''Pint Let Thee '' ||
|-
| '''[[Superman punch]]''' || လက်သီးပျံ / ခုန်ထိုး လက်သီး || ''Let Thee Pyan / Khone Htoe Let Thee'' ||
|}

{{anchor|Elbow}}

=== Elbow (''Tel Daung'') ===
The elbow can be used in several ways as a striking weapon: horizontal, diagonal-upwards, diagonal-downwards, uppercut, downward, backward-spinning and flying. They can be used as either a finishing move or as a way to cut the opponent's eyebrow to draw blood.

{| class="wikitable"
|-
!English !! Burmese !! [[MLC Transcription System|Romanization]] !! [[help:IPA|IPA]]
|-
| '''Horizontal Elbow''' || ဝိုက်တံတောင် || ''Wide Tel Daung'' ||
|-
| '''Upward Elbow''' || ပင့်တံတောင် || ''Pint Tel Daung'' ||
|-
| '''Downward Elbow''' ||  ထောင်းတံတောင် || ''Htoung Tel Daung'' ||
|-
| '''Jumping Downward Elbow''' || တံတောင် ခုန်ထောင်း || ''Tel Daung Khone Htoung'' ||
|-
| '''Elbow Thrust''' || ထိုးတံတောင် || ''Htoe Tel Daung'' ||
|-
| '''Reverse Horizontal Elbow''' || တွက်တံတောင် || ''Twet Tel Daung'' ||
|-
| '''Flying Elbow''' || တံတောင်ပျံ || ''Tel Daung Pyan'' ||
|-
| '''Spinning Elbow''' || ပတ်တံတောင် / ခါးလှည့်တံတောင် || ''Pat Tel Daung / Khar Hlet Tel Daung'' ||
|}

Elbows can be used to great effect as blocks or defenses against, for example, spring knees, side body knees, body kicks or punches. When well connected, an elbow strike can cause serious damage to the opponent, including cuts or even a knockout.

=== Kicking (''Kan'') ===
{| class="wikitable"
|-
!English !! Burmese !! [[MLC Transcription System|Romanization]] !! [[help:IPA|IPA]]
|-
| '''[[Roundhouse Kick]]''' ||  ခြေဝိုက်ကန် / ဝိုက်ခတ် || ''Chay Wide Kan / Wide Khat'' || 
|-
| '''Spinning back Kick''' ||  နောက်ပေါက်ကန် || ''Nout Pouk Kan'' ||
|-
| '''Outside low kick''' || အပြင်ခတ် || ''Al Pyin Khat'' ||
|-
| '''Inside low kick''' || အတွင်းခတ် || '' Al Twin Khat'' ||
|-
| '''Hook kick''' || ချိတ်ကန် || ''Chate Kan'' ||
|-
| '''Side kick''' ||  ခြေစောင်းကန် || ''Chay zoung Kan'' ||
|-
| '''Axe Kick''' || ခုတ်ကန် / ပုဆိန်ပေါက်ကန် || ''Khote Kan / Pal Sain Pouk Kan'' ||
|-
| '''[[Kicking#Flying kicks|Jump round Kick]]''' || ခုန်ဝိုက်ခတ် || ''Khone Wide Kan'' ||
|-
| '''Step-Up Kick''' ||  ပေါင်နင်းကန် || ''Pound Nin Kan'' ||
|}

=== Knee (''Doo'') ===
{| class="wikitable"
|-
!English !! Burmese !! [[MLC Transcription System|Romanization]] !! [[help:IPA|IPA]]
|-
| '''[[knee (strike)#Straight|Straight Knee Strike]]''' || တဲ့ထိုးဒူး || ''Delt Htoe Doo'' ||
|-
| '''Spear Knee''' || လှံစိုက်ဒူ || ''Hlan Site Doo'' ||
|-
| '''[[Curved knee|Side Knee Strike]]''' || ဝိုက်ဒူး || ''Wide Doo'' ||
|-
| '''Upward Knee''' || ပင့်ဒူး || ''Pint Doo'' ||
|-
| '''Downward Knee''' || ခုတ်ဒူး || ''Khote Doo'' ||
|-
| '''Knee Slap''' || ရိုက်ဒူး || ''Yite Doo'' ||
|-
| '''Double Flying Knee / Elephant Tusks flying Knee''' || စုံဒူးပျံ / ဆင်စွယ်ဒူးပျံ || '' Sone Doo Pyan / Sin Swal Doo Pyan'' ||
|-
| '''[[Flying knee|Jumping Knee]]''' || ခုန်ဒူး || ''Khone Doo'' ||
|-
| '''Step-Up Knee Strike''' ||  ပေါင်နင်းဒူး || ''Pound Nin Doo'' ||
|}

=== Foot-thrust ===
The foot-thrust is used as a defensive technique to control distance or block attacks and as a way to set up an attack. Foot-thrusts should be thrown quickly but with enough force to knock an opponent off balance.

{| class="wikitable"
|-
!English !! Burmese !! [[MLC Transcription System|Romanization]] !! [[help:IPA|IPA]]
|-
| '''[[Front kick|Push Kick]]''' || နင်းခြေ / တားခြေ || ''Nin Chay / Tar Chay'' ||
|-
| '''Toe Push Kick''' ||  ခြေဦးထိုးကန် || ''Chay Oo Htoe Kan'' ||
|-
| '''Jumping Push Kick''' || ခုန်ဆောင့်ကန် || ''Khone Sount Kan'' ||
|}

Note - The [[Myanmar English|Myanglish]] spelling and phonetics based spelling are two different things. The words used are phonetics based words which are more friendly and easy to pronounce for non-Myanmar speaking people. The phonetics wording is provided by Liger Paing from [[Bando|United Myanmar Bando Nation]].

=== Weight classes ===
{| class="wikitable" style="font-size:95%;"
|-
!rowspan="2"|Weight class name
!colspan="3"|Upper limit
!rowspan="2"|Gender
|-
!in [[Pound (mass)|pounds]] (lb)
!in [[kilogram]]s (kg)
!in [[Stone (unit)|stone]] (st)
|- style="text-align:center;"
|align="left"|[[Light flyweight]]
|105||48||7.6||Female
|- style="text-align:center;"
|align="left"|[[Flyweight]]
|112||51||8||Male / female
|- style="text-align:center;"
|align="left"|[[Bantamweight]]
|119||54||8.5||Male / female
|- style="text-align:center;"
|align="left"|[[Featherweight]]
|126||57||9||Male / female
|- style="text-align:center;"
|align="left"|[[Lightweight]]
|132||60||9.5||Male / female
|- style="text-align:center;"
|align="left"|[[Light welterweight]]
|140||63.5||10||Male / female
|- style="text-align:center;"
|align="left"|[[Welterweight]]
|148||67||10.5||Male
|- style="text-align:center;"
|align="left"|[[Light middleweight]]
|157||71||11.1||Male
|- style="text-align:center;"
|align="left"|[[Middleweight]]
|165||75||11.8||Male
|- style="text-align:center;"
|align="left"|[[Super middleweight]]
|174||79||12.4||Male
|- style="text-align:center;"
|align="left"|[[Cruiserweight (MMA)|Cruiserweight]]
|183||83||13||Male
|}

== Notable practitioners ==
{{for|practitioners of Lethwei|List of Lethwei fighters}}
{{div col|colwidth=20em}}
* [[Kyar Ba Nyein]]
* [[Pyi Taw Pyan]]
* [[Bala Sein]]
* [[Phyu Gyi]]
* [[Kyaung Thar]]
* [[Moe Kyoe]]
* [[Tway Ma Shaung]]
* [[Dave Leduc]]
* [[Tun Tun Min]]
* [[Too Too]]
* [[Saw Nga Man]]
* [[Lone Chaw]]
* [[Shwe Sai]]
* [[Soe Lin Oo]]
* [[Cyrus Washington]]
* [[Wan Chai (fighter)|Wan Chai]]
* [[Mite Yine]]
* [[Tun Lwin Moe]]
{{div col end}}

== See also ==
{{Portal|Martial arts}}
* [[List of Lethwei fighters]]
* [[Burmese martial arts]]
* [[Bando]]
* [[Banshay]]
* [[Naban]]
* [[Pongyi thaing]]

== References ==
{{reflist|30em}}

== Further reading ==
* Maung Gyi, ''Burmese bando boxing, Ed. R.Maxwell'', Baltimore, 1978
* Zoran Rebac, ''Traditional Burmese boxing'', Ed. Paladin Press, Boulder, 2003

{{Commons category}}
{{Lethwei}}
{{Martial arts}}

[[Category:Lethwei| ]]
[[Category:Burmese martial arts]]
[[Category:Mixed martial arts styles]]
[[Category:Sport in Myanmar]]
[[Category:Sports originating in Myanmar]]