RULES & SCORING

Traditional Rules: Knockout Only to Win

Traditional Lethwei is fought under the yoe yar rules, from the Burmese Myanma yoe yar Letway, “Myanmar traditional boxing.” It is notorious for not having a scoring system and for its controversial rule of knockout only to win. There are no judges. At the end of the match, if there has been no knockout or stoppage and the two fighters are still standing, the match is declared a draw — even if one fighter dominated the fight.

Traditional matches are still fought throughout Myanmar, especially during festivals and celebrations such as Thingyan. The sources list these as using the traditional rules: most Lethwei promotions in Myanmar, the annual Myanmar Lethwei World Championship, the Air KBZ Aung Lan Championship, the International Lethwei Federation Japan, challenge fights, Flagship Tournaments, and festivals and celebrations.

Under the traditional rules a fighter can win in a few different ways:

• Knockout (KO) — a fighter falls to the ground, is left unconscious, or is unable to stand up or defend themselves for 20 seconds (ten counts, one count every two seconds).
• Count limit — when 3 counts are performed in a single round, or 4 counts over the entire fight, the fight is terminated and scored as a knockout (count limit).
• Technical knockout (TKO) — a fighter forfeits, has an injury, or is in a position that can damage or severely harm them if the fight continues. The ring doctor is consulted and makes the decision.

The special time-out. If a knockout or injury occurs, a fighter can take a special two-minute time-out to recover. After the time-out the fighter chooses whether to continue the bout. Each fighter may do so only once during the fight, the time-out cannot be used in the fifth round, and using it counts as one count. In the traditional rules each corner is allowed one two-minute time-out per fight to revive a knocked-out fighter; combined with the sport's bareknuckle nature, it gave Lethwei a reputation as one of the bloodiest and most violent martial arts.

The sources describe ancient matches somewhat differently from the traditional rules above. They took place on sand pits instead of in rings, and any male, noble or commoner, could take part. Fighters wore no protective equipment, only wrapping their hands in hemp or gauze. There were no draws — the fight went on until one of the participants was knocked out or could no longer continue — and champions would enter the ring and call for open challenges.

Tournament Rules: The 1996 MTLF Ruleset

In 1996 the Myanmar Traditional Lethwei Federation (MTLF), a branch of Myanmar's Ministry of Health and Sports, created a tournament ruleset for the inaugural Golden Belt Championship tournament in Yangon. Two things changed from the traditional code: the two-minute special time-out was removed, and judges were added ringside to determine a winner when there was no knockout. The ruleset prevents the outcome of a draw and helped choose a winner to advance in the tournament. The bouts, along with the undercard fights, were organised by the Ministry of Sport, the MTLF and the KSM group.

Judges. When a bout goes the distance, the judges present a decision. The general Lethwei reference says three judges score the bout on aggression, damage, the amount of blood drawn, and the number of significant strikes per round. The WLC reference, by contrast, says WLC judges score on the number of strikes per round, and the sources do not reconcile the two descriptions. The knockout is still highly desired under this ruleset.

Count limits. Fighters have a maximum of 3 knockdowns per round and 4 knockdowns in the entire fight before the fight is ruled a knockout. The traditional rules, as the sources set them out, state their limit as 3 counts in a round or 4 over the fight; the sources do not say whether a count and a knockdown are the same thing.

The World Lethwei Championship (WLC) used this ruleset. The sources record that it opted for it in order to follow international safety regulations and have clear winners, and that it used the tournament rules established in 1996 by the MTLF. The WLC's last event was held on 25 September 2020; it held no events after that date.

Under the tournament rules the knockout is still highly desired — the judges decide only a bout that goes the distance.

Traditional vs Tournament Rules: Side-by-Side

These are the differences the sources record between the two rulesets. The tournament ruleset is the one the MTLF created in 1996 and the WLC used.

The sources give the following rules for the sport as a whole rather than for one ruleset, and the WLC's own rules section repeats the round structure:

• Rounds — a bout can be booked as 3, 4 or 5 rounds of 3 minutes with a 2-minute break between rounds. Championship bouts are 5 rounds of 3 minutes.
• Bareknuckle — gloves are prohibited; hands are wrapped with only tape and gauze (see Attire below).
• Techniques — headbutts, punches, elbows, knees, kicks, clinching, sweeps and throws are all permitted.

What's Legal: Permitted Techniques

Lethwei is called the Art of Nine Limbs because headbutts, which most other combat sports disallow, are important weapons in a Lethwei fighter's arsenal alongside the hands, elbows, knees and feet. The rules permit the use of the feet, hands, knees, elbows and head: headbutts, all punches, all elbow strikes, all knee strikes, all kicks, extensive clinching, and sweeps, throws and take-downs.

Punches. All punches are permitted. The sources list the jab, cross, uppercut, hook, overhand, backfist, spinning backfist, hammer fist and superman punch. Unlike in Muay Thai, punches are generally favoured over kicks in Lethwei because of their ability to draw blood more easily.

Kicks. All kicks are permitted. The sources list the roundhouse kick, spinning back kick, outside and inside low kicks, hook kick, side kick, axe kick, jump round kick and step-up kick. Separately they list foot-thrusts — the push kick, toe push kick and jumping push kick — which are used defensively to control distance or block attacks, and to set up an attack.

Elbows. All elbow strikes are permitted. The sources list horizontal, diagonal-upwards, diagonal-downwards, uppercut, downward, backward-spinning and flying elbows. They can be used as a finishing move or to cut the opponent's eyebrow and draw blood, and as blocks or defenses against, for example, spring knees, side body knees, body kicks or punches. When well connected, an elbow strike can cause serious damage, including cuts or even a knockout.

Knees. All knee strikes are permitted. The sources list the straight knee, spear knee, side knee, upward knee, downward knee, knee slap, double flying (“elephant tusks”) knee, jumping knee and step-up knee.

Headbutts. The sources list seven kinds: thrusting (forward), upward, side, clinching, flying (diving), rushing and downward headbutts.

Clinching, sweeps and throws. Extensive clinching is permitted, as are sweeps, throws and take-downs. Burmese fighters also make use of raking knuckle strikes.

Attire and the Referee

The Burmese bare-knuckle boxing rules prohibit gloves. Fighters must wear only tape, gauze and electrical tape on their hands and feet; only shorts, without a shirt or shoes; a groin protector; and a gum shield. They are required to apply the wrapping in front of the fight officials, who endorse the wraps.

One referee oversees the fight. The referee can end the fight if he considers one fighter significantly outclassed by the opponent; stop the fight and refer to the doctor if a fighter is heavily wounded; and warn the fighters, making sure the fight proceeds fairly and in compliance with the rules. When a technical knockout is in question, the ring doctor is consulted and makes the decision. Our Referees & Officials chapter covers this in more detail.

The sources we rely on set out the permitted techniques, the attire and the referee's powers. They do not publish a list of prohibited strikes or a graduated penalty system, so this page does not state one.

The Golden Belt

The traditional Lethwei Golden Belt is regarded as the highest and most prestigious award for Lethwei fighters. It is not to be confused with the annual Golden Belt Championship, which is composed mostly of younger rising talent and uses the tournament rules point system.

There is only one Golden Belt champion for each weight category. The openweight champion is considered the strongest fighter in Myanmar, and the openweight Golden Belt champion is the equivalent of being pound-for-pound champion in the world of Lethwei.

Saw Nga Man, a former Openweight Lethwei Golden Belt champion, lost the belt to Tun Tun Min on 21 September 2014. Tun Tun Min won it at the age of 21 and is listed as the youngest Golden Belt champion. On 11 December 2016 Canadian fighter Dave Leduc took the belt when Tun Tun Min forfeited in the third round with a knee injury, becoming the first non-Burmese fighter to win the Lethwei Golden Belt. Leduc is credited with nine successful title defenses and vacated the title on 29 January 2023. Too Too held the 75 kg Lethwei Golden Belt; his death in military custody in April 2023 was reported by Burmese outlets and has never been officially confirmed.

Weight Classes

The World Lethwei Championship (WLC), which held no events after 25 September 2020, listed 12 weight classes. The table gives each class's upper limit in kilograms and pounds as the WLC listed them, plus the openweight category, which is not a WLC class and has no weight limit. The general Lethwei reference tabulates a slightly different set — for example, Cruiserweight at 83 kg and no Heavyweight — so these are the WLC's figures rather than a universal standard.