Traditional games of Myanmar

Last updated

Myanmar has a number of traditional games, sports, and martial arts. [1] [2] Some of these games were designed to teach people how to protect themselves and their communities. [3]

Contents

Traditional games

Chinlone

Chinlone (Burmese: ခြင်းလုံး, pronounced [t͡ɕʰɪ́ɰ̃.lóʊɰ̃] ), also known as caneball, is the traditional, national sport of Myanmar (Burma). It is non-competitive, with typically six people playing together as one team. The ball used is normally made from hand-woven rattan, which sounds like a basket when hit. Similar to the game of hacky-sack, chinlone is played by individuals passing the ball among each other within a circle without using their hands. However, in chinlone, the players are walking while passing the ball, with one player in the center of the circle. The point of the game is to keep the ball from hitting the ground while passing it back and forth as creatively as possible. The sport of chinlone is played by men, women, and children, often together, interchangeably. Although very fast, chinlone is meant to be entertaining and fluid, as if it were more of a performance or dance. [4]

Phankhon

Children of Set Set Yo Village in Myanmar demonstrating the fifth and final round of phankhon, or "High Jump Game." This traditional game is played by children in Myanmar. A similar game called Luksong tinik is played by Filipino children. Hpan Khoun, the Jumping Game, Ye Myat Tun, Discover Myanmar.jpg
Children of Set Set Yo Village in Myanmar demonstrating the fifth and final round of phankhon, or "High Jump Game." This traditional game is played by children in Myanmar. A similar game called Luksong tinik is played by Filipino children.
Phankhon (Burmese: ဖန်ခုန်တမ်း) is a traditional children's game in Myanmar. The game is played mostly by girls, though young boys will sometimes join in. [5] Phankhon requires two teams comprising four to five players. There is an offensive team and a defending team. The offensive team must hop on one leg over five different human obstacles created by the “defending” team. With each round, the defending team adds an obstacle to make the jumps higher.

Htote si toe

Htote si toe (meaning "border-crossing game") is a tag game in which offensive players attempt to cross the lines of a narrow field without being tagged by defenders standing on those lines. [6] [7]

Gaung ohn yite

This is a game in which two opponents sit on a bar elevated above the ground and attempt to knock each other off by hitting one another with a pillow. [8] [9]

Martial arts

Lethwei

Tway Ma Shaung fighting Saw Shark in Myanmar.png
Lethwei (Burmese: လက်ဝှေ့; IPA: [lɛʔ.ʍḛ] ) or Burmese boxing is a full contact combat sport from Myanmar that uses stand-up striking including headbutts. [10] Lethwei is considered to be one of the most brutal martial arts in the world, [11] as the sport is practiced bareknuckle with only tape and gauze while fighters are allowed to strike with their fists, elbows, knees, and feet, and the use of headbutts is also permitted. [12] [13] 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". [14] [15] [16] This, combined with its bareknuckle nature, gave Lethwei a reputation for being one of the bloodiest and most violent martial arts. [17] [18] 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. [19] [20] [13]

Naban

Naban (Burmese: နပန်း, pronounced [nəbáɰ̃] ) is a traditional form of grappling from Myanmar. Naban is integrated into other fighting styles instead of existing as a separate martial art. [21] Originally based on Indian wrestling, [22] it is practiced primarily in rural areas. Naban is especially popular among the Kachin and Chin tribes that have Himalayan origins. Techniques include joint locks, strikes to pressure points, palm strikes, foot strikes and chokeholds. Any part of the opponent's body is a legal target.

Kyin

Kyin (Burmese: ကျင်) is a form of wrestling from Myanmar. It is practiced by the Rakhine people, a minority group in Myanmar. It is practiced in Rakhine State. Tournaments of this sport are usually held during big occasions, for example, Rakhine State Day events.

In Kyin wrestling tournaments, practitioners usually put on a display of warming-up dancing, which is called "kyin kwin" in their local language. Then the fighting is on. The rules are simple. No punching. No touching on the face. No attacking below the belt. The winner throws his opponent to the ground a fixed number of times. [23]

The walls near the cave of Shite-thaung Temple which was built in 1531 show early depiction of the sport of kyin wrestling. [24]

Board games

Sittuyin

Sittuyin board and starting position Sittuyin gameboard and init config.PNG
Sittuyin board and starting position

Sittuyin (Burmese: စစ်တုရင်), also known as Burmese chess, is a strategy board game created in Myanmar. It is a direct offspring of the Indian game of chaturanga, which arrived in Myanmar in the 8th century thus it is part of the same family of games such as chess, and shogi. Sit is the modern Burmese word for "army" or "war"; the word sittuyin can be translated as "representation of the four characteristics of army"chariot, elephant, cavalry and infantry.

In its native land, the game has been largely overshadowed by Western (international) chess, although it remains popular in the northwest regions. [25]

Animal events

Polo

Players playing polo Varsity Polo 2013.jpg
Players playing polo
Polo is a ball game that is played on horseback, a traditional field sport and one of the world's oldest known team sports. [26] The game is played by two opposing teams with the objective of scoring using a long-handled wooden mallet to hit a small hard ball through the opposing team's goal. Each team has four mounted riders, and the game usually lasts one to two hours, divided into periods called chukkas or chukkers.

Polo was popular among royals in Myanmar, as evidenced by historical illustrations. [1]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kickboxing</span> Full-contact hybrid martial art and combat sport

Kickboxing is a full-contact hybrid martial art and boxing type based on punching and kicking. Kickboxing originated in the 1950s to 1970s. The fight takes place in a boxing ring, normally with boxing gloves, mouth guards, shorts, and bare feet to favor the use of kicks. Kickboxing is practiced for self-defense, general fitness, or for competition. Some styles of kickboxing include: Full contact karate, Muay Thai, Japanese kickboxing, Lethwei, Sanda, and Savate.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bare-knuckle boxing</span> Boxing without use of boxing gloves

Bare-knuckle boxing is a full-contact combat sport based on punching without any form of padding on the hands. The sport as it is known today originated in 17th-century England and differs from street fighting as it follows an accepted set of rules.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Naban</span>

Naban is a traditional form of grappling from Myanmar. Naban is integrated into other fighting styles instead of existing as a separate martial art. Originally based on Indian wrestling, it is practiced primarily in rural areas. Naban is especially popular among the Kachin and Chin tribes that have Himalayan origins. Techniques include joint locks, strikes to pressure points, palm strikes, foot strikes and chokeholds. Any part of the opponent's body is a legal target.

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

Lethwei or Burmese boxing is a full contact combat sport from Myanmar that uses stand-up striking including headbutts. Lethwei is considered to be one of the most brutal martial arts in the world, as the sport is practiced bareknuckle with only tape and gauze while fighters are allowed to strike with their fists, elbows, knees, and feet, and the use of headbutts is also permitted. 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">Combat sport</span> Competitive contact sport involving combat

A combat sport, or fighting sport, is a contact sport that usually involves one-on-one combat. In many combat sports, a contestant wins by scoring more points than the opponent, submitting the opponent with a hold, disabling the opponent, or attacking the opponent in a specific or designated technique. Combat sports share a long history with the martial arts.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chinlone</span> Traditional sport of Myanmar

Chinlone, also known as caneball, is the traditional, national sport of Myanmar (Burma). It is non-competitive, with typically six people playing together as one team. The ball used is normally made from hand-woven rattan, which sounds like a basket when hit. Similar to the game of hacky-sack, chinlone is played by individuals passing the ball among each other within a circle without using their hands. However, in chinlone, the players are walking while passing the ball, with one player in the center of the circle. The point of the game is to keep the ball from hitting the ground while passing it back and forth as creatively as possible. The sport of chinlone is played by men, women, and children, often together, interchangeably. Although very fast, chinlone is meant to be entertaining and fluid, as if it were more of a performance or dance.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Clinch fighting</span> Grappling position in boxing or wrestling, a stand-up embrace

Clinch fighting or trapping is the part of stand-up fighting where the combatants are grappling in a clinch, typically using clinch holds. Clinching the opponent can be used to eliminate the opponent's effective usage of some kicks, punches, and melee weapons. The clinch can also be used as a medium to switch from stand-up fighting to ground fighting by using takedowns, throws or sweeps.

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

Bando is a defensive unarmed martial art from Myanmar. Bando is sometimes mistakenly used as a generic word for all Burmese martial arts, but it is only one martial art; Burmese fighting systems collectively are referred to as thaing.

Musti-Yuddha is a traditional combat sport originating from the Indian subcontinent. The term literally means "fist combat", from the Sanskrit words muṣṭi (fist) and yuddha. While this would originally have been used as a general term for any boxing art, today it usually refers to muki boxing from Varanasi, the only surviving unarmed style. In the Punjab there still exists an armed form of boxing called loh-musti in which the fighters wear a kara on one hand, although it is no longer used for sparring.

The traditional martial arts of the Mainland Southeast Asia are related to one another, and as a group to Indian martial arts. The most salient common feature is Mainland Southeast Asia kickboxing. The region of Mainland Southeast Asia is believed to be the land of Suvarnabhumi that ancient Indians mentioned in Buddhist text and Hindu text. In 790 A.D., a Khmer prince who grew up abroad by the name of Jayavarman II returned to unify the Khmer civilization. In 802 A.D., Jayavarman II established the Khmer Empire, the precursor to modern Cambodia, and declared himself the Chakravatin. Around 850 A.D., Pagan, the ancestor of modern-day Burma, was established by Tibeto-Burman speakers. For 200 years, Pagan remained a small principality until the reign of King Anawrahta. In 1238 A.D., Thailand's first state, Sukhothai, was started when the residents declared independence from the Khmer Empire. In 1353 A.D., Laos's first state, Lan Xang, was started by Fa Ngum with the assistance of the Khmer from Angkor.

<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.

<i>Born Warriors</i> 2016 film by Vincent Giordano

Born Warriors is a 2016 trilogy of documentary films directed and shot by Vincent Giordano. The films focus on the art of Lethwei, an ancient form of Burmese bare-knuckle/bound-fist fighting that is still practiced throughout Myanmar.

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

World Lethwei Championship was a Lethwei promotion based in Yangon, Myanmar. The promotion brought to 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.

<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.

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kyin</span> Wrestling form in Myanmar

Kyin is a form of wrestling from Myanmar. It is practiced by the Rakhine people, a minority group in Myanmar. It is practiced in Rakhine State. Tournaments of this sport are usually held during big occasions, for example, Rakhine State Day events.

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

The World Lethwei Federation (WLF) was founded in 2019 as the international governing body for amateur and professional Lethwei. The WLF has the responsibility to sanction and support the growth of Lethwei worldwide outside of Myanmar, including enforcement of its traditions, rules and regulations.

References

  1. 1 2 May, San San (2018-07-26). "Chinlone, polo and more: Paintings from Burmese manuscripts show how traditional games were played". Scroll.in. Retrieved 2023-08-24.
  2. Downing, Jared (2018-09-01). "Traditional Myanmar street games explained". Frontier Myanmar. Retrieved 2023-08-24.
  3. Huh, Youn Jung; Lim, Boo Young; Im, Haesung (2022-01-02). "Myanmar children's play and resilience: analyses of Myanmar teacher candidates' digital photo essays". International Journal of Play. 11 (1): 81–98. doi:10.1080/21594937.2022.2042937. ISSN   2159-4937.
  4. Dir. Hamilton, Greg (2006). Mystic Ball. The film, Black Rice Productions.
  5. "The encyclopedia of Myanmar Games" . Retrieved 2018-11-12.
  6. "Traditional sports event in Palaw marks 71st anniversary of Independence Day". MDN – Myanmar DigitalNews. Retrieved 2023-08-24.
  7. Sengupta, Nilanjana (2015-12-09). The Female Voice of Myanmar: Khin Myo Chit to Aung San Suu Kyi. Cambridge University Press. ISBN   978-1-316-57027-2.
  8. SST (2021-08-05). "Gallery: National Night Out celebrations around Johnson County". Southside Times. Retrieved 2023-08-24.
  9. "Traditional Games in Myanmar". study.com. Retrieved 2023-08-24.
  10. Kyaw Zin Hlaing (1 September 2015). "Easy win for Lethwei fighters". Myanmar Times .
  11. Karl R. De Mesa (12 March 2019). "The Most Brutal Sport in the World Uses Bare Knuckles and Head Butts". Vice .
  12. Olavarria, Pedro (2 December 2014). "Bando: The style of Burmese Martial Arts". VICE Fightland.
  13. 1 2 "Lethwei : The world's most brutal sport". Ugly Chicken. 4 October 2017. Archived from the original on 7 July 2019.
  14. Darren (18 April 2019). "Lethwei Fighter Lands Torpedo Headbutt KO". Scrap Digest. Retrieved 17 July 2020.
  15. Zarni Pyo (21 July 2017). "The Art Of Nine Limbs". Myanmar Times .
  16. Steven Rae (13 March 2019). "Lethwei: Everything you need to know about Burmese bareknuckle boxing". The Body Lock.
  17. Paul Millar (18 July 2018). "BAREKNUCKLE BOXING Blood sport". South East Asia Globe.
  18. "THE ART OF THE NINTH LIMB: HOW THE HEADBUTT CHANGES A FIGHT". The Fight Library. December 20, 2023.
  19. Green, T. (2001). Martial Arts of the World An Encyclopedia (Vol. 1).
  20. Draeger, D. F., Smith, R. W. (1980). Comprehensive Asian Fighting Arts. Japan: Kodansha International.
  21. Green, T. (2001). Martial Arts of the World An Encyclopedia (Vol. 1).
  22. Donn F. Draeger and Robert W. Smith (1969). Comprehensive Asian Fighting Arts. Kodansha. ISBN   978-0-87011-436-6.
  23. "Rakhine traditional wrestling in Myanmar (by Coconuts TV)". Coconuts TV. 17 April 2017. Archived from the original on 2021-01-11. Retrieved 2020-12-31. Alt URL
  24. Kyun (Myanmar). (n.d.). Traditional Sports. https://www.traditionalsports.org/traditional-sports/asia/kyun-myanmar.html
  25. Pritchard (1994), p. 31
  26. "THE HISTORY OF POLO". argentinapolo.com. Archived from the original on 18 December 2019. Retrieved 9 August 2018.