[2] As with most Asian martial arts, bando schools start off by teaching the basic stances and footwork.

The defensive approach is also meant to discourage aggression and teach students to apply their skills with care.

[4] Bando emphasises defense as the best offense by leaving the initiative to the opponent and relying heavily on counter-maneuvers.

Typically, a bando exponent will first withdraw before beginning the counter-strike followed by grappling or locking.

Donn F. Draeger describes the organisation's founding as follows: In 1933 the Military Athletic Club was formed at Maymyo in northern Burma by Gurkha Officers.

By the end of the decade the club included Chin, Burmese, Kachin and Karen army officers.

Another luminary was Ba Than (Gyi) who was to serve twenty five years as Director of Physical Education of Burma before retiring.

...the International Bando Association, was established recently by Ba Than (Gyi) in memory of those who died in the China-Burma-India area for the allied cause in World War II.

Maung Gyi a versatile fighter in his own right, having studied Chinese, Indian, Japanese and Western methods.

[3]In 2009 the IBA became the International Thaing Bando Association (ITBA), with Vazquez Jesus Rivera as first president.

[8] The American Bando Association incorporates nine animal styles including the bull, boar, cobra, viper, python, panther, tiger, scorpion and eagle.