HPA-AN, Karen State – Although similar to Muay Thai in many ways, Letwei, or traditional Burmese boxing, remains less popular than its Thai counterpart. The use of arms, legs, elbows, knees and head are allowed in this traditional Burmese martial art. The fighters do not wear any protective gloves and their hands are wrapped either by gauge or cloth during a fight.
Letwei enjoys a great popularity among men of all ages in Burma’s southeastern Karen State. Fighters range from 12-year-olds to young adults in their 20s and 30s. These young men that come from different parts of Karen and on rare occasions, some other parts of the country, are trained free of charge in Letwei clubs in the state’s capital, Hpa-An.
Traditional boxing competitions are held every year in Own Da Bin Monastery on the east side of Karen State’s famous 2,437-foot Zwekabin Mountain during celebrations for the full moon day of the Burmese month of Tabaung. For this year’s event, there was a total of six boxing clubs vying for the win.
Me-Kathi was one of the clubs participating in this year’s competition. Me-Kathi has produced many young and skillful fighters in Hpa-An. The trainees at the club are teenagers and young adults in their early 20s. Most of the young men are ethnic Karen from different parts of the state, though some came from Irrawaddy Division and Mon State.
The club’s young fighters already looked exhausted after the first day of pre-tournament bouts, and the training that they undergo leading up to matches is challenging and strenuous for fighters of all ages.
“We have to run up and down moderately high mountains quickly, five to ten times during each training session,” said Soe Win Thant, 15, when asked how they trained.
The more experienced they are, the tougher the exercises. Aung Zeya, a 33-year-old former national champion, said he sometimes climbs up and down Zwekabin mountain with bricks on his shoulders. He can do it in about a third of the time that an ordinary, unburdened climber would take, he said.
Fights may be entertaining to watch, but the life stories of the fighters behind the scenes paint a dimmer picture. With no international recognition of the sport, professional fighters often find it hard to get by on the meager incomes they earn at competitions. Most young fighters have abandoned formal schooling to join boxing clubs. Some never had the chance to receive a formal education because of poverty.
“It is necessary to be educated. I could not go to school because my parents couldn’t afford [ school expenses],” said Aung Zeya. Pointing to his 15-year-old sibling, he added, “I told him to continue his education. But he didn’t.”
Aung Zeya came to Hpa-An from a remote village in Karen State when he was 18, with a plan to join an older sibling who was already in the boxing profession. He has been fighting professionally for nearly 15 years, and has won several medals and prizes. But now he has to support his wife and 3-year-old son with prize money and the monthly salary of 100,000 kyats [US$ 100] he earns as a coach training a new generation of young fighters at Me-Kathi.
He said he will follow in his coach’s footsteps when he retires, taking over as the head coach of the club. “If the pupil is well-mannered, the master’s stomach will be full,” he says when asked how he is going to financially support himself and his family in the future. Boxers traditionally offer a portion of winnings to their coach.
Kaung Kaung, 15, came to Me-Kathi club from a remote village after being referred by a senior boxer. He dropped out of school after the 6th grade because, he said, “I was not happy.”
When asked if he had considered any alternative careers, he said he only wished to be a boxer. During the rainy season, he goes home and helps his parents in the family’s paddy fields. He said his family earns a moderate income.
Some of his friends from back home still attend school, while others have given up on formal education because of poverty and lack of interest. Language barriers are a major deterrent to developing a keen interest in school in some ethnic minority areas, because curricula in ethnic languages have long been restricted. Many students in such areas, like Kaung Kaung, speak little Burmese.
With no homework and school lessons to pay attention to, some young men immersed themselves completely in Letwei, forsaking else. The vigorous fights by these well-trained boxers under Hpa-an’s scorching afternoon sun were met by an enthusiastic audience. No match went by without applause.
