The Art of Kickboxing in Vientiane

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Now if Thailand has Muay Thai, Laos has Muay Lao. Muay Lao is a traditional unarmed martial art from Laos and is the national sport of the country. Though very popular in Laos, kickboxing in Vientiane is not nearly as developed a sport in Laos as it is in Thailand.

The art of kickboxing is widely practiced not only in Thailand and Laos but also in Cambodia and Burma. Also known as Muay Laos, Muay Lao is a kind of Muay Thai Boran that originated in the Northeastern part of Thailand that eventually extended to the country of Laos. Laos is actually a sleepy country with less than six million people with much of the development concentrated on its capital Vientiane. Although peaceful, the aggressiveness of the people somehow comes out during matches of Muay Lao, may it be during live telecasts of the sport or actual fights in the nearby town.

Similar to Muay Thai, all surfaces of the body are considered fair targets to strike on an opponent, with the exception of the head. The goal of the sport is to achieve the dominant position. Common moves include elbow thrusts to the head and face, high kicks to the neck, low crescent kicks to the calf and knee hooks to the ribs. A fighter is even allowed to grasp with his hands the opponent’s head to pull it down for an upward knee thrust. Surprisingly, punching is known to be one of the weakest moves. Kicking is just a way to soften the opponent’s knee while elbow strikes are crucial in nearly all matches.

Aside from Muay Lao, international boxing called Muay Saakon is gaining recognition in the country as being encouraged by the government. In spite of the preferences of the Laotian people for harsh boxing, Muay Saakon continues to delight its enthusiasts.

Training in Muay Lao is usually done at the National Muay Lao Stadium located about twenty minutes outside the Vientiane capital. The stadium boasts of a full-size ring, a series of kick bags and a row of uppercut bags carefully mounted on the wall. Most coaches are as excellent in the ring as they are extremely accommodating: they shall generally prove willing to teach you the tricks of the sport. Despite the sport’s popularity, professional fights are held in the stadium only twice a month. Most matches are often confined to amateur fights during countryside festivals. It’s a common scene to see Lao pugilists come together along the banks of the Mekong River to compete in kickboxing where there is money to be made.

By Sunday afternoon, many Lao sports fans in the country are glued to their TV sets to watch live Muay Lao matches. Muay Lao is actually a beautiful combination between the arts and fighting. Although Laos is considered a calm and peaceful country, you’ll be surprised at how fueled up the Laotian people can get when seeing matches of Muay Lao. So make sure to catch a glimpse of kickboxing in Vientiane to experience the sport’s intense pull and power.