| Also known as | Banshei |
|---|---|
| Focus | weaponry |
| Country of origin | Myanmar |
| Famous practitioners | Maung Gyi |
| Olympic sport | no |
Banshay (Burmese: ဗန်ရှည်, pronounced [bàɴʃè]) is a weapon-based Burmese martial art focusing primarily on the sword, staff and spear. Influenced by both Chinese and Indian sources, it is also closely related to krabi krabong and thang-ta.
As with similar styles from Thailand and India, 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.
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.
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