The Tiger's Den (2017)

• 75%
• 2017
• Documentary
• Jason Brennan
• Jean-François Martel

Dave Leduc is a Canadian martial artist based in Gatineau, Québec. Lately, he feels he has been plateauing in his sport and is hungry for new challenges. When a big professional fight he's been training for is cancelled, for legal reasons, in his native province, he decides to make a move for Thailand, where Muay Thai is the national sport. Over a period of several months, David immerses himself in the culture of Thailand and the art of Thai kickboxing. A first, victorious match on the professional circuit in Patong leads to a series of fights, and David's excellence in the ring soon has him thinking of staying in Thailand for at least another year. All while climbing the ranks of the national kickboxing circuit, he finds love and cements his commitment to the fighting life. Then, he hears about lethwei, an ancient form of bare knuckles boxing practiced in neighbouring Myanmar. After some hesitation, David signs on for a fight in Yangon-and he wins. This first taste of victory in one of the world's most brutal combat sports ignites a veritable passion in David, who quickly fights his way to the top, becoming the first non-Burmese to win the lethwei world champion title.