La Fosse aux Tigres

Last updated
La Fosse aux Tigres
La Fosse aux Tigres-Dave-ring.jpg
Genre Documentary
Created byNish Media
Directed byJason Brennan
J.F. Martel
Starring Dave Leduc
Original languageFrench
Production
Production locations Canada
Thailand
Myanmar
Running time45 minutes
Original release
Network Canal D
ReleaseNovember 9, 2017 (2017-11-09)

La Fosse aux Tigres (English: The Tiger's Den) [1] is a 2017 Canadian television documentary about professional fighter Dave Leduc and his journey to Lethwei. [2] [3] [4] The biographical documentary follows Leduc on his way to become world champion and captures his historic fight against Tun Tun Min in 2016 at Thein Pyu Stadium, [5] where Leduc became Openweight Lethwei World Champion and the first non-Burmese to win a Golden Belt. [6] La Fosse aux Tigres was filmed in 3 countries: Canada, Thailand and Myanmar. [7] The documentary was produced by Nish Media and released on November 9, 2017 on Canal D. [7]

Contents

Plot

Dave Leduc training before his world title challenge fight, 2016 La Fosse aux Tigres-Dave s'entraine.jpg
Dave Leduc training before his world title challenge fight, 2016

La Fosse aux Tigres tells the story of Dave Leduc, a Canadian martial artist based in Gatineau, Québec, who dreams of competing in the national sport of Myanmar called Lethwei, considered the world's most brutal sport. [8] Having difficulty booking a fight in Myanmar and when a professional fight he's been training for is cancelled, Leduc leaves on his first trip to Myanmar's neighboring country, Thailand. There, he begins his professional career and starts fighting Muaythai to gain ring experience in hopes of one day fighting in Lethwei. [9] While climbing the ranks of the Muaythai circuit, he finds love when he meets Russian model Irina Terehova, which cements his commitment to the fighting life. [10] Leduc attracts attention after winning many key fights, notably inside a maximum security prison in Prison Fight and eventually gets signed to fight Lethwei in Yangon. [11]

Dave Leduc training on Kata Beach, 2016 Extrait du film-documentaire La Fosse aux Tigres.jpg
Dave Leduc training on Kata Beach, 2016

In August 2016, Leduc dominated at his first Lethwei fight against Too Too and with the fresh taste of victory, challenged the national hero Tun Tun Min. The two men later fought in October to a draw according to traditional rules and rematched on December 11, 2016, at Thein Pyu Stadium. Confident of beating Leduc, Tun Tun Min sweetened the rematch by putting his prestigious Openweight world title on the line. [6] Leduc ultimately marked history by defeating Tun Tun Min and becoming the first Non-Burmese Lethwei world champion. [2] [12] [13]

Cast

Production and release

The documentary was filmed over a 2 years period, from 2015 to 2016, in Gatineau, Ottawa, Montreal, Phuket and Yangon. [7] It was produced by the Gatineau-based agency Nish Media, directed by Jason Brennan and Jean-François Martel. The director of photography was Patrick Kaplin. [14] La Fosse aux Tigres was released exclusively in Canada on Canal D on November 9, 2017. [15] The documentary aired with French subtitles [16] and was well received in Leduc's native province of Québec. [3] The English version, The Tiger's Den, is available on Vimeo on Demand. [17]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lethwei</span> Burmese martial art

Lethwei or Burmese boxing is a full contact combat sport originating from Myanmar and is regarded as one of the most brutal martial arts in the world. Lethwei fighters are allowed to use stand-up striking techniques such as kicks, knees, elbows and punches, and the use of headbutts is also permitted. Fighters compete bareknuckle, wrapping their hands with only tape and gauze. 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". This, combined with its bareknuckle nature, gave Lethwei a reputation for being one of the bloodiest and most violent martial arts. Although popular throughout modern Myanmar, Lethwei has been primarily and historically associated with the Karen people of the Kayin State; vast majority of competitive Lethwei fighters are ethnolinguistically of Karen descent.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fight Network</span> Canadian television channel dedicated to combat sports

Fight Network is a Canadian English language Category B specialty channel owned by Anthem Sports & Entertainment. The network broadcasts programming related to combat sports, including mixed martial arts, boxing, kickboxing, and professional wrestling.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tun Tun Min</span> Burmese Lethwei fighter

Tun Tun Min is a Burmese Lethwei fighter of Mon descent, former openweight Lethwei World Champion. In 2014, he became the youngest fighter to ever win the Lethwei Golden Belt, obtaining the title at age 21. Tun Tun Min is considered Myanmar's top Lethwei fighter and is notable for fighting foreign challengers from outside Myanmar.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dave Leduc</span> Canadian Lethwei fighter (born 1991)

Dave Leduc is a Canadian former Lethwei fighter. He is a former six-time Lethwei world champion who held the openweight Lethwei Golden Belt and was undefeated under traditional rules KO to win. In 2014, Leduc first gained widespread notoriety by winning his fight in the controversial Prison Fight inside a maximum security prison in Thailand.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Irina Terehova</span> Canadian model and reality television personality

Irina Terehova is a Moldovan-Canadian model and reality television personality. Terehova immigrated from Moldova to Canada at the age of twelve. From 2015 to 2016, she first gained notoriety as a writer for the Montreal news website MTL Blog. In 2016, she married Lethwei World Champion fighter Dave Leduc in a nationally televised wedding ceremony in Myanmar. In 2019, she participated in The Amazing Race Canada Season 7 with her husband and the couple became the biggest villains of the Canadian television franchise.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Prison Fight</span> Rehabilitation program for inmates through combat sports

Prison Fight is a controversial rehabilitation program for inmates through combat sports organized in partnership with the Thai Department of Corrections, an agency of the Thai Ministry of Justice. The program gives Thai prisoners who are incarcerated former fighters the opportunity to take on foreign fighters in exchange for sentence reduction and even gain their freedom if they win. If the inmates win sufficient amounts of fights against foreigners and have good behaviours, the Department of Corrections can reduce their sentences or even grant them a Royal pardon. Prison Fight holds events inside various maximum security prisons in Thailand and provides inmates with money and equipment to prepare them to reintegrate society. Convicts can engage in Muay Thai and Boxing matches in exchange for an early release.

Patrick Marcil is a Canadian mixed martial arts and Lethwei coach. He is a sifu in Fangshendo, a modified form of Jeet Kune Do. His students include Lethwei World Champion Dave Leduc and UFC middleweight fighter Marc-André Barriault.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">World Lethwei Championship</span>

World Lethwei Championship was a Lethwei promotion based in Yangon, Myanmar. The promotion brought the millennia-old Burmese martial of Lethwei to UFC Fight Pass and showcased it to the world. The WLC events combined the historic traditions of Lethwei with modern entertainment.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">International Lethwei Federation Japan</span> Japanese Lethwei promotion company

International Lethwei Federation Japan, also known as ILFJ, is a Japanese Lethwei promotion company with headquarters in Tokyo.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tun Lwin Moe</span> Burmese Lethwei fighter

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The year 2017 is the 1st year in the history of the World Lethwei Championship, a Lethwei promotion based in Myanmar.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thein Pyu Stadium</span> Lethwei stadium in Yangon, Myanmar

Thein Pyu Stadium is a Lethwei stadium located in Yangon, Myanmar. It is the most notorious Lethwei stadium in all of Myanmar and counts over 5,300-seats. The Stadium is operated by the Myanmar Traditional Lethwei Federation and is the venue choice for most national and international level Lethwei events. In 2018, the stadium was host of The biggest fight in Lethwei history opposing Dave Leduc vs. Tun Tun Min.

Corentin Jallon is an Algerian-French Kickboxer competing in the heavyweight and cruiserweight division. He is the former World Kickboxing Network (WKN) Cruiserweight World Champion as well as the Muaythai & K-1 FFSCDA France -91kg Champion, King of the Ring -91kg Champion and he has competed in SUPERKOMBAT. In 2013, Jallon became the WKN World Champion after defeating Cristian Bosch in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lethwei in popular culture</span> Burmese martial art

The Burmese martial art of Lethwei has been featured in films, television, manga and anime. Lethwei was featured in The Joe Rogan Experience podcast by Joe Rogan with Lethwei champion Dave Leduc as guest. Born Warriors presented an authentic up-close look at Lethwei through a series of documentaries shot entirely on location throughout Myanmar. Lethwei was featured in the Netflix documentary FightWorld with Frank Grillo and in the popular Japanese manga series Kengan Ashura.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Myanmar Lethwei Federation</span> Martial arts organization

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dave Leduc vs. Tun Tun Min III</span>

Dave Leduc vs. Tun Tun Min III, also known as The Biggest Fight In Lethwei History, was a Lethwei world title match between undefeated openweight Lethwei World Champion Dave Leduc and former openweight Lethwei World Champion Tun Tun Min that took place at Thein Pyu Stadium in Yangon, Myanmar, on December 16, 2018.

References

  1. "The Tiger's Den". La Fosses aux Tigres. Retrieved May 24, 2017.
  2. 1 2 Anne-Lovely Etienne (9 November 2017). "Je sors, je reste". Le Journal de Montréal . Archived from the original on 9 November 2017.
  3. 1 2 Comtois, Martin (7 November 2017). ""Le Nomade" passe au petit écran". Le Soleil .
  4. Comtois, Martin (23 November 2015). "David Leduc de retour dans la fosse aux lions". Le Droit . Archived from the original on 2 March 2017. Retrieved 1 August 2020.
  5. Kyaw Zin Hlaing (13 December 2016). "Myanmar's lethwei goliath toppled by Canadian 'Dave'". Myanmar Times .
  6. 1 2 Sympatico (3 November 2017). "Un Québécois vend tout et devient une vedette en Asie". Sympatico .
  7. 1 2 3 "Nish Média souligne la diffusion du documentaire " La Fosse aux Tigres " sur Canal D". Lien Multimedia. 9 November 2017.
  8. Karl R. De Mesa (12 March 2019). "The Most Brutal Sport in the World Uses Bare Knuckles and Head Butts". VICE .
  9. Lucas Bourdon (1 August 2019). "Lethwei champion Dave Leduc: 'I didn't like Muay Thai, because there were gloves'". Bloody Elbow .
  10. "Dave Leduc, champion mondial de Lethwei, est dans nos studios!". 98,5 FM . 30 December 2017.
  11. "Dave Leduc : La Fosse Aux Tigres". La Fosse Aux Tigres. Retrieved 11 February 2017.
  12. Da Silva-Casimiro, Anthony (7 November 2017). "Le périple de Dave Leduc raconté". Info 07. Archived from the original on 17 June 2018.
  13. Les matins d'ici (4 January 2018). "Un champion mondial de boxe birmane originaire de la région". Radio-Canada .
  14. "La Fosse Aux Tigres" . Retrieved 1 August 2020.
  15. "Cet automne, Canal D intéresse, informe et divertit les amateurs de documentaires". Actus Medias. 9 August 2017.
  16. "Documentaire - La fosse aux tigres". Youtube. 9 April 2018.
  17. "The Tiger's Den". Vimeo . 19 February 2018.