Also known as | Burmese boxing, Burmese bareknuckle fighting, The Art of 9 Limbs | ||||||||||||
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Focus | Striking | ||||||||||||
Hardness | Full-contact | ||||||||||||
Country of origin | Myanmar | ||||||||||||
Famous practitioners | List of Lethwei fighters | ||||||||||||
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Lethwei (Burmese: လက်ဝှေ့; IPA: [lɛʔ.ʍḛ]) 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.[1][2] 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.[3] Fighters compete bareknuckle, wrapping their hands with only tape and gauze.[4][5] 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".[6][7][8] This, combined with its bareknuckle nature, gave Lethwei a reputation for being one of the bloodiest and most violent martial arts.[9][10] Although popular throughout modern 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 descent.[11][12][5]
Lethwei is the one of the most aggressive and brutal martial arts in the world
Burmese bare knuckle boxing, considered the world's most brutal sport
Lethwei is considered by some to be the world's most brutal martial art