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Burmese Lethwei – The Art of 9 Limbs

While Muay Thai is famous all over the world, Lethwei from Thailand’s neighbor Myanmar has remained a sport known only to a few outside of the once reclusive state. As the country has increasingly opened up to the world, Burmese Lethwei, an older fighting art than that practiced by the Thais has begun to take its place in the combat sports arena. With the world-class One Championship, Asia’s premier MMA promotion, taking an interest in the sport and starting to promote shows, it is only a matter of time before Lethwei gains a more mainstream following.

Differences

Burmese Lethwei differs from the boxing systems of its neighboring countries, in several ways. Muay Thai, Pradal Serey/Kun Khmer and Muay Lai Lao are all very similar to each other, employing knees, elbows, kicks and punches. Lethwei adds a couple more elements to the equation, namely headbutts, almost any kind of takedown and bare knuckles. The fights can only be won by KO or TKO, if they go the distance, they are declared a draw and if the fighters do not show enough aggression, the fight is stopped. There are no weight classes, no scoring system and no judges. This has led some outsiders to see it as overly brutal and even barbaric, but Burmese Lethwei is a complete standup fighting system that deserves respect.

History and Culture

Burmese Lethwei developed from battlefield arts, much like Muay Thai developed from Muay Boran. Lethwei, however, is around a thousand years old, making it older than the Thai system. During times of peace, Lethwei was used as entertainment and was a major part of village and pagoda festivals. Local boys and men still compete in sandy pits in front of the village in order to show their manliness and win money. Lethwei is loved by all the people of Myanmar, not just the majority Bamar people. The Shan, Karen and Kachin ethnic groups have produced several famous fighters over the years. They feel it represents Myanmar’s culture. It is something that has been passed down by generations of ancestors. From the village pit, to the boxing ring, Burmese Lethwei holds the standards of fighting spirit and sportsmanship in the highest esteem. The traditions remain with the sport and before each fight, the boxers perform a dance called the Lethwei Yay and then salute the other fighter with the Lekkha Moun. Symbolic of the Lethwei spirit, the Lekkha Moun involves bending one arm up to the chest and the slapping it near the elbow three times, to tell the other fighter to come and fight. For more detailed history, Phil Dunlap of Advanced Fighting Systems has written in depth on the subject.

Rules

People think that there are no rules in Lethwei, but that is not the case. A fight is normally 5 3-minute rounds. Fighters must wear groin guards and moth guards and are allowed to bandage the hands. There can be two cornermen in the ring and one outside. The referee will stop a fight if one fighter is significantly outclassing the other, if cuts and injuries mean a fighter should not continue, or if there is an infraction of the rules. A KO is called after a 10-count that lasts 20 seconds. If a fighter receives 3 8-counts in a single round, a KO is declared. If there are 4 counts in total over the course of the fight, a KO is declared. If there is no KO by the end of the fight, it is a draw. If a fighter is knocked out cold, his corner have an opportunity to call a one-off time out to try and revive him and let the fight continue. The following are prohibited: biting, eye-gouging, spitting, cursing, strangling, intentional groin shots, scratching and attacking an opponent on the ground.

Fighters

Lethwei has traditionally been practiced only by Myanmar people, with Thais occasionally fighting on the border under Lethwei rules in Myanmar-Thailand grudge matches. In recent years though, foreigners have started to infiltrate the highest levels of the sport. Legendary fighters like Lone Chaw and Tway Ma Shaung now influence the current crop of Burmese fighters like Too Too, Soe Lin Oo, Shan Ko, Tun Tun Min and Tha Pyay Nyo. These top-level fighters go up against foreigners for titles and the Alan Lu Pwe, or champion’s flag. The most famous foreign fighter at the moment is Dave “The Nomad” Leduc from Canada. Leduc, The current world champion, is winning titles by beating the best from Myanmar and the rest of the world. Increasingly, foreign fighters based in Thailand are going across the border to compete in Lethwei tournaments in Yangon and Mandalay.

The Future

Outside of Myanmar, Burmese Lethwei tournaments are not very common, but Japan has become a beacon of competitive Lethwei outside of its homeland. This has led to there being several great Japanese boxers like Hikaru Hasumi and Daiki Kaneko taking on fighters from Myanmar and foreigners based in Thailand.

With combat sports gaining popularity all over the world, Burmese Lethwei is destined to grow from strength to strength. It is one of the most exciting boxing spectacles around and the time is right for Lethwei to explode onto the world scene.

Black and white photos by talented Burmese photographer Zarni Phyo, color by William

Which Barbell to Buy

For most people looking into which barbell to buy for their home gym, the first port of call will be a sports store, but it is better to know what you are looking for before you go or click the buy now button on a website. There are several options as to what kind of bar you need, depending on what kind of exercises you will be using it for. As important as getting the the right plates, making the decision which barbell to buy is something that should come from in informed position. Here is a basic guide to the different things to look for in a barbell.

Standard weightlifting bars come in three sizes, men’s (20 kg/44lb), women’s (15kg/33lb) and youth (10kg/22lb). Most gyms these days just go for the standard men’s bar with a shaft of 28/29mm diameter and a length of 2.2 meters (7.2 ft). The are in turn three types of bar: Olympic, power and dual-marked bars.

Olympic

Olympic bars are normally 28mm in diameter and have more flexibility and whip (elastic energy). They are primarily used for the snatch and the clean & jerk, olympic lifts that require more whip to help the lifter. The knurl markings are wider spaced than on power bars.

Power

Powerlifting bars are more rigid and are designed to hold a lot of weight on squats, deadlifts and benchpresses. The knurl markings are closer together than on an Olympic bar.

Dual

A multipurpose dual-marked bar is the perfect bar for an all rounder or beginner. This is what most CrossFit gyms will have, as both sets of lifts are used. These bars have some flexibility, but enough strength for heavy power-lifts and have both sets of markings in the knurls.

Knurl

The knurl is the grip that is cut into either side of the bar and sometimes the center. The knurling can be more aggressive or more passive, so when choosing which barbell to buy, you need to identify which knurl you prefer and whether you want a center knurl. It is there for one handed lifts/center-grip lifts and for some grip on a shouldered squat.

Bushing or Bearing

For most people, this will be a simple case of going for a bushing sleeve. The sleeves on either end of the bar, where the plates are loaded and secured with a collar, spin around. These can either be made with a low-friction material lining the sleeve, often bronze, called bushings, or with needle bearings. Bearings are used on high-end Olympic bars and are expensive, so unless you are very particular about it, bushing is the way to go.

Sleeve

The sleeve is held not the bar in three different ways. A hex bolt, a snap ring or a pinned end cap. No decent bar will have a hex bolt. If the bar has this, then think again before buying it, as it isn’t as well constructed. A snap ring and a pinned-end cap are both equally as good and show that the bar is well constructed.

Finish

There are several finishes to look out for when choosing which barbell to buy and while it does come down to preference, there are some advantages to different finishes. Bare steel is unfinished and will oxidize over time. A hard chrome finish offers oxidation protection and is extremely durable with a good shiny finish. Beware though – cheap bars will use a decorative chrome finish that will not last. Bright Zinc is cheaper, but offers good protection against oxidation. Black zinc is not very grippy and discolors quickly. Black oxide will rub off over time and offers little oxidation protection. Black manganese is quite rare, but is a good finish with a lot of grip and good oxidation protection.

Tensile Strength

You will want your bar to be strong so you feel safe loading it up with plenty of weight. The bar should be able to handle 165k PSI (pounds per square inch) at a minimum. If the barbell manufacturer doesn’t tell you the PSI, then don’t buy it. Higher-end bars will normally be at around the 190k PSI mark, which is more than plenty.

Decision Time

After you have identified what you are looking for in a bar, then you can finally make an informed decision. There is no wrong or right answer, but generally you will want to look at barbells that are made by reputable manufacturers. You will want to look at spending more than $250 on a bar, as cheaper bars are more cheaply constructed too. Research, think and the choose which barbell to buy after you know what you are looking for.

Photo of lady with bar by ThoroughlyReviewed

A Typical Day of Muay Thai in Thailand

The rise of combat sports in popular culture has led to more people taking up sports like MMA, boxing and Muay Thai. While most people train in their hometowns, the number of people making the journey to practice Muay Thai in Thailand has been steadily increasing over the years. The most significant number of foreign fighters and fight tourists have come from the United Kingdom, with other European countries and Australia making up most of the rest. Over recent years, fighters from the USA and Canada have begun to make the pilgrimage to Thailand in greater numbers. Let’s take a look at a typical day of Muay Thai in Thailand.

Camps

There are hundreds of places to train Muay Thai in Thailand. Camps can be found in rural areas, where young farmers’ kids can try to forge an early career in the sport, to the bright lights of Bangkok, where the elite train and fight in the big stadia for the top titles. While there are so many different gyms all over the country, the general routine rarely changes from camp to camp. Tried and tested methods are universally applied throughout Thailand. There are normally two sessions each day; one in the morning and one in the late afternoon. Gyms normally operate 6 or 7 days a week.

Morning

The day usually starts around 7am. Fighters go for a 10 kilometer run, then return to the gym. People who are not seriously training for fights can opt to skip the run (literally) and jump rope instead. The trainers, who have in the meantime hosed down the floors and cleaned up, often will wrap everyone’s hands, give them some gloves and send them to different heavy bags that surround the ring. You can wrap your own hands and bring your own wraps, some gyms have wraps, some don’t. You can also bring your own gloves if you are averse to using stinky gym gloves.

The trainers then pad up and await fighters/students in the ring. They will point out people to come and do pad-work with them. In the meantime, everyone who is not with a trainer does bag-work. Training is made up of 4-minute rounds, one minute longer than a standard bout of Muay Thai in Thailand. A trainer will call out each minute for everyone in the gym, so everyone knows how much time is left of a round. The last 30 seconds is heralded with the words “laio laio!” meaning “fast fast!”, encouraging everyone to pick up the tempo. In between rounds, there is a general crush around the water cooler, with everyone drinking cold water and pouring it over their heads.

Once everyone has done pad-work, different gyms will work different things. It might be clinch and sparring, or just setups and conditioning. For many gyms, the morning session finishes after pad-work with some stretching – no sparring or clinching. The session will normally go on until 10 am.

Afternoon

If you are staying at the gym, you will likely have a shower, eat breakfast with your fellow students and trainers, then pass out for a couple of hours. The day is then yours until around 4pm, when the afternoon session starts. The afternoon is a lot like the morning and lasts for about three hours. The main difference is that it is normally a lot busier, with more people training, and the run is often shorter. The afternoon session is more likely to have some sparring or clinching going on after pad-work too.

Exceptions

There are some differences in this schedule in different gyms, but many follow this pattern. FA Group do it a little differently, with the first 30 minutes to an hour of each session dedicated to clinching. Sitsongpeenong normally alternate morning sessions, making one day a sparring day and another a pad-work day. These are exceptions though and most gyms will stick to the traditional way of doing it, with a bit of strength work with weights thrown in occasionally.

Training Muay Thai in Thailand is an experience that every fighter or enthusiast should have in their lifetime. It helps you understand the sport better, as well as the culture it comes from.

Photo credits: 13 Coins by Brian Edwards, Jittigym by antjeverena, Pad-work by Charlie Steele

The Power of MCT Oil

In fitness circles the subject of MCT oil has been debated for several years. Proponents say it gives them a superhuman charge of energy and helps them burn off fat, while others are more skeptical. Every ketogenic diet uses MCT oil as a cornerstone supplement. Lets take a look at the power of MCT oil and look at what it is capable of.

What is MCT Oil?

First we need to look at triglycerides, esters made up of glycerol and three fatty acids. Tryglycerides are, among other things, the main constituents of body fat. They can be saturated or unsaturated. MCT stands for medium-chain triglycerides. These are a type of saturated triglyceride that, opposed to long-chain triglycerides, are passively diffused from the GI tract without going through the lymphatic system. The power of MCT oil lies in this ability to be easily metabolised, giving your body quickly accessible energy from fat. Commercially available MCT oil is normally derived from coconut oil and is mostly comprised of caprylic acid and capric acid MCTs.

Nutrition

MCT oil is a flavorless, clear oil that contains 14g of fat and 100 kcal per tbsp. The power of MCT oil has long been harnessed medically for patients with malnutrition and fatty-acid metabolism disorders, as MCT oil does not require energy for absorption, use or storage. There are several studies that show it could have positive benefits for a number other disorders. MCT oil could also have beneficial attributes related to protein metabolism as well.

Ketosis

MCT oil is used by people on a ketogenic diet, as MCTs bypass the liver and are converted into ketones, a primary fuel source for the brain as well as the body. The theory involves running the body on ketones that come from fats, rather than glycogens that come from carbohydrates. Basically, high fat, low carb. The benefits of this diet are a hot topic of debate.

Athletes

Endurance athletes and bodybuilders have expounded the power of MCT oil for some time. Anecdotally marathon runners have said they had run on nothing but MCT oil and coffee. Many athletes unequivocally state that MCT oil gives them more energy before their workout, but this has not been scientifically proven. Some studies have shown that MCT oil can help with weight loss by inducing a thermogenic effect of burning excess calories and can promote fat oxidation. Due to the molecular structure of MCTs, they are more water soluble, making them less likely to be stored as body fat.

Excess consumption of any food will lead to fat gain and the same can be said for MCT oil. There are a a lot of claims made about it that are unsubstantiated at best and outright nonsense at worse. The one thing that we can say for sure is that MCT oil is an energy source that is easily absorbed by the body and and requires no energy to metabolise. As it is a coconut oil derivative, it is a natural supplement that has a low risk of side affects. The power of MCT oil is not accepted by everyone, but a lot of athletes think it is a magic elixir.

Cover photo by Mattie Hagedorn

Why Deadlifts are the Best

There are several reasons why deadlifts are the best weight training exercise you can do. Their power has been recognised by powerlifters and the military for decades, and anyone serious about getting stronger without doubt incorporates the deadlift into their routine. Power and Olympic lifts have become even more popular with the explosion of the CrossFit revolution, bringing this classic lift to a mainstream fitness audience. There is a reason for it being a staple of any good routine: deadlifts are the best.

What is a deadlift?

A deadlift is traditionally performed using a barbell loaded with plates and placed on the ground. The bar is lifted from a bent knee position to standing fully erect. It is one of the simplest, most effective exercises, as picking things up and putting them down is one of the tasks the human body is built for. As with squats, correct form is very important, but it is such a simple exercise that anyone can master it quickly, thereby unlocking its benefits almost immediately.

Muscles

Deadlifts are seen by many as a back exercise, but they actually work more muscles than any other lift, utilising the entire posterior chain. This make is a great compound lift if you want to make your weight work more efficient. As it works the posterior chain and back so well, it improves posture and overall strength. Deadlifts are the best ab workers too, as no other exercise makes you engage and use your core for single bursts of power in the same way, making a great core stabiliser. There is no other exercise that works the glutes as hard either. Strong glutes increase overall power and endurance and help prevent pain elsewhere. Lower back pain can often be the result of dormant butt syndrome.

Functional

The deadlift is a functional lift, as it is literally just picking up a heavy weight off the floor, meaning your real life lift will get stronger. This applies to grip too. In the past, people had more manual work, meaning that their grip strength was superior to ours, deadlifting gives you the vice-like grip of generations past.

Other benefits

As it works so many muscles groups, it is calorically expensive exercise. This translates into it being a fat-burning lift that when done often, will help shed excess body fat. Deadlifts also increase hormone levels, particularly testosterone and growth hormone, making you leaner, stronger and more muscular. Increased hormone levels also make for stronger bones, better mood, improved immunity and a higher sex drive. Studies have shown that deadlifts have a profound effect on bone strength, significantly decreasing the risk of osteoporosis.

Variations

There are several variations on the classic deadlift. Using a hex or trap bar will put more strain on your legs and less on your back. Sumo deadlifts also put less stress on the back, by keeping it straighter, but also limit the range of movement. Romanian deadlifts, with their higher position, work the knees and hips more, making them a more leg-focussed exercise. The stiff-leg deadlift focusses on the hamstrings and improves hip mobility. There are several stranger lifts like the Hack deadlift that places the bar behind the legs, the Jefferson deadlift that involves straddling the bar and the Reeves deadlift, where the load is lifted by gripping the plates at either end of the bar.

Traditional deadlifts are the best because they make you lean, strong, more powerful, healthier, more injury-free, more mobile and a better performing athlete. Whatever your purpose is for getting stronger and becoming an all-out warrior, there are so many benefits to adding deadlifts to your program.