La Fosse aux Tigres | |
---|---|
Genre | Documentary |
Created by | Nish Media |
Directed by | Jason Brennan J.F. Martel |
Starring | Dave Leduc |
Original language | French |
Production | |
Production locations | Canada Thailand Myanmar |
Running time | 45 minutes |
Original release | |
Network | Canal D |
Release | November 9, 2017 |
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]
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]
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]
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]
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Too Too was a Burmese Lethwei fighter who competed in World Lethwei Championship. He was the former WLC Middleweight World champion and was undefeated under traditional Lethwei rules, holding the 75 kg Lethwei Golden Belt from 2015 until his death in 2023. He also competed in a Lethwei superfight at Kunlun Fight 25 in Slovakia. Too Too died while in custody of the Burmese military known as the Tatmadaw on April 26, 2023.
International Lethwei Federation Japan, also known as ILFJ, is a Japanese Lethwei promotion company with headquarters in Tokyo.
The year 2017 was the second year in the history of the ILFJ, a Japanese Lethwei promotion and the year started with Lethwei in Japan 2: Legacy. The events are streamed online by FITE TV, Abema TV in Japan and through television agreements with MNTV in Myanmar.
Tun Lwin Moe is a retired undefeated Burmese Lethwei fighter. He was signed to the International Lethwei Federation Japan and was the 60 kg (130 lb) Lethwei World Champion under traditional rules.
The year 2017 is the 1st year in the history of the World Lethwei Championship, a Lethwei promotion based in 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.
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.
Myanmar Lethwei Federation (MLF) formerly known as Myanmar Traditional Lethwei Federation is one of two major organizations which sanctions professional Lethwei bouts worldwide and the only one who oversees Lethwei competitions in Myanmar.
Cyrus Washington is an American kickboxer, Taekwondo, Muay Thai and Lethwei fighter. He is former WKA, WMF, WKBF and PK-1 Muay Thai World Champion, as well as former WBC Muaythai USA Champion, WMC and Lumpinee Stadium title contender. In 2012, he competed in the Emmy nominated Thailand VS Challenger TV Series. Washington received worldwide attention for being one of the first successful foreigners to compete in Lethwei in Myanmar.
Thway Thit Win Hlaing is a Burmese Lethwei fighter and current openweight Lethwei world Champion. He is known as counter fighter relying on counters rather than straight offence.
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.