Burmese Bando Boxing

Among Martial Artists, when the conversation turns to Full Contact, Professional Karate, Kick-Boxing, etc., inevitably someone mentions Bando. Although many people have heard of this Burmese Art, very few people really know the in-depth story behind this system. Bando is a relative newcomer to the Martial Arts scene when compared with the centuries that mark the beginnings of some of the more well known systems.
Bando, freely translated means “Disciplined Way or Way Of The Warrior”. The system was devised by military men for the purpose of conditioningand training men for combathve warfare. It encompassed Self-Defense (Thaing), Unarmed Combative Sport/Bando), and Armed Combative Training (Banshay).
The Bando System has been credited with introducing many varied and unorthodox techniques to both the Formal Karate and Professional Karate scenes. Ata time when American Karate practitioners were embroiled tn traditional One-Step, One-Technique styles of tournament competition, members of Bando schools appeared on the scene with continous rushing attacks and hard close-in defensive tactics. In the early 1960's, Bando students were well known for their hard rushes and firm contact. Many tournament competitors avoided bouts with Bando practitioners because they were not used to this style of relentless attack.
Tournament competitors, that were around during the formative years of Karate tour naments in this country, well remember those fighters conspicuously clad in black ai's, among a sea of traditional white uniforms.
In the years since its introduction ta this country, mernbers of varlous Bando schools have distinguished themselves as teachers, competitors and unbiased officials. With the release of this book and subsequent backs to come, at last the whole story of the Bando System will be available to the general Martial Arts community as well as Martial Historians. New, the question that has been asked forsa long, “Whatis Bando?”’, can be answered. This book should provide informative and enlightened reading fer all who have asked that question for so many years.