Pongyi-thaing

Pongyi-thaing or martial system of the monks in Burma . This practice at the origin of the Thaing would go back to IIIe century when the monks of the north of the Burma wanted to protect themselves and to discuss physically. It is based on principles of the non-violence which is, without any doubt, at the origin of the concept of Thaing*. Technique and philosophy of this system of combat were initially transmitted within the framework of the monasteries. In IIIe century, this system is based on the values of self-discipline, autodéveloppement and autorealisation, then in IXe century on those of coil-defense and self-protection.

History

These nonaggressive martial practices were born in IIIe century after J.C under the reign of Pyûs. This first civilization of Myanmar developed a “great ideal” resulting from the spiritual ideas of the time. Flourishing civilization, they dig channels, irrigate the cultures, invent agricultural methods and show an elegant culture (many buildings and works of art). They develop, in an area of peace, a pacifist company (without slavery, prisons nor executions). Main roads between India and China, the kingdom of Pyûs, in VIIe century, were called by the foreign pilgrims, the “country of peace”. Then in IXe century, the monk Oopali (Upali) was elected to formalize the “martial system of the monks” and to establish an religious order. This order still exists in Burma and also in the countries bordering, Thailand, Kampuchea and Laos. But this system disappeared following the tribal wars and conflicts with the adjoining countries. Only one handle of monks tried to preserve the bases and the principles listed by Oopali until our days. During the XIXe century, the monks of the Buddhist monasteries of the north of Burma, taught this martial art known as non-violent. It was the same for the monk Mogok Sayadaw (sayadaw, title given to the superior of a monastery), burning practitioner of Hatha-yoga, which taught the system of non-violence conveyed in Bando and Yoga. In 1911, he wrote: “violence is the excessive use of the force, and it even leads to serious traumatisms with death. A martial system nonviolent ensign the absolute control of the power, and emotions, avoiding irreversible traumatisms with the attacker”.

Concept of Pongyi-thaing

It is a science of the combat based on the principle of “non-violence”. It is based on the “high style” of the Thaing , characterized by “control of its own emotions” and on the “soft system”, characterized by techniques with control of its own energy, with an aim of minimizing the damage caused with the adversary. That means great “control of its acts”, movements fast, a strong spirit and in permanent alarm. Examples of principle: “to counter any attack (aggression) by the calm one of the spirit and the fluidity of the movements” and “to use with its profit the energy of the adversary”. The old ones say: “it is necessary to be exerted constantly and to inform, cultivate the body and the spirit in all the situations”. This method of drive of the body and the spirit, accompanied by knowledge of the vital points, the techniques of energy breathing, knowledge resulting from Yoga, etc, as well as the Minzin , is also built on research of development of internal energy.

More than one technique of non-violence, a spiritual step

Much more than one technique of combat, it acts of a spiritual step and surely nun at the time. One finds the ancestral design of the monk-warriors (Djidji) of the unit of the body and the spirit in order to act as harmony. The martial technique beyond the effectiveness of the gesture is art of life. Especially at the time where the main objective was to achieve itself and to discuss physically. This philosophical design is taken again at the XIXe century in Hanthawaddy-thaing and symbolized in its emblem (three circles and three triangles). These techniques survived time, because conveyed in the monasteries of Burma, and to re-appear within the framework of Military Athletic club* of Maymyo at the beginning of the XXe century.

Pongyi-thaing, a higher system of defense

The art following the example of many of combat being based on a philosophy of non-violence, it is a question in Pongyi-thaing of learning how to defend oneself against any type of aggression (verbal, physical or psychic). One learns there from the non-violent strategies: control alleviating emotions, words, alleviating postures, control of the facial expressions, put in alarm physical and mental, management of the security distance, use of objects of proximity, etc the defensive techniques are centered on the nonaggressive mode: 1 actions of dérobement and setting in failure (escape, defensive displacements, against-offensive gestures), 2 actions of control and control of the opponent (seized, neutralizations, keys articular, strangulations, sweepings, projections, etc) and 3 actions of percussion (gestures not mortals on nonvital targets). In all the cases the techniques of defenses are controlled not to cause irreversible wounds with the attacker. The practices are carried out with naked hands and also with weapons. They are reserved for advanced practitioners. The concept of non-violence is very present in Thaing* in general. It uses “higher” stages in defense, i.e. means more sophisticated than the traditional modes. For example following actions:

Appeasing of the attacker (principles of dissuasion, persuasion, diversion, etc)
Use of the unfavourable action (principle of nonresistance to the unfavourable force or “to yield for better overcoming”, etc),
Handling of the attacker (techniques of operations: frauds and deferred stock, etc)
Anticipation on the unfavourable aggression (neutralization, against, etc)
gestures of percussion with force, speed and precision on vulnerable nerve centres allowing to temporarily put out of combat an opponent (pain lives, provisional paralysis)
gestures of control and tender of the attacker (seized and key painful)
A contrario, gestures of care of the possible traumatisms.

Technical components

One finds in particular techniques defensive with or without weapons on the not-aggressive mode (not-resistance to the unfavourable attack, displacements defensive, neutralization by anticipation or absorption of the shock, articular keys of control) and of the technical sequences scenarized known as of the bonze, such shape with naked hands (Pongyi-aka), the form with stick (Pongyi-dhot) and forms it with saber (Pongyi-dha). The techniques of combat answer simple logics: put in optimal safety, to alleviate his attacker, use of the unfavourable action, energy saving, etc For that, one finds answers summary, instantaneous and practical to the aggressions: to divert aggressive energy, use of the environment present, etc

Internal bonds

Burmese Martial arts, Thaing
Bando, Banshay, Naban
Burmese Boxing (Lethwei), Bando-kickboxing
Bando-yoga, Min-zin

See too

Ba Than (Gyi), Manual off the Bando disciplines , National Bando Association, Burma, 1946-68
Maung Gyi, Bando, philosophy, principles and practice , STI edition, 2000
Maung Gyi, Burmese bando boxing , ED. R.Maxwell, Understanding Baltimore, 1978
Gift F.Draeger and Robert W.Smith, Asian Fighting arts , E. Kodansha, Tokyo, 1969
Zoran Rebac, Traditional burmese boxing , ED. Paladin Near, Boulder, 2003

External bonds

Fédération (French) of Bando Boxes Burmese - a mine of information on an effective discipline multimillénaire and hyper
Fédération of North America de Bando (the USA)

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