Bando???

**callum828** · Posted On: 11/30/2010 4:29pm

So here's the deal.

I'm currently a university student in the UK, but next year I'll be studying in France for an Erasmus year (probably not that familiar to non-European guys, but it's basically an exchange programme).

Thing is, French universities aren't as full of extra-curricular activities as American or British ones are. Nevertheless, I want to be doing as much as I can to improve my French and not be bored out of my brain, since Erasmus students don't really have to do much.

Basically, the place I'm studying does have a university sports organisation, that thankfully offers a bunch of martial arts. Judo is an obvious choice, and I'd like to continue with some striking stuff, but the only real option aside from Taekwondo and Karate is Bando...

Now from the page it seems pretty good. They say they practice full contact and compete in MT and Kickboxing. The picture has guys with gloves and shinpads etc...

For anyone who can read French, here's the link:

http://www.auc.fr/sports/bando-kick-...-boxe-birmane/

But everything else on google about Bando makes me want to die inside. The wikipedia page is particularly dire.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bando
YouTube - Bando thaing- American bando association

Basically, I'm wondering if anyone has had any experiences with Bando? I mean since this club competes they should be pretty good, but I don't wanna be stuck doing forms and getting told I'm 'not ready' to spar until my third belt or whatever since I'll only be there for a year. Likewise I don't wanna end up in some cardio-box club (though I guess that'd be better than nothing)

What do you guys think?

**Lindz** · Posted On: 11/30/2010 5:16pm

Do they have Boxe Française?

**Soldiermedic** · Posted On: 11/30/2010 5:50pm

When you talk about Bando, Dr. Gyi is always going to come up, but regardless of all the issues with his fabrications Bando has proven to be an effective martial art.

There is a school in my city that teaches Bando that I checked out when I initially was getting back into martial arts, and they were very self defense oriented. In comparison, there is a school just a little bit south in Connecticut that uses the kickboxing aspect of Bando as the base of their striking, and also teach bjj. Their fight team does well and the arrangement seems to work out.

I do know they do some forms but the way that the class that I had observed and took part in they were a very small part of the curriculum, and were used more in the line of "moving meditation". They did spar full contact and trained with resistance for their takedowns and throws. They did train with weapons but I didn't get to observe that.

Everywhere is different, but on the whole I cant imagine its worse than TKD.

**callum828** · Posted On: 11/30/2010 7:03pm

Originally Posted by Lindz

Do they have Boxe Française?

It's the South of France so yeah I think there's a few clubs there. I'm looking for something more similar to MT though, I don't wanna have to go back to no leg kicks and no clinching. What's Bando like for that?

**DubhGhaill** · Posted On: 12/31/2010 11:00am

The Dog Brothers rate Bando, despite Gyi's antics, for what it's worth.

There are leg kicks in Savate. No clinching, though, that's true.

If I was moving to France I would soooo be hoping to find a Savate school close by. If you could get Savate plus Bando/Muay Thai, that would be teh ultimate.

**Pekiti-Pekiti** · Posted On: 1/01/2011 1:18pm

IMO, the fact that gyi is an idiot isn't important; evaluate it on your own, then tell us how it is :)

**JordanT** · Posted On: 2/14/2011 3:46pm

Bando is a solid art. The forms give the fighting a weird flavor that sometimes adds a circular touch to the proceedings. I was taught a simple guard by a bando guy, which had a strategy to it that Iike.

**dougguod** · Posted On: 2/15/2011 7:08am

Do you mean circular in the literal sense, or do you mean it more conceptually, like the pedagogy is more abstract and circuitous than it needs to be?

**JordanT** · Posted On: 2/15/2011 9:32am

Circular in the martial arts usage. The little that I was taught was simple and easy to understand and apply.

**PhilDunlap** · Posted On: 2/23/2011 8:46am

Bando is a generic name for the Burmese martial arts... Burmese Boxing also known as Lethwei is similar to thai boxing and a form of it is part of the curricullum at most bando school.. many of the European schools have been forming relationships with teachers in Burma over recent years as the government of Myanmar is currently trying to push the arts as a bridge to the outside world in a way