Editing Lethwei (section)

{{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 regarded as one of the most brutal martial arts in the world.<ref name="Brutal world">{{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}}
* {{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 are allowed to 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 name="headbutt KO">{{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}}</ref><ref>{{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]]}}</ref><ref name="Art of 9 limbs">{{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> 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}}</ref><ref>{{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).</ref><ref>Draeger, D. F., Smith, R. W. (1980). Comprehensive Asian Fighting Arts. Japan: Kodansha International.</ref><ref name="BRUTAL" />