The Laimoon Association International (LAI) is a non-profit, international organization dedicated to the preservation, practice, and global promotion of Laimoon cultural traditions and martial arts. We work to safeguard traditional knowledge, transmit martial discipline to new generations, and connect practitioners, teachers, and cultural researchers across the world.
Lai Moon (known as Lai Mhein in the Ta’ang (Palaung) language) is a traditional martial art of Myanmar belonging to the Kanbawza family lineage of Shan State.
It is believed to have originated in the northern regions of Shan State as a form of tribal self-defense, and later developed into a court service and military martial art, practiced by the Haw Guard in Shan principalities.
Today, Lai Moon has become a significant element of the cultural identity of ethnic communities in Shan State, Myanmar. Its practice has gradually evolved from warfare into a discipline emphasizing mental and physical well-being, cultural preservation, and performance arts.
The term “Lai” means the art or the way , while “Moon” means circle. Together, Lai Moon can be understood as “the Way of the Circle,” which represents the most fundamental art within the Ten Shan Martial Traditions.
Lai Moon includes both hand-to-hand techniques and traditional weapon systems. Unlike modern sport-oriented martial arts, it does not follow a rigid teaching dogma or a formal hierarchical ranking system. Instead, students begin by learning the foundational principles of Lai Moon, after which they may freely progress and explore other martial disciplines according to their interest, aptitude, and personal dedication.
Lai Moon primarily emphasizes the balanced use of both the left and right hands in both unarmed forms and traditional weapon practices. Techniques are characterized by the coordinated use of In-nit Shin-gyaw (the twelve major joints) movements, Six upper-body joints: the shoulders, elbows, and wrists on both the left and right sides, Six lower-body joints: the hips, knees, and ankles on both the left and right sides through continuous circular motion, combined with structured two, three, and five-step footwork patterns. Together, these twelve joints form the basis of coordinated movement, balance, protection, and controlled martial expression.
The system traditionally recognizes eleven vital points (In-tai Shit-it) of the human body, traditionally understood to lie between these major joints. In Lai Moon tradition, awareness of these pathways represents knowledge of structure, circulation, and internal balance, and reflects classical understandings of the human body rather than modern anatomical models. These principles are understood within Lai Moon as part of a broader framework for body awareness, circulation, self-regulation, and controlled martial application, reflecting both its health-oriented aspects and its traditional self-defense knowledge.
