rules, come from the Burmese Myanma yoe yar Latway, which means Myanmar traditional boxing. Traditional matches are still fought throughout Myanmar, especially during festivals or celebrations like Thingyan. Traditional Lethwei is notorious for not having a scoring system and for its controversial rule of knock-out only to win. At the end of the match, in the eventuality that there is no knockout or stoppage, if the two fighters are still standing, even if one fighter dominated the fight, the match is declared a draw. Fighters can win by incapacitating their rivals in a few different ways. A knock-out (KO) is when a fighter falls to the ground, leans unconscious or if a fighter is unable to stand up or defend themself for 20 seconds (10 counts with 1 count every 2 seconds). When 3 counts are performed in a single round, the fight is terminated and scored as knock-out (count limit)(KO). When 4 counts are performed during the entire duration of the fight, the match is terminated and scored as knock-out (count limit)(KO). A technical knock-out (TKO) is when a fighter forfeits, has an injury or is in a position that can damage or severely harm them if the fight continues. The ring doctor is consulted and makes the decision. Promotions that use traditional rules Most Lethwei promotions in Myanmar Annual Myanmar Lethwei World Championship Air KBZ Aung Lan Championship International Lethwei Federation Japan Challenge fights Flagship Tournaments Festivals & celebrations Golden Belt For Lethwei fighters, the traditional Lethwei Golden Belt is regarded as the highest and most prestigious award. There is only one Golden Belt champion for each weight categories, with the Openweight class champion being considered the strongest fighter in Myanmar. The Openweight Champion is the equivalent of being pound-for-pound champion in the world of lethwei. Win Zin Oo, Lethwei coach and gym owner explains: Injury time-out If a knockout or injury occurs, the fighter can take a special 2 minute time-out to recover. After the time-out the fighter can choose whether he wishes to continue the bout or not. Each fighter may only do so once during the fight. The time-out can't be used in the fifth round. The use of the time-out is considered as 1 count. Modern rules In 1996, for the inaugural Golden Belt Championship, the two-minute injury timeout was removed and judges were added ringside. This modified ruleset helped prevented the outcome of