We Live to Fight

In Bangladesh, people practice different forms of martial arts, including the traditional forms known as “Bangladeshi martial arts”. Initially, during the British period, various Bangladeshi martial arts were originated for the need to protect villagers from Zamindars (landowners), who used to send lathial groups to collect taxes from villagers forcibly. The official journey began after the liberation by founding Bangladesh Judo and Karate Federation in 1972 and Bangladesh Martial Art Confederation in 1997. In modern times, martial arts are practiced mainly for playing sports, learning self-defense, and military training in Bangladesh.

There are many roles of martial arts in Bangladesh. Many martial art clubs provide basic self-defense training to children and girls against sexual harassment in public places. Many children learn martial arts as a form of entertainment. Many male and female martial artists work in the film and drama industries and promote martial art in TV films. There are also some aboriginal communities in Bangladesh that practice different martial arts separately. However, despite the international records, many players and even the clubs often suffer from poor financial conditions for the lack of funding. Also, considered an underground sport, they don’t get enough attention from the media either.

“We live to Fight” is an ongoing project that explores the underlying cultures, lifestyles, history, individual stories, politics and underground fighting scenarios of different martial art communities in Bangladesh.

A boxer poses for a photo before attending his fighting match at Bangladesh Krira Shikkha Protishtan (BKSP) in Dhaka, Bangladesh on February 26, 2021.

People enjoy Boli Khela, a traditional martial art also known as Bangladeshi martial art, after two years of suspension due to the coronavirus pandemic in Chittagong, Bangladesh on April 25, 2022. It was the 113th edition of the popular and traditional wrestling competition in Bangladesh.

Babul Reza (31), a professional boxer from Chuadanga district, takes his position on the stage while his teammates observe him during a fighting match of Bangladesh Boxing League (BBL) Championship 2021 organized by Bangladesh Professional Boxing
Society at JAFF Arena in Dhaka, Bangladesh on September 23, 2021.

Reflection of a group of Karate players practicing in National Sports Council gymnasium, Dhaka, Bangladesh on November 02, 2021.

Md. Yasin Sharkar (14), an amateur Mixed Martial Art (MMA) player, practices during a practice session at Invictus BJJ & MMA,
one of the local martial art clubs, in Dhaka, Bangladesh on February 11, 2022. Yasin’s father trains him in this club hoping to make him a professional MMA fighter and bring him to the world championship stage in the future.

Tanzid Khan, a Mixed Martial Art (MMA) player shows his gesture during a timeout of a fighting match organized by Habib’s MMA Academy in Dhaka, Bangladesh on November 13, 2020.

An injured MMA player receives treatment from his teammate during a local tournament organized by Habib’s MMA Academy in
Dhaka, Bangladesh on November 13, 2020.

Children enjoy a Mixed Martial Art (MMA) match organized by Habib's MMA Academy projected on a white projection screen at an open building in Dhaka, Bangladesh on November 13, 2020.

M.M.A. Shahjahan (55), professionally an Electrical Engineer and also an Executive Member at Bangladesh Taekwondo Federation, covers his face by hand during telling his past stories about his martial career at his house in Dhaka, Bangladesh
diptych with an archival photo showing a portrait of him with a sword taken in 1984. “I was trained by Nokibul Alam Khorshed,
one of the pioneers of Martial Art in Bangladesh, and got my black belt in Karate in 1987. I also worked as a Karate instructor. I took a break from academic activities for a while to build my engineering career. It is very difficult to pursue a full-time martial art career as the industry isn’t fully developed yet and lacks money. Tough some people have survived in this industry, I never had the courage considering myself as a full-time martial art player. Considering my past records, Bangladesh Taekwondo Federation gave me a place in their executive committee panel in 2020 and I am grateful to them.”, he says.

Lovely Hoque (26), current General Secretary of Bangladesh Students' Union (Dhaka Metropolitan Unit) and self-defense instructor of Pritilata Brigade, an all-female platform to protest all kinds of sexual harassment against women, poses for a portrait at Teacher-Student Centre (TSC), University of Dhaka in Dhaka, Bangladesh on January 07, 2022. “I have faced many incidents of
sexual harassment in my life. But whatever the situation is, I, at least have the guts to face those harassers and can defend myself using my martial art / self-defense techniques. I am a Mixed Martial Art (MMA) player myself and teach girls of all ages self-defense techniques through Pritilata Brigade. But I wish we had a society where we didn’t have to encourage girls to learn how to protect themselves.”, she says.

Wushu players along with their national coach practice on a gymnasium floor with a portrait of A J M Nasir Uddin, former mayor of Chittagong city, hung on the wall in M.A. Aziz Stadium, Chittagong, Bangladesh on March 12, 2021.

A person wears a costume of a tiger, which is the official mascot of the 3rd Asian Savate Championship hosted in Mirpur Indoor Stadium, Dhaka, Bangladesh on January 12, 2022. In 2022, Bangladesh hosted the Asian Savate Championship for the first time.

Dildar Hasan Dilu (49) poses for a portrait holding a sword, that was gifted by his master, in Diamond Martial Arts Training Centre, Dhaka, Bangladesh on May 16, 2022. He is a President Medalist martial artist and one of the pioneers of Kung Fu in Bangladesh.

Amranul Faysal a.k.a. Killer Machine, one of the young promising Boxing players and former Mixed Martial Art (MMA) player,
flexes his muscles in front of a mirror after an intense practice session. He is a 3 times national champion and has 2 international wins in MMA. Later, he left MMA and started playing as a professional boxer. “As the professional boxing community of Bangladesh is quite underdeveloped, I started boxing hoping to make the industry better. I'll fight not just in the ring but also to eliminate all the odds outside the ring, and set an example for my fellow boxers.”, he says.

Nokibul Alam poses for a photo at Mirpur Indoor Stadium gallery 28 years after returning to Bangladesh from Canada, where his past students teach martial arts to the young generation at present. “I started martial art in 1976 and started teaching from 1980. I
founded ‘Judo-Karate Center’ (former) in 1981 where many renowned martial artists emerged from. Many of my students teach karate to the younger generation and I am proud of it.”, he says.