Readers familiar with Muay Thai may recognize the ancient warrior figure Nai Khanom Tom (นายขนมต้ม).

While researching into the history of Lethwei, a curiosity arose as to whether a comparable ancient figure exists within Lethwei as well. No strong expectations were typically held in this area, since written records connected to Lethwei are rare, fragmented, and much of the history is lost due to a variety of reasons.

Against that background, the anecdote of the monk Aungzigon Thanga Yarzar (အောင်စည်းခုံ သံဃရာဇာ) appeared unexpectedly. Despite long-term presence within Lethwei culture, this figure is not widely documented in modern discussions, and his story is likely rarely encountered by people not in touch with traditional Lethwei. The story itself is brief but striking enough to warrant presentation.

The story of Aungzigon Thanga Yarzar goes as follows:

Aungzigon Thanga Yarzar was an exceptionally skilled Lethwei fighter. As a reward for his boxing victories, he received between 15 to 20 horses annually.

During the reign of King Minkhaung of Inwa (or Ava), the Saopha (also called Sawbwa) of Ohnbaung brought a formidable Shan fighter to Inwa and demanded a Lethwei match. Since no one across the Inwa and Sagaing regions could be found to compete against this great Shan fighter, Thanga Yarzar was invited and scheduled to fight.

Thanga Yarzar declared, “In my youth, for the previous rulers, I fought in Lethwei merely for fame. Now that I am of old age at 69 years, thus I will fight to kill.” 

After being instructed, “Do not let him die, fight only to a reasonable extent,” the King and the Saopha took their positions on the mound, located five tar (a traditional unit of measurement) away from the front of the archway where the Sagar Monastery stone inscription is erected. Monks, novices, and laypeople also filled the mound to watch. 

The Shan fighter and Thanga Yarzar, preparing for the match, shouted “Ho, Ha” and danced. Thanga Yarzar feinted a kick at the Shan fighter and delivered a devastating right punch. Due to the immense force of Thanga Yarzar’s right fist, the Shan fighter’s head was rotated and facing completely backward. 

The Saopha of Ohnbaung said, “One should look decent even if they die, but now the appearance is truly unsightly”. In response, Thanga Yarzar struck with his left fist, bringing the Shan fighter’s face back to the front.

Witnessing this event, the King and Saopha remarked, “This is truly marvelous,” and awarded Thanga Yarzar with a prize of 2 horses, 3 rolls of cotton cloth, and 1 viss of silver.

Some additional notes may make this story more comprehensive for readers.

Going by what is presented in the story, the event told would have taken place in the early 1400s, under the reign of Minkhaung I of Ava who ruled from 1400 to 1421. 

However, the earliest traceable written reference to Thanga Yarzar appears in the Sasanalankara Record (သာသနာလင်္ကာရစာတမ်း) (Records of Myanmar Buddhist History), developed by Minister Maha Dhamma Thingyan (မဟာဓမ္မသင်္ကြံ) in the early 1800s.

Aungzigon Thanga Yarzar is described as a monk. Historical records also note that Lethwei was developed in part through monastic martial training traditions, particularly in earlier periods such as the Bagan Era. In fact, Thanga Yarzar’s story was included in the Sasanalankara Record as a form of disapproval by the author Maha Dhamma Thingyan.

The account of a human head rotating backwards due to a punch is simply unbelievable. The torque required to fully rotate a human head in that manner would be comparable to forces equivalent to a car crash. And it was done twice.

Also, according to the text, the King told Thanga Yarzar not to kill his opponent. It is unclear whether Thanga Yarzar ignored the King and just killed the Shan fighter. Or whether the account is meant to be read as if the Shan fighter’s disfigurement didn’t actually kill him and was alive while his head was facing backwards – the original text is vague on that note. Regardless, Thanga Yarzar apparently pleased the King whether he obeyed the King or not as he was rewarded.

The account of this legendary Lethwei fighter monk adds another intriguing layer to the broader history of early Lethwei traditions.