Bando in Mexico

Thaing Byaung Byan Bando Banshay in Thanlyin for 50 years celebration

Thaing Byaung Byan Bando Banshay in Thanlyin for 50 years celebration by Sayagyi U Aung Thein.

Bando photos from the US

see our Bando brothers and sisters from the US.

http://www.americanbandoassociation.com/photos

Top 10 Martial Arts for Self Defence

Article from Black Belt Magazine

This list is in no particular order. I could have putkrav maga, haganah and others in there, but when I got to 10, I stopped. This list will piss off many instructors, but they have to realize, for example, that with a system like kyokushinkai, which came from goju-ryu and has many descendants like asahara, enshin, yoshukai and zendokai, they were not left out. Krav maga, for example, has nothing that the Okinawan, Japanese and kickboxing systems do not. If I were to include all of them, the list would go into the hundreds.

Kyokushinkai Karate

It has a great history of physical toughness and conditioning, as well as an arsenal of leg kicks, sweeps and knee strikes from the outside and from the pocket. Most K-1 champions come from this style. It’s weak on ground maneuvers, though.

Outlaw Tai Chi

It has an effective composition of quick strikes (cutting and tissue-ripping moves) to vital areas like the eyes, ears, face, neck and groin. The emphasis in training is on pure nonclassical maneuvers, as is seen in most other Chinese systems. However, this style is weak on structure and ground maneuvers.

Bando

Although strictly a weapons-based style, it lends itself to highly effective defensive techniques (without weapons) from old-school monk tactics largely developed years ago in Southeast Asia along trade routes. It contains bleeding techniques, head striking, low-level flange kicks, drop kicks and farewell kicks not taught in other kickboxing styles.

Kajukenbo

It’s a hybrid system that uses the best parts of other styles, from upright maneuvers to grappling. It was designed strictly for self-defense, instead of adhering to traditional rituals or sporting competition. Its weaknesses are a lack of movements to control the horizontal relationship with assailants—like all styles—and always using the hands as the primary means of defense.

Chinese Kenpo

It has a curriculum that encompasses all areas of self-defense. Practitioners learn a range of attacking angles, realistic scenarios and methods for defending from any position with any weapon. The main weakness is a lack of emphasis on ground maneuvers, along with limited kicking and knee striking.

Okinawa-Te

The original system had a complete arsenal of weapon and non-weapon skills. It had the perfect blend of old-school, pain-tolerance training with scientific skills that utilized the least amount of effort and time to produce the maximum amount of damage. Its weaknesses are the amount of time it takes to learn all the long animal forms (there are 36, with one having up to 500 moves) and a lack of “balanced” ground maneuvers.

Judo

Although it was created along the lines of a non-jutsu activity, which means it was designed mainly for exercise and sport, the best bouncers I’ve ever worked with were judo black belts. Because judoka spend most of their time doing tug-of-war-type drills with partners on the mat, they’re very successful in reality combat, even with their limited striking ability.

Aikijutsu

Its tactics for off-balancing an opponent before leveraging him—as opposed tojujutsu, which is more concerned with straight leverage—is a good system to bridge the gap between the sport/exercise aspects of the old-school (read: hard-core) jutsu forms and the free-flowing sport forms we see on TV. Beware of the ‘consumer’ atmosphere found in some schools today and the lack of effective striking skills when practicing self-defense drills.

Kickboxing

This style can offer the very best of realistic, upright striking skills, hands down. If you learn the old muay boran knees, the head butt, the bleeding and cutting techniques, and the old-school takedowns, this system cannot be beat. Its weakness is a lack of attention to self-defense as opposed to sport. The conditioning drills taught at most authentic schools make up for any need to practice purely self-defense scenarios.

Boxing

Few martial arts teach these two defensive skills: Use the head to protect the head and the body to protect the body. Instead, they use weapon-fighting tactics—using the hands to protect the head or the body. For self-defense from the pocket, it would be hard to defend against a good boxer. Of course, his lack of elbow strikes, groin attacks and ground defense is limiting, but for pain tolerance and conditioning, it can’t be beat.

http://www.blackbeltmag.com/daily/mixed-martial-arts-training/boxing/joe-lewis-top-10-martial-arts-for-self-defense/

American Bando Association Photos

Good to see American Bando Association techniques are similar to our Combat Bando, perhaps way back in history we share the same lineage that come from China and India. It is indeed Dr. Maung Gyi brought the art to the west. Without him many people in the west will not heard of Bando. I remember my master told me Dr. Maung Gyi brought the art to the USA and Europe, I want you to lead another chapter in the history. (Dr. Maung Gyi's sister was my master school teacher).

Bando is a multi-faceted martial art, with roots in China-Burma-India. The system was brought to America in the late 1950’s by Maung Gyi (now Dr. U M. Gyi, Grandmaster.) It is practiced by a small group of dedicated students and teachers here in the U.S. under the auspices of the non-profit American Bando Association.

The Association is unique in that its purpose is to honor and support veterans. Dr. Gyi has retired from active involvement in the Association, but continues to maintain a demanding teaching schedule.

During the past half-century, Dr. Gyi has raised up a cadre of senior students who are now Masters in their own right. Grandmaster Gyi has appointed Masters for the various Bando animal systems and other arts, such as Kukri and the Monk System. The Bando system is comprehensive and diverse, even eclectic.

http://www.americanbandoassociation.com

More photos...

http://www.americanbandoassociation.com/gallaries/animal-2010/index.html

Bando at Naval Academy

Grandmaster Sayagyi/Sensei/ Mr. Robert ‘Bob’ Maxwell is one of the original 18 Black Belt members of the American Bando Association, who were initiated and promoted to the 1st Level of Instructorship in 1968. He was the Chairperson for the ABA at its inception, and presided for over a decade. He personally was largely responsible for the rapid rise in the development, popularity and recognition of Burmese Bando in America during the 1960’s & 70’s. Bob is also a Black Belt in Isshin-Ryu Karate-do, a Brown Belt in Judo, and a Combat Handguns instructor. For two years he served as an Armed & Unarmed Combat Tactics instructor for the Saudi & Jordanian Royal Guards, and the Air Defense & Special Forces teams. He has been an avid Martial Arts practicioner and instructor for over fifty (50) years.

Over the years he earned a stellar reputation as a Full Contact Karate/Kickboxing competitor and coach, and became a highly sought after referee for National & World Professional Karate & Kickboxing Championship bouts. He has trained with, competed with, refereed for, and developed Life long friendships with World Class martial arts personalities such as Dr. Maung Gyi, Dr. Robert Hill, Jeff Smith, Bill Wallace, Joe Lewis, Chuck Norris, and many/many others. He is a Master Saya/Teacher of the Thaing/Bando Hand-to-Hand Combatives Hard style, the Middle ‘Empty Hand Forms’ style, the Banshay Burmese Weapons style, and the Lethwei/Barefist Kickfighting style. He is one of the most informed ABA instructors on the history, philosophies, theories, skills, strategies, and tactics of Burmese Bando.

Additionally, Bob has extensive knowledge of, and experience in Law Enforcement; as he was formerly an agent and Special Tactics instructor for the United States Secret Service, and for the FBI, as well as a civilian Police Officer, a Private Investigator, Polygrapher, was a Medical Corpsman in the United States Navy, and is an honored Vietnam Veteran. Today, he has retired to live at Bethany Beach, DE, with his wife Linda and son Scott, and still travels frequently to present seminars on Thaing/Bando and special combat tactics training. He is presently an 8th Level Bando Black Belt, and is one of the highest ranking instructors in the ABA.

http://www.worldwidedojo.com/sport-based/maxwell-bob

http://bandolegends.com/pictures/#

Bando in Pakistan

Good to see our Pakistan Bando brothers doing old school bando.

Shraf Tai : Pakistans Martial Art Icon
Famous martial artist, Grand Master Mr. Muhammad Ashraf Tai had introduced Bando, the Burmese style of martial arts, in Pakistan way back in 1971 but it were his accomplishments against top-notchers which earned him fame and recognition. He has become a martial art icon in the country and a large number of his students have spread his mission in different countries of the world making him an internationally renowned figure.