Many of the ethnic groups within Burma have their own variant of the indigenous martial arts giving them sometimes distinctly different styles of Lethwei that make for exciting action packed matches.
The Kachin variant of Lethwei is referred to as soft (relaxed) there is very little wasted motion or effort. Lethwei matches usually start in long range with kicks to the legs and raking punches to the face in an effort to draw blood as matches continue the fighters end up in the in the clinch and the primary weapons used are standing grappling with various takedowns and sweeps along with the preferred finishing weapons of head-butts, elbows and knees. The Kachin Practitioner generally prefers to fight from the clinch and tends not to fall after missing with a long distance strike opting to follow low line kicks and raking punches into close range.
If the sport is viewed in the context of preparing one for battle you can see that it not only teaches timing, distance and movement but also the ability to absorb and deliver punishment thereby winning a war of attrition. The goal is not so much the winning and losing but fighting hard and learning lessons.
variant of the indigenous martial arts giving them sometimes distinctly different styles of Lethwei that make for exciting action packed matches. 
