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The primary Burmese martial arts system practiced in the U.S. today is "Bando." The word "Bando" is a hybrid, composed from the Burmese "Ban" and the Japanese suffix "do"; it is generally held to have three primary meanings:
- A "way of discipline";
- Systems of defense;
- The art of fighting, or combat.
Bando is a composite or synthesis of numerous traditional personal combative systems from Burma. Bando, as it is practiced in the U.S., was introduced in the late 1950's by Maung Gyi, and is promulgated today in the U.S. by the non-profit "American Bando Association, Inc." Maung Gyi is now known as Dr. U M. Gyi, after earning his doctoral degree. He serves as the Grandmaster of American Bando. Although he retired from leadership of the ABA recently, he still maintains a vigorous, rigorous teaching schedule with students across the U.S.
A date of 1968 has also been reported as to Bando's introduction in the U.S., but this refers to the later-created American Bando Association, as opposed to the first classes instructed by Dr. Gyi.
For the broad purposes of this article, we can identify three key periods of time in the evolution of Bando as we know it today. First, it is generally held that Bando traditions practiced in the U.S. today by Dr. Gyi's students can be traced to around the time of Christ. Second, it is thought that the first Bando traditions became more readily recognizable around 300 A.D. The third milestone date is the exposition of what could be recognized as "modern" Bando around 1,500 A.D.
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