muay Lao

{{Short description|Martial art}}

{{infobox martial art

| logo =

| logocaption =

| logosize =

| image = Laocolonialpicture.jpg

| imagecaption = Muay Lao boxers training during the colonial period

| imagesize =150px

| name = Muay Lao

| aka = Lao Boxing, Lao Kickboxing

| focus = Striking, Clinching

| hardness = Full contact

| country = {{flagicon|Laos}} Laos

| creator =

| parenthood =

| famous_pract = Soukna Keotalat, Atthaxay Sihabut, Subin Chandanaed

| olympic = No

| website =

}}

Muay Lao ({{langx|lo|ມວຍລາວ}}, lit. "Lao boxing") is a combat sport from Laos based on ancient Lao martial arts.{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KuggROCZsEc|title=Brutal Sport of Muay Lao Kick Boxing|last=Trans World Sport|publisher=|accessdate=5 February 2019|via=YouTube}} It incorporates punches, kicks, elbow, and knee strikes. The sport can be traced back to the 15th century,{{cite web | url=http://unescoicm.org/eng/library/global_martialarts.php?ptype=view&idx=7102#:~:text=The%20origin%20of%20Muay%20Lao,in%20battle%20(Mansfield%202017). | title=Unesco Icm }} when it was used for military combat during the Lan Xang dynasty. It is similar to Muay Thai from Thailand and Pradal Serey from Cambodia.{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=9HlmDwAAQBAJ&dq=muay+lao&pg=PA113|title=Laos|first1=Stephen|last1=Mansfield|first2=Magdalene|last2=Koh|first3=Debbie|last3=Nevins|date=15 December 2017|publisher=Cavendish Square Publishing, LLC|isbn=9781502632333|accessdate=5 February 2019|via=Google Books}}Allen, D. (n.d.). Fighting Fit: Lao boxers kick it up a level on the banks of the Mekong. Beijing Visitor. Retrieved October 15, 2020, from https://www.beijing-visitor.com/laos/muay-lao-kick-boxing-laos Muay Lao was included as an event at the 2009 Southeast Asian Games in Vientiane.

The bouts consist of five rounds, and each round is three minutes.Brutal Sport of Muay Lao Kick Boxing. (2014, July 30). Trans World Sport.

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.{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=bCMgBlhtm8sC&dq=muay+lao&pg=PA156|title=Culture and Customs of Laos|first=Arne|last=Kislenko|date=5 February 2019|publisher=ABC-CLIO|isbn=9780313339776|accessdate=5 February 2019|via=Google Books}}{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=JXLCBAAAQBAJ&dq=muay+lao&pg=PT68|title=The Rough Guide to Laos|first=Edward|last=Aves|date=3 November 2014|publisher=Rough Guides Limited|isbn=9780241014516|accessdate=5 February 2019|via=Google Books}}