Martial arts are the only beautiful competitions and honorable wars. Yes one may not always win and suffer from injuries and defeats, but the competition in this level can only improve the characters of the warriors. If you win, it is a true winnings. It is because you are good and skillful and capable. If you lose, they is no one else to blame for. No body made you fight. You did it because you wanted to. Remember life is full of injuries anyway. It is more honorable to be injured from a honorable martial arts competitions than anything else in this world. I am a MTB warrior myself. I have had many losses and severe injuries myself. If I die in a ring or because of fighting, I say that is the glorious death ever. We are going to die anyway. That's how the MTB warriors think and I know it for fact because I am one myself.

Hero Testing Ground

King Ba Yint Naung reigned (approximately 2000 years ago) in Myanmar. His army was reputedly the strongest army in the world. 

Read more about how A Group of King Ba Yint Naung's Heros (just a handful) sacked the whole Thai City called Ar-Yu-Da-Yath.

Ar-Yu-Da-Yath Sacked

Thailand and Myanmar were like England and France. They co-existed, but constantly had conflicts. A beautiful tradition of Old Burma was that they never attacked other countries to expend their territories. The kingdoms in Myanmar were like children fighting each other like the old Shogunate System in Japan. Whenever there was an outside threat, they united and punished the assaulters.

Anyway, I don’t know who started it, Thailand and Myanmar Kings always attacked each other for thousands of years in the old days. Though Myanmar was always on the offense, only a couple of Kings ever crossed the Thun Lwin River and conquered some cities of Thailand. The problem was always the shortage of food. The army always needed so much food to sustain the soldiers. The kings’ palaces (headquarters) were always far form Thai borders. Whenever, they were about to reach Thailand mainland, the army ran out of gas.

King Ba Yint Naung selected special heroes unit (not an Army) to conquer Thailand in different approach. These heroes, unlike an army, could exist independently without much king’s support for food, supplies, and weapons. They are like special units (like Navy Seals or Marine) in the modern armies, only100 times more effective than those so-called special units in modern armies. For example, they can eat anything they can catch in the Jungle or wild fruits, leaves, etc. They don’t need horses and specially equipped armors, swords, and shields. When they need a weapon, they cut up a bamboo tree and fight with bamboo sticks. 

Maui Thai boxers called upon their dead warriors to fight for them in the ring, so do some of Myanmar Boxers. This is a belief. In addition, in the same movie, you will see when Van Dam is talking and strolling with his teacher in the park, at the background scene, some people playing “Chin Lone.” I don’t know what they call it Thailand. In Myanmar, we called it “Chin Lone.” This is a very important sports associating with martial arts, especially with MTB or Muay Thai. It helps you with your kicks, reflexes, and coordination. Chin Lone is like a Volley Ball except that you are not allowed to touch the ball during the game.

Four Heroes of Pegun Kyan Cit Tha Becomes a King

This is a story about loyalty, courage, and sacrifice. Myanmar reached its peak of civilization at the Bagan Period. During Bagan Period, many kings, especially King ArNau Ya Tha, built many amazing Temples called Pagodas. The whole region of Bagan is filled with countless huge temples as Egyptians built pyramids. You can still see them today.

Sau Lu Min was a king when Kyan Cit Tha was a general in the army. Enemy Army kidnapped Sau Lu Min. People in Bagan Kingdom asked Kyan Cit Tha to be king and forget about Sau Lu Min. Yet Kyan Cit Tha went into the enemy kingdom (alone) to rescue the king. He killed every guard he met in the dudgeon and got his king back. Sau Lu Min, who was on Kyan Cit Tha’s back, always thought that Kyan Cit Tha was some kind of demon and now he has finally come to kill him. He yelled to the guards that Kyan Cit Tha has come to rescue him and not to let him do it.

Kyan Cit Tha dropped him there and ran. They killed Sau Lu Min right away at the spot. When he was back in the Bagan Kingdom people begged him to be a king. Now he couldn’t deny the people because Sau Lu Min is dead. This is a true historic story.

Po Hla Gyi Vs. The British Official

Myanmar was once a British colony. College students at that time (1885—1940s) were always protesting British Government’s authorities. One of the famous (Martyrdom) students publicly challenged a famous British Ministers (I forgot the name). The student name was Thakhin (Master) Pho Hla Gyi. That crazy English man agreed to “box” with Thakhin (Master) Pho Hla Gyi publicly. He didn’t have to. He was a government official and the challenger was just a “common student.” I guess he was bored and wanted to play with Burmese students. By the way, I respect those old fashion duels. Nowadays, there are so many lesser men/ weaklings/ cowards exist everywhere that duels are outlaw in almost all the countries in the world.

This becomes like a nationalistic story in Myanmar until today, the story told to children how brave, and good MTB fighters and fighting system are.

 I don’t have anything against England or Myanmar by telling this story. I like both countries. In case you don’t know me, I am Anglo-Burmese. I grew up with mixed British and Myanmar culture, Education, and ways of thinking. But of course, western boxing is a joke if you ask me.

MTB is the Best Hand-to-Hand Martial Art System in the World

Japanese (samurais) were superior fencers, but in hand-to-hand combat, MTB warriors were unchallenged through out the history.

It is recorded in our history that Warriors in the old days practice "Na Bun" (grappling and ground fighting like jujitsu) widely, but some great MTB warriors showed serious limitations of ground fighting tactics and how it could be defeated easily in public martial arts competitions. Soon MTB warriors stick more and more to stand up striking than ground fighting, so it disappears or becomes unpopular. Practicing martial arts and martial arts competitions are what make all our various tribal brothers get to know each other and love and respect one another.

Myanmar Names

You don’t call Myanmar Names in shortened forms. For instance, Eir Tee Cau is a whole name. “Cau” is not a Family name or last name. My name is Christopher McGrath. You may call me just the first name Christopher or Chris.

Many western names have family names. I don’t know who started it. In the Bible, names are all (almost) individual and when someone introduces himself, they say I am son of Jessie, or Jacob, etc, instead of saying David Jessie.