Tha Mann Kyar

History of the person who raised Tha Mann Kyar

(Sayar Kaung Ta Pae Pann Kaung Pan; a student is successful because he or she has a proficient teacher)

Published in Myanmar Ring Magazine January 2016 - Zin Linn Htun (Danu Phyu)

A name seemingly important in the Myanmar traditional boxing industry. If we check the past, most of the famous traditional boxers’ names are not given by birth and instead the names were given by their teachers. The famous first-class traditional boxer, Tha Mann Kyar is also one of them who became famous with the name given by his teacher.

The childhood name of Tha Mann Kyar is Saw Hla Min. He was born in Hlaingbwe Township, Min Laung Lay Village. His father is Mr. Yaw Day (Mr. Zaw Weit) and his mother is Mrs. Phwar Sein. Tha Mann Kyar used to say that he was the eldest son among the thirteen siblings. His mother is originally from Mel Lan Village, Hpa-An and his father is originally from Shwe Taw (Done Yin Apine) Village. His father Mr. Yaw Day also used to box with the name Zaw Weit. The grandfather of Tha Mann Kyar was a famous traditional boxer, Mr. Shwe Din Gar.

Like his grandfather and father, Saw Hla Min was familiar with the traditional boxing events from childhood and he was well-known in his town since young. When Saw Hla Min was 17 years old, in 1975, he entered the Myanmar Police Force in Hpa An and attended the Phaung Gyi Division Training Camp for one year. The young policeman Saw Hla Min participated in a lot of missions in Mon State. At that time his salary was only 82 kyats. He said he eventually got the police salary up 'till 120 kyats. When he was getting 120 kyats, for each boxing battle he joined, he earned additional 150kyats if he won and then 75kyats if he lost.

When there was a traditional boxing event in Apaung Township, Oak Tatar Village Pagoda festival, Saw Hla Min could not resist the attractive music coming from the event and finally entered the battle. A security guard saw the wounds on his face while returning back to the station at night and since it was compulsory for the security guards to record it in the daily register, the station chief found out about it the next morning. Since the wounds were still on his face as proof, U Lain Hone had to investigate the case. To his surprise he came to know that Saw Hla Min hid his gun in the nearby bushes and entered the battle. It was a risky move since a gun in the bushes could go missing in any condition.

That's why the station chief U Lain Hone stopped sending Saw Hla Min on security patrol at night. After a few days of keeping Saw Hla Min at the station, U Lain Hone started to realize that it will be of no use to keep him there since he has a lot of potential in boxing. So he suggested that he discharge from the police force and just focus on boxing if he really wanted to become a boxer. U Lain Hone knew that Saw Hla Min was brave, strong and had the basic skills, he was sure that Saw Hla Min could be more successful as a traditional boxer. That is why he decided to finally raise him to become a Myanmar traditional boxer.

The up-to-date and knowledgeable police chief U Lain Hone assumed that Saw Hla Min’s boxing skills were still weak even though he had basic skill. Therefor he contacted Sayar Kyar Ba Nyein from Yangon and subsequently sent Saw Hla Min to him.

Under the guidance of Sayar Kyar Ba Nyein, Saw Hla Min learnt western boxing from Dr. Stanley Majid* for 3 months. When Saw Hla Min returned from the training, he continued practicing at the station. U Lain Hone made Saw Hla Min run to the station camp which is about 500 meters away from Apaung Police Station and then get the signature from the camp supervisor and come back. And then again get another signature from the security guard. This running back and forth was aimed to improve his stamina, U Lain Hone said.

*Stanley Majid (-63,5kg) partook in the 1952 Olympics together with Kyar Ba Nyein (-57kg).

At 18 years of age Saw Hla Min was very active, strong and full of both traditional and western boxing skill and knowledge. He started to participate in the events that were part of pagoda festivals and slowly started becoming one of a kind. Back in those days, every village in Mon State celebrated the pagoda festivals and every pagoda festival had the traditional boxing events. Boxers such as Tha Htone Ba Hnit, Dathagiri Tin Shwe, Hpa An Kyar Gyi, Yoe Yoe Lay and Aung Thein Lay were famous at the time. Mudon Chit Po, Phoung Sein Kyal Ni and Tha Htone Kyaung Thar were also taking their spots at the top of list.

The station chief U Lain Hone made his pupil Saw Hla Min practice for about a year at the station and then started to let him take part in pagoda festival events. At that time Public Council Chairman General San Myat was also a Paung native and his secretary Min Shwe Thein was also from Zin Kyaik village. It is said that Min Shwe Thein also used to be a personal assistant of General Aye Ko. Since these captains from high positions were also from Mon state and loved boxing, they cooperated a lot in assisting Saw Hla Min to become famous.

Transforming from Saw Hla Min into Tha Mann Kyar

In 1977 they planned for Tha Mann Kyar to battle with Moe Kyoe on Mon National Day in Mawlamyine. Before they decided on the battle with Moe Kyoe, as a warm-up battle at Apaung Sport Stadium, Saw Hla Min fought with Dathagiri Tin Shwe. At that time Dathagiri Tin Shwe was at the age of 32 and Tha Mann Kyar was 20. It was the battle in which Saw Hla Min started using the name Tha Mann Kyar. The reason why his name is Tha Mann Kyar is because at that time second general Tin Ngwe, General David and General Kyaw Swar from the 61st Infantry Battalion, together with the police force, were victorious with their mission "Tha Mann Kyar" in Mudon, Ye & Lamine. They believed the name Tha Mann Kyar had some good luck so Saw Hla Min was named Tha Mann Kyar. Dathagiri Tin Shwe and Tha Mann Kyar had a 12 round battle in that event but after the 7th round Tha Mann Kyar won. “Dathagiri Tin Shwe has a flat body type which is similar to Tha Htone Ba Hnit” U Lain Hone said.

Since he was weak with his push kicks, he could not resist Tha Mann Kyar’s advancing moves. After that battle Tha Mann Kyar became famous in the state's boxing industry. That is why Apaung citizens General San Myat, Min Shwe Thein and the chief U Lain Hone decided that it was time for Tha Mann Kyar to battle Moe Kyoe who was incredibly famous in those days.

But while convincing Moe Kyoe to agree for the battle, they had to get help from Sayar Kyar Ba Nyein from Yangon. Since Moe Kyoe lives outside of Tha Htone township to focus on his training, they all had to approach his father in law first. Even though he is still young.. since Moe Kyoe used to battle with Shwe War Htun’s father Phyu Gyi and also with Phyu Lay, it is assumed that Moe Kyoe must be about 27 years old at that time when Tha Mann Kyar was just over 20.

Moe Kyoe and Tha Mann Kyar met

Since Moe Kyoe agreed for the battle in Mawlamyine, they set up a 12 round battle with 3 minutes fight and 3 minutes rest. The earnings from that battle was 5000 kyats. Since Moe Kyoe is famous for his strong clinch, Tha Mann Kyar tried to escape those clinches by using his left jabs with the guidance of Dr. Stanley Majid.

As a result Moe Kyoe was facing difficulties in trying to clinch with Tha Mann Kyar. But Moe Kyoe also prepared well since he heard about Tha Mann Kyar’s fame and he knew that Tha Mann Kyar would be his competitor one day. Moe Kyoe had taken notice of Tha Mann Kyar’s strategies including his spinning elbows.

That is why when Tha Mann Kyar initiated a spinning elbow, Moe Kyoe countered it with his right elbow which cut the back of Tha Mann Kyar’s skull and a lot of blood came out. At the same time Moe Kyoe’s brow ridge was also cut and bleeding. Both of them were wet by blood and suffered a lot. So their leader Sayar Kyar Ba Nyein requested the audience to be satisfied with the fight up until that point and ended the battle at 11 rounds. The result was considered a tie. The audience was also satisfied with that since they had enjoyed a lot in those 11 rounds and the ticket fees were only 2 or 3 kyats.

“After that battle, both Tha Mann Kyar and Moe Kyoe were sent to the hospital directly and it became one of our great memories” said U Lain Hone. Even Though Tha Mann Kyar is a smart Karen youth, he still couldn’t speak in Burmese very well so U Lain Hone had to even teach him the language.

U Lain Hone kept Tha Mann Kyar at a hostel that had a football and tennis station for practice. U Lain Hone himself trained Tha Mann Kyar the entire time and practiced a lot of boxing techniques with him. Everything went well since the council from Apaung Township was also involved in assisting him. But Tha Mann Kyar was a heavy eater and he ate a lot without limit.. (Tha Mann Kyar admitted about how he loved food, but he requested the interviewer not to write about it). He also loved movies a lot. He would watch a movie every night at Apaung Township Chout Lone Cinema.

After the battle in Mawlamyaing, Tha Mann Kyar's name and fame was on everybody's mind. Since the battle with Moe Kyoe was a tie, they planned it again at Bago Shwe Maw Taw Pagoda festival. U Lain Hone was Tha Mann Kyar’s personal trainer at that time. In this battle the earnings were 7000 kyats but the ticket prices were still 2 or 3 kyats. Again, that battle was a tie.

Dawei Win Naing challenged

When Dawei Win Naing, who was jailed at the time, heard about the young star who had battled Moe Kyoe twice and tied, he was eager to battle with him. On the day that he was released from jail, he immediately rushed to U Lain Hone and requested that he wanted to battle with Tha Mann Kyar.

U Lain Hone said “Yes you can. All of the traditional boxers will meet in battle one day, but for now you need to take your time and prepare yourself first so that the battle may be extraordinary.” Dawei Win Naing started practicing very hard and since the battle between them was going to be exceptional, U Lain Hone contacted Sayar Kyar Ba Nyein from Yangon and planned the battle on the Union Day Festival (Feb. 12th. Probably in 1978). “We learned many lessons from that battle” said U Lain Hone.

Both the competitors were strong and in round 7, two of Dawei Win Naing’s teeth were inserted in Tha Mann Kyar’s right hand. Everyone noticed it when Dawei Win Naing started showing his teeth-less smile, but no-one had any idea where those teeth went. Even Tha Mann Kyar was not aware that those teeth were in his hand until his hand became numb and he couldn't punch anymore. He only realized that after looking at his hand. It seemed to have happened when Dawei Win Naing tried to clinch and pull while Tha Mann Kyar gave a right uppercut directly to his face. The emergency doctor tried to pull out the two teeth which were inserted in his hand, but it had done considerable damage to his hand and he could not move it anymore.

At that time Dawei Win Naing was showing off his teeth-less smile and challenging Tha Mann Kyar to continue the fight by saying “Come on! Let’s fight 'till all my teeth are gone”. But since Tha Mann Kyar couldn't use his hand, he had to give up. Even though Tha Mann Kyar lost that battle, his fame was not gone. It resulted in the opposite, and his popularity rose even further. As a result Yangon Aung Din from Kyee Myin Daing challenged him. After 3 months of healing the wound from the two teeth in the hand, U Lain Hone assumed that Tha Mann Kyar had regained enough strength and to continue battling.

Even though Tha Mann Kyar has traditional boxing and western boxing knowledge and experience, his stamina used to drop every time at around round number 5 and U Lain Hone was not very happy about that. That's why he made him run up and down the hill at least 3 times a day. He argued that running up and down the hill is more effective then jumping rope and after he was completely happy with his pupil’s improvements, he accepted Yangon Aung Din’s challenge and planned the battle for the Shwe Dagon Tabaung Festival.

The battle with Yangon Aung Din that went wrong

The battle was held in the middle of Shwe Dagon Pagoda (west and north, 'Tha Pone Chait' back in those days), with mats as temporary walls. The organizers borrowed the grounds from Kyaik Ka San. It was a small place and the ticket fees were 2 and 3 kyats. (By the way, the chief of judges U Daung Ni used to be a security guard at this battle back in those days).

For that battle, U Lain Hone, Tha Mann Kyar and the brother of U Lain Hone, Dr. Aung Lain (now residing in Canada) had to come over from Apaung by train, one week in advance. After arriving in Yangon, they all stayed at the house of Sayar Kyar Ba Nyein which was located on 51st street. They made Tha Mann Kyar do light exercises only such as running.

The starting time of the battle was 7pm at night so they had to use electricity for the lighting. It seems the battle itself had bad luck from the beginning.. Just before the battle started one of the audience members who had climbed up a nearby tree to prepare his spot to watch the battle, fell from the tree and they had to rush him to the hospital.

Tha Mann Kyar entered the battle by wearing a Japamala (prayer beads) and said that it was given to him by a monk from Taung Sonn. U Lain Hone had to take it off and keep it. Tha Mann Kyar showed his triple foot stomp in his corner and so did Yangon Aung Din. The audience was very excited to see that battle. In the first round, both of them feeling out each other’s skill. In the second round, Tha Mann Kyar was pressuring a bit more than the opponent. When Tha Mann Kyar axe kicked Yangon Aung Din’s left foot, he seemed a bit hurt. In the third round, both of them were rougher and since Aung Din is also very strong, the battle was getting harder to predict.

In the fourth round, the problem started. When Tha Mann Kyar made his spinning elbow move, he overshot and accidentally hit Aung Din in the face with his fingers. Apparently the fingers went into Aung Din’s eyes and was having blurred vision, so he made a stop sign by raising his palm. Back in those days, according to the rules, the fight was not allowed to continue if one of the boxers made that sign. But since Tha Mann Kyar directly followed up with punches just after that spinning elbow, it hurt Aung Din badly.

For that Tha Mann Kyar apologized by saying that it wasn’t by intention. The chief judge Sayar Kyar Ba Nyein also apologized but the fans of Aung Din from Kyee Myin Daing were not at all satisfied with that and started throwing rocks and glass bottles towards them.

“At first Sayar Kyar Ba Nyein was trying to apologize but the rocks kept coming and hitting him so he had to drop the mic and hide under the stage” said U Lain Hone who had to hide together with him. When the police came, it was impossible to continue the battle and lost all the earnings.

Even though U Lain Hone was not one of the people who placed a bet, since the losers were not happy with the outcome, the story appeared on the front page of the local newspaper the next day. This is how the chief of police U Thein Aung came to know all of this.

The chief of police was about to fire U Lain Hone so the Mon state committee chairman U Aung Htut had to intervene and explained that it was allowed by the state party committee secretary and also that the Ayeyarwady side was the one that requested the challenge. Both of the authorities explained the situation with appropriate documents, so finally he decided not to fire him but transfer him from Apaung to Bilu Kyun as a station police chief.

Saw Ruby and then Yoe Yoe Lay

When he had to leave his pupil, U Lain Hone left Tha Mann Kyar together with his hard earned 4 Lakh at Apaung Monastery (The monastery of a monk who is related to Tha Mann Kyar).

Even though Dr. Aung Lain, who has a clinic in Apaung, had taken over the responsibilities of U Lain Hone by managing Tha Mann Kyar’s affairs, challengers to Tha Mann Kyar still tried to follow U Lain Hone to Chaung Sone (Chaungzon, Bilu Kyun). For hosting a battle in Taungoo with Saw Ruby, the Taungoo council chief secretary U Than Yu went to Chaung Sone to get approval.

At that time Saw Ruby had surpassed Tha Htone Ba Hnit and had become well known. U Lain Hone came and supervised the event. They had to stay at U Than Yu's and later the battle was near the Taungoo Stadium grounds.

Knowing that he had to compete with Saw Ruby, U Lain Hone made Tha Mann Kyar practice kicks and squats with one leg intensively. The reason is that Saw Ruby had qualified as a country representative in western boxing and went to Malaysia for the championships. U Lain Hone assumed that it would be hard to beat him with punches only.

The Old Burmese Saying (Sayar Kaung Ta Pae Pann Kaung Pan) works well in the boxing industry. Without relying on his boxing alone, Tha Mann Kyar beat the master of punches and endurance Saw Ruby. With powerful front leg kicks he won the battle in the 4th round. Tha Mann Kyar’s strong kicks formed big stripe marks on Ruby’s fair skin. The earning for that battle was 70000 kyats.

The fierce reputation of Tha Mann Kyar had grown significantly.

U Lain Hone who was still in Chaung Sone Township, wanted to set up a battle for his pupil Tha Mann Kyar in Chaung Sone Township so he had to look for an opponent. When he heard that Yoe Yoe Lay from Hpa An is down for the battle, he had to go there and bring him in. A man named U Nay Pyone built a temporary arena for themwith the active assistance of the Public Council Secretary U Aung Myaing. The 64 villages in Bilu Kyun has a long tradition of hosting traditional boxing events during every Thingyan festival, so it it may be of no surprise that the whole region was full of boxing fans.

That is why the battle of Tha Mann Kyar and Yoe Yoe Lay had full attendance. Since Tha Mann Kyar was at his peak, Yoe Yoe Lay couldn’t hold off Tha Mann Kyar for long and in the 5th round, when Tha Mann Kyar’s spinning elbow hit Yoe Yoe Lay’s body, he started vomiting and had to give up. About Tha Mann Kyar’s spinning elbow U Lain Hone used to say that it was always beautiful if he timed it perfectly, yet it would not work out too well if he misjudged it and missed. Since he has to use the strength of his whole body, if hit correctly, it can be a finishing blow. However there's always a chance of overshooting it so it can’t be considered a perfect move.

Could not compete with the Thais

For U Lain Hone who raised Tha Mann Kyar, the last memorable battle of Tha Mann Kyar for him was the one in Mawlamyaing Township on Mon National Day. U Lain Hone estimates it to be around 1980. The organizers of that battle included Myat Mhan Gyi Tin Oo (Brig. Gen. Tin Oo) and his pupils.

• On May 19, 1980 the Ne Win government issued an amnesty for criminal and political detainees meeting certain criteria, including former armed forces commander and later deputy chairman of the National League for Democracy, Tin Oo.

Since it was the area of U Tin Oo, their influence was big at that time. It is said that they are the ones who brought in 8 Thai boxers including Nga Man Phyu who was to battle with Tha Mann Kyar. Even though Tha Mann Kyar was the strongest in all the local battles, he was not able to resist Nga Man Phyu’s low kicks and started hurting his legs. Moreover, when Nga Man Phyu high kicked Tha Mann Kyar in the head, it hurt the nerves too. In the 4th round, he could not fight anymore and had to give up.

“In 8 battles of Myanmar vs. Thai, 6 of them including Tha Mann Kyar, Tha Htone Ko Gyi, Tha Htone Ba Hnit, Kyar Thit Ye Aung and Thamein Bayan lost and only the 2 battles of Mu Done Chit Po and Pha An Kyar Gyi were ties” said U Lain Hone.

Mu Done Chit Po persevered very well by kneeling down (polite way to say stalling) in the last round to get the tie, even though both of his knees were damaged. Hpa An Kyar Gyi was not only a good football player but he also studied the kicks and moves of the Thai and prepared accordingly. Since his legs were long, he could easily dodge and counter while his opponent was trying to kick him. As such his battle was tie as well.

The moment the teacher and the pupil split

Not only Tha Mann Kyar was a first class champion in the Myanmar Traditional boxing industry but the others who lost at that event were also top boxers. After these losses, Myanmar’s traditional boxing image started going downhill. Moreover, there is a lesson to learn that when both parties are strong in the same way, instead of using the headbutt and punches which can be used up close, the kicks which can be done from a distance are more effective. After that battle, by combining the 1 Lakh earnings together with the remaining balance of 5 lakhs, U Lain Hone had to split with the pupil he raised.

Even though U Lain Hone was a good gardener, having a good quality plant is also the key. To become a famous traditional boxer, it is not just about the teacher but also about the boxer. Back in Chaung Sone Township, U Lain Hone again tried to train a youth named Wunna. But since he did not have the eagerness to practice well, he couldn’t become famous and instead changed his pathway to becoming an alcohol addict.

Finally the Chin state party committee took back the Chaung Sone station chief U Lain Hone as a public council chairman. In 1981 U Lain Hone return back to Chin state together with his wife Daw Aye Hmyin who was originally from Bar Kat Village in Hpa An Township. After that U Lain Hone was not only disconnected with his pupil Tha Mann Kyar but also with Myanmar traditional boxing.

Whatever happened to Tha Mann Kyar since then will only be known when he speaks out. At the time, Tha Mann Kyar was a new face and the main influence who directed him towards fame by training, managing and teaching him was U Lain Hone. Hopefully this personal account will help share some of the precious knowledge and describe a part of life that is unknown to the audience.

The End