Banshay

Banshay

Focus	Weaponry
Country of origin	Myanmar
Famous practitioners	Maung Gyi
Olympic sport	No

Banshay (Burmese: ဗန်ရှည်, pronounced [bàɰ̃ʃè]) is a weapon-based martial art from Myanmar focusing primarily on the sword, staff and spear. Influenced by both Indian and Chinese sources, it is closely related to similar Southeast Asian systems such as Thai krabi krabong, Cambodian kbach kun boran and Malay silat.

Banshay makes extensive use of the dha (sword) in pairs. Sword-fencing demonstrations and performances often begin with a pre-fight war dance in which the swordsman spins one or two swords very close to the body without cutting themselves.

There are 37 sword forms. Sword training is conducted with the weapon still sheathed. Traditionally when a master first presents the student with a sword, the scabbard would be fixed on so that the trainee is discouraged from killing opponents. Under extreme conditions when the sword must be unsheathed, the scabbard may be broken with a rock or other object.

• 
  Defense with the staff
• 
  The panther dance

• Donn F. Draeger and Robert W. Smith (1969). Comprehensive Asian Fighting Arts. Kodansha. ISBN 978-0-87011-436-6.

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