Muay Lao (, lit. "Lao boxing") is a
combat sport
A combat sport, or fighting sport, is a contact sport that usually involves one-on-one combat. In many combat sports, a contestant wins by scoring more points than the opponent, submitting the opponent with a hold, disabling the opponent (''knock ...
from
Laos
Laos, officially the Lao People's Democratic Republic (LPDR), is the only landlocked country in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by Myanmar and China to the northwest, Vietnam to the east, Cambodia to the southeast, and Thailand to the west and ...
based on ancient Lao martial arts. It incorporates punches, kicks,
elbow
The elbow is the region between the upper arm and the forearm that surrounds the elbow joint. The elbow includes prominent landmarks such as the olecranon, the cubital fossa (also called the chelidon, or the elbow pit), and the lateral and t ...
, and
knee strikes. It can be traced back to the 15th century when it was used for military combat during the
Lan Xang
Lan Xang () or Lancang was a Lao people, Lao kingdom that held the area of present-day Laos from 1353 to 1707. For three and a half centuries, Lan Xang was one of the largest kingdoms in Southeast Asia. The kingdom is the basis for Laos's nat ...
dynasty. It is similar to
Muay Thai
Muay Thai or Muaythai (, , ), sometimes referred to as Thai boxing, the Art of Eight Limbs or the Science of Eight Limbs, is a Thai martial art and full-contact combat sport that uses stand-up striking, sweeps, and various clinch fighting, cl ...
from
Thailand
Thailand, officially the Kingdom of Thailand and historically known as Siam (the official name until 1939), is a country in Southeast Asia on the Mainland Southeast Asia, Indochinese Peninsula. With a population of almost 66 million, it spa ...
and
Pradal Serey from
Cambodia
Cambodia, officially the Kingdom of Cambodia, is a country in Southeast Asia on the Mainland Southeast Asia, Indochinese Peninsula. It is bordered by Thailand to the northwest, Laos to the north, and Vietnam to the east, and has a coastline ...
. Muay Lao was an event at the
2009 Southeast Asian Games in
Vientiane
Vientiane (, ) is the capital city, capital and largest city of Laos. Situated on the banks of the Mekong, Mekong River at the Thailand, Thai border, it comprises the five urban districts of Vientiane Prefecture and had a population of 840,000 ...
.
The bouts are five rounds and each round is three minutes.
The martial art is related to other forms of martial arts found in other parts of the
Angkor cultural sphere including
Pradal Serey in Cambodia and Muay Thai in Thailand.
Recent history
Muay Lao is enjoying revival in part to the actions of the Lao Sports Association.
Three Lao boxers reach the gold medal match at the 32nd
SEA Games.
Traditional style
Traditional style is called Muay Lai Lao. Lao boxing comes from an ancient boxing style known as "Mas Lak Hang". The martial art used to be performed at different festivals such as the
fireworks festival. People referred to this martial art in ancient times as "tiger tail boxing".
[ ມວຍລາຍລາວ ao Boxing (2023, September 12). Lao News Agency. https://kpl.gov.la/detail.aspx?id=76557 ]
See also
*
Lethwei
Lethwei (; International Phonetic Alphabet, IPA: ) or Burmese boxing is a Full contact fighting, full contact combat sport originating from Myanmar and is considered as one of the most brutal martial arts in the world.}
*
*
*
*
*
* Lethwe ...
*
Pradal Serey
*
Kickboxing
Kickboxing ( ) is a full-contact hybrid Martial arts, martial art and Boxing (disambiguation), boxing type based on punch (combat), punching and kicking. Kickboxing originated in the 1950s to 1970s. The fight takes place in a boxing ring, norma ...
*
Sanda
*
Bokator
References
External links
Vientiane Times
* ttps://www.vietnamroyaltourism.com/Laos-Travel-Guide/The-Culture/muay-lao-lao-boxing.html Vietnam Royal Tourismbr>Former national kick-boxer returns for Vientiane eventLaos in picturesLao boxing video''Muay Lao, the forgotten art of kickboxing'' - from GoAbroad.netUNESCO ICM Muay Lao
Sport in Laos
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