Kyin Explained

Kyin (Burmese: ကျင်) is a form of wrestling from Myanmar. It is practiced by the Rakhine people, a minority group in Myanmar. It is practiced in Rakhine State. Tournaments of this sport are usually held during big occasions, for example, Rakhine State Day events.

In Kyin wrestling tournaments, practitioners usually put on a display of warming-up dancing, which is called "kyin kwin" in their local language. Then the fighting is on. The rules are simple. No punching. No touching on the face. No attacking below the belt. The winner throws his opponent to the ground a fixed number of times.^[1]

The walls near the cave of Shite-thaung Temple which was built in 1531 show early depiction of the sport of kyin wrestling.^[2]

See also

• Naban
• Khmer traditional wrestling

APA References

• Aung, N. (2013, December 22). For love of the fight. Myanmar Times. Retrieved July 15, 2020, from https://www.mmtimes.com/lifestyle/9114-for-love-of-the-fight.html
• Kyin: the traditional Rakhine wrestling. (2018, September 2). Global New Light of Myanmar. Retrieved July 15, 2020, from https://www.globalnewlightofmyanmar.com/kyin-the-traditional-rakhine-wrestling/
• Olympic Council Of Asia - Myanmar. Retrieved Dec 16, 2020, from https://ocasia.org/noc/countries/45-mya-myanmar.html
• Information Ecosystems Paper 2: southern Rakhine, June 2020. Retrieved Dec 16, 2020, from https://coar-global.org/2020/06/21/information-ecosystems-paper-2-southern-rakhine/

Notes and References

1. Web site: Rakhine traditional wrestling in Myanmar (by Coconuts TV). 17 April 2017. Coconuts TV. 2020-12-31. https://web.archive.org/web/20210111022104/https://video-streaming.orange.fr/actu-politique/rakhine-traditional-wrestling-in-myanmar-coconuts-tv-CNT0000019znC4.html . 2021-01-11. Alt URL
2. Kyun (Myanmar). (n.d.). Traditional Sports. https://www.traditionalsports.org/traditional-sports/asia/kyun-myanmar.html