Bando a self-defense martial art from Burma. The earliest meanings of Bando were "self-discipline, self-development, and self-improvement".[citation needed] Later, it came to mean, "self-protection, or self-defense". Bando includes the empty-hands methods and animal forms: eagle, bull, cobra, panther, monkey, etc. Various bando arts are still very popular in Burma, especially among scholars.[citation needed] There are great number of schools and styles. The main branches are:

Lethwei or Lethawae (Read as "Let-whae", but quickly) ; also known as Burmese Boxing and Myanmar Traditional Boxing, is a form of kickboxing which originated in Myanmar (Burma). Lethwei is in many ways similar to its siblings from neighboring South-East Asian countries such as Tomoi from Malaysia, Pradal Serey from Cambodia, Muay Lao from Laos and Muay Thai from Thailand.

Muay Thai is referred to as the science of 8 limbs, so Lethwei can be called the science of 9 limbs, due to the allowance of head butts. In comparison, Lethwei can be interpreted as being bolder and more extreme. The techniques are a bit slower and stronger than in the other Southeast Asian kickboxing forms, possibly because it has more Indian influence than the other styles.. There are records recording Lethwei style matches dating back to the Pyu empire in Burma. Ancient Myanmar armies successfully used Lethwei, Bando and its armed sibling Banshay in winning many wars against neighboring countries.