Lao, sometimes referred to as Laotian, is a Kra–Dai language of the Lao people. It is spoken in Laos, where it is the official language for around 7 million people, as well as in northeast Thailand, where it is used by around 23 million people, usually referred to as Isan. Lao serves as a lingua franca among the citizens of Laos, who also speak approximately 90 other languages, many of which are unrelated to Lao.
Mixed martial arts (MMA), sometimes referred to as cage fighting, no holds barred (NHB), and ultimate fighting, and originally referred to as Vale Tudo is a full-contact combat sport based on striking, grappling and ground fighting, incorporating techniques from various combat sports from around the world. The first documented use of the term mixed martial arts was in a review of UFC 1 by television critic Howard Rosenberg in 1993. The question of who actually coined the term is subject to debate.
Kuntao or kuntau is a Hokkien term for the martial arts of the Chinese community of Southeast Asia, specifically the Malay Archipelago. It is most commonly practiced in and associated with Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines and Singapore.
Muay Boran or originally Toi Muay is an umbrella term for the unarmed martial arts of Thailand prior to the introduction of modern equipment and rules in the 1930s.
Dan Inosanto is an American martial arts instructor. Inosanto is an authority on Jeet Kune Do and Filipino Martial Arts and Pencak Silat.
The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to martial arts:
Tatchakorn Yeerum, better known internationally as Tony Jaa and in Thailand as Jaa Phanom, is a Thai martial artist, actor, action choreographer, stuntman, director, and traceur. His films include Ong-Bak: Muay Thai Warrior (2003), Tom-Yum-Goong (2005), Ong Bak 2: The Beginning (2008), Furious 7 (2015) and SPL II: A Time for Consequences (2015).
Pradal Serey or Kun Khmer is a combat sport originated in Cambodia. The official Khmer name of the sport is Kbach Kun Pradal Khmer. In Khmer, pradal means fighting or boxing and serey means free. Thus, pradal serey may be translated as "free fighting" or "free boxing". The sport consists of stand up striking and clinch fighting where the objective is to knock an opponent out, force a technical knockout, or win a match by points.
An elbow strike is a strike with the point of the elbow, the part of the forearm nearest to the elbow, or the part of the upper arm nearest to the elbow. Elbows can be thrown sideways similarly to a hook, upwards similarly to an uppercut, downwards with the point of the elbow, diagonally or in direct movement and in several other ways, like during a jump. Elbow strikes are native to the traditional Southeast Asian martial arts, traditional Chinese martial arts and traditional Okinawan martial arts.
Bokator is an ancient battlefield martial art used by ancient Khmer military groups. It is one of the oldest existing fighting systems originating from Cambodia.
Mark DellaGrotte is an American former professional Muay Thai kickboxer and a trainer in Muay Thai. He is the owner and operator of the Sityodtong USA Branch in Somerville, Massachusetts, and was certified and appointed by Master Yodtong to be recognized as an international conservator of Thai style boxing. Mark also has extensive training and is certified in the arts of Escrima, Pencak Silat, Jeet Kune Do, Savate, and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.
The origins of Asian martial arts are diverse and scattered, having roots in various regions of Asia. Various Asian martial arts reference the study of animal movements as inspiration for martial arts techniques.
Arthur Alvin A. Aguilar is a Filipino martial artist and mixed martial arts promoter better known as Alvin Aguilar. He was born on April 28, 1974 in Bacolod, Philippines. He is the president and founder of the Universal Reality Combat Championship (2002–present); He is also the founder and head coach of DEFTAC Ribeiro Jiu-jitsu Philippines (1996–present.) and is currently serving as the president of the Wrestling Association of the Philippines. He started training in martial arts at the age of 9, first in Karate, Arnis and Greco-Roman wrestling. Having spent over 30 years of his life to the study of multiple martial arts forms including Sari-an, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, Yaw-Yan, Pekiti Tirsia Kali, etc., he has developed his own unique fighting style specialized in grappling, knife, and street fighting. He is also known for being the first home-grown Filipino Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt.
Muay Lao is a combat sport from Laos. It incorporates punches, kicks, elbow, and knee strikes. It is similar to Muay Thai from Thailand and Pradal Serey from Cambodia. Historians believe Muay Lao originated from Isan or Cambodia. Muay Lao was an event at the 2009 Southeast Asian Games in Vientiane.
Eduard Folayang is a Filipino mixed martial artist and wushu practitioner who fights in ONE Championship, where he is a two-time ONE Lightweight World Champion. He also competed for Universal Reality Combat Championship, where he was the last welterweight champion.
Antonio Graceffo is an American economist, China analyst, martial artist, and author who has lived in several Asian countries. He is a frequent guest, providing analysis of the Chinese economy and geopolitics, on various shows on New Tang Dynasty Television, including Talking Points, The Wide Angle, China in Focus, and Forbidden News. He is also the host of the web TV show, Martial Arts Odyssey, which traces his ongoing journey through Asia learning martial arts in various countries. Graceffo is credited with helping to revitalize the lost Khmer martial art of Bokator by being the first to report on it in English in the post-Pol Pot era. Beyond martial arts, Graceffo is also a student of multiple languages, including Mandarin Chinese, Thai, Khmer, Vietnamese, German, Spanish, Italian, and French.
The traditional martial arts of the Mainland Southeast Asia are related to one another, and as a group to Indian martial arts. The most salient common feature is Mainland Southeast Asia kickboxing. The region of Mainland Southeast Asia is believed to be the land of Suvarnabhumi that ancient Indians mentioned in Buddhist text and Hindu text. In 790 A.D., a Khmer prince who grew up abroad by the name of Jayavarman II returned to unify the Khmer civilization. In 802 A.D., Jayavarman II established the Khmer Empire, the precursor to modern Cambodia, and declared himself the Chakravatin. Around 850 A.D., Pagan, the ancestor of modern-day Burma, was established by Tibeto-Burman speakers. For 200 years, Pagan remained a small principality until the reign of King Anawrahta. In 1238 A.D., Thailand's first state, Sukhothai, was started when the residents declared independence from the Khmer Empire. In 1353 A.D., Laos's first state, Lan Xang, was started by Fa Ngum with the assistance of the Khmer from Angkor.
Attachai Fairtex is a 3 time Muay Thai World Champion. With 200 professional Muay Thai fights and a 90%-win record (180-15-5), he has been voted as one of the greatest fighters of his era by Thai media. Attachai Fairtex is a certified Muay Thai instructor from the Fairtex Camp in Thailand and has taught in various gyms in Thailand, America and Singapore. He now runs his own gym in Thailand – Attachai Muay Thai Gym.
