Aka (Burmese martial art)


Aka are pre-arranged sets of movement or forms in Burmese martial arts. They serve as a straightforward way of passing down all of a style's techniques unto the student. They can be practiced as a form of physical conditioning, to develop muscle memory, or demonstrated as part of a public performance.

Aka in Hanthawaddy Bando

The Hanthawaddy style contains nine basic forms and nine animal forms, as well as several weapon forms.

Basic forms

  1. Point form
  2. Square form
  3. Cross form
  4. T-form
  5. Triangle form
  6. Circle form
  7. Points star form
  8. Sun form
  9. Line form

Animal forms

  • Boar
  • Bull
  • Cobra: The cobra form emphasizes lightning quick strikes similar to the strikes of a cobra.
  • Eagle: The eagle form resembles an eagle in flight by using varying angles and types of attack.
  • Panther
  • Python
  • Scorpion
  • Tiger
  • Viper

Weapon forms