What are the main differences and similarities when it comes to Muay Lao vs Muay Thai?
Where do these fighting styles originate from and how do they stack up against each other in a side by side comparison?
In this post we look at the main differences and similarities; Muay Lao vs Muay Thai in terms of:
- Origins
- Fighting style and techniques
- Professional fighting scene
Later on in this post we also look at where one can get more information and learn Muay Lao.
But first let’s look discuss what the combat art of Muay Lao is and where it originates from.
What is Muay Lao?
Muay Lao is the fighting art that comes from the country of Laos in South East Asia.
Muay Laos dates back hundreds of years to the Khmer Empire which existed between 800-1400 AD and included the independent nations today known as Thailand, Cambodia and Laos.
Ancient warriors and armies of the Khmer Empire trained and fought using the same unarmed fighting arts that form the basis of today’s modern Muay Thai from Thailand and Muay Laos from Laos.
In Cambodia the unarmed fighting art is known as Khun Khmer and is a popular combat art and the national sport of Cambodia.
Essentially Muay Laos and Muay Thai are the same martial art and originate from the Ancient Khmer Empire.
The term Muay comes the Ancient Sanskrit language which means ‘boxing’.
Muay Lao vs Muay Thai: What’s the Difference
In an interview with the International Writers Magazine, the head coach of the National Muay Lao Team, Adjarn Ngern, in Laos was asked:
“How is Muay Lao different than Muay Thai?”;
To which Adjarn Ngern replied, “It’s exactly the same”.
Adjarn Ngern also went on to explain the origins of Muay Thai in his own words saying:
“Muay Thai was invented in Cambodia, but Thailand has the money and got famous”.
The shared history of fighting styles in Laos, Cambodia and Thailand all date back to the Khmer Kingdom and this shared history is recognized amongst the people in this region of Asia.
Muay Lao vs Muay Thai: Fighting Techniques
As Muay Lao and Muay Thai are basically the same martial art the, techniques used in Muay Lao are the same as those in Muay Thai.
Muay Laos utilises 8 Limbs of the human body as weapons to throw punches, kicks, elbows and knees as part of their fighting techniques.
Muay Laos also utilises the clinch or upper body grappling to tie an opponent up, control and manipulate their movement and balance and execute short range strikes and/or take them down.
Professional Fighting Scene
The professional fighting scene is a lot more developed in Thailand than in Laos.
Even as an amateur sport Muay Lao is still a much less developed sport in Laos than Muay Thai in Thailand.
In terms of actual professional events and fights, pro Muay Lao fights are only held in Vientiane twice per month.
In comparison, Muay Thai professional fights are held virtually every week across many stadiums in Thailand.
And there are only few registered professional fighters in Laos compared to the 60,000 plus registered professional muay thai fighters in Thailand.
There is little money invested into Muay Lao by the national government and authorities as well as compared to Thailand and with hardly any sponsors.
And sponsors such as Singha in Thailand are the main means of paying, promoting and marketing professional fighting events.
It is not uncommon for Laos nationals to make the trip across the border into Thailand to train and fight in order to progress their fighting skills and money earning potential in the big fighting stages across Thailand.
Muay Lao Temple Fights
Outside of the capital Vientienna, “temple fights” take place.
These Muay Lao boxing bouts often take place on Buddhist holidays and the local villagers will gather for a festival during the Buddhist holiday.
And Muay Lao fights can take place in a simple improvised boxing ring. Young fighters compete and can take home prize money of 5000 or 6000 Kip, which is less than a Dollar US.
Same, Same but Different
As Muay Lao and Muay Thai originate from the same Ancient Khmer Kingdom, it is only the modenr day national borders that were mainly the result of the end of the French colonization of Laos that has resulted in the nation of Laos that we see separations in the names – Muay Lao and Muay Thai.
But essentially (and as the Muay Lao national Coach has stated) they are the same thing.
Some of the main similarities between these two styles and which show their common ancestry include:
- the roundhouse kick with the shin – both Muay Lao and Muay Thai use the same powerful roundhouse kick that travels up and in to the target striking with the shin bone.
- the ‘teep’ or stright front kick is a common technique use din both sports to off balance an opponent and keep them at distance as a long techqniue
- both ‘boxing’ style use the 8 limbs of kicks, knees, punches and elbows
- both styles make use of stand up grappling or the clinch which originates from the Ancient Khmer Kingdom fighting style of warriors and used in battle and competitive ‘boxing’ fights during festivals
In terms of differences between Muay Lao and Muay Thai, really the differences lie outside of the actual techniques and fighting philosophy of the two styles.
The differences discussed below are more in
- the popularity in their respective countries of Laos and Thailand
- regularity of fighting matches and events. Professional fights are far more common in Thailand than in Laos
- Skill level. It is safe to argue that thanks to the regularity of fighting and the abundance of gyms and trainers in Thailand, the skill level of Thai fighters can be said to be higher than Laos fighters. This is another reason Laos fighters travel to Thailand to train and then bring back their skills and expertise to Laos.
- Monetary rewards in Laos are far less than in the big stadiums of Lumpinee and Rajademnern in Thailand. Pro fighters in Laos can make around $90 USD for winning matches and is not nearly enough to make a living off fighting professionally especially with fights only taking place a couple times per month in Laos
Where to Learn More about Muay Lao
As Muay Lao is fairly unknown in comparison to the more established Muay Thai there are not many places outside of Laos to really train and learn this style.
Things are changing and Muay Lao is gaining more recognition in the world of combat sports.
This is evident in the hosting of Muay Lao competition at the 25th South East Asian Games hosted in LAos.
Muay Laos competition was held at Beung Kha Ngong Sport Centre from 10 to 15 December 2009.
And although Thailand won the majority of Gold medals (6 out of the 13 Gold medals), Laos came in a very close second with 5 Gold medals.
If you are interested in learning the Muay Laos style and training then there is the opportunity to train with Khampanath Kounlavong, a former Lao national champion as part of the Muay Laos experience when visiting Laos.
Click this link to learn more about the Muay Lao experience –> https://www.backstreetacademy.com/vientiane/163/muay-lao-experience
And at US$25 per person you can experience:
- Around 2 hours of training
- Instruction from the Muay Lao Master or his chief disciple
- Usage of all gym equipment
- Pickup and dropoff from your hotel (only for hotels in city center)
If training Muay Laos is not in your interest then when visiting Laos there is the opportunity to watch professional Muay Laos fighters compete at stadium evens in the capital Vientiane which are held around twice per month.
