Kapu Kuialua
Encyclopedia
Kapu Kuialua; Kuialua; or just Lua; is an ancient Hawaiian
martial art based on bone breaking, joint lock
s, throws
, pressure point
manipulation, strikes, usage of various weapons, battlefield strategy, open ocean warfare as well as the usage of introduced firearm
s from the Europe
ans.
The actual name of fighting art was referred to as "Kuialua", literally meaning two hits. That name was subsequently given to the god
of this martial art.
Only those associated with the alii
(nobility), such as professional warriors, guardsmen, and the royal families themselves, were generally taught Kuialua. However, during times of warfare, the makaainana (commoners) were also instructed in the basic movements and functions of the martial art.
The old warriors of this art would coat themselves with a thin layer of coconut oil
and remove all of their body hair in order to be able slip away and avoid being grappled in battle. The word for Lua masters, olohe, literally means "hairless".
may have been focused on primarily in the art at one time, as it is said the fighter who loses his weapons should then resort to the hand-to-hand stylings of Kuialua.
Training methods include spear catching, training in the surf, and focus of "mana" or life force. This energy is described much like chi or ki in Chinese or Japanese martial arts. Exercises are used to focus this energy much like the exercise of chi kung.
Native Hawaiians
Native Hawaiians refers to the indigenous Polynesian people of the Hawaiian Islands or their descendants. Native Hawaiians trace their ancestry back to the original Polynesian settlers of Hawaii.According to the U.S...
martial art based on bone breaking, joint lock
Joint lock
A Joint lock is a grappling technique involving manipulation of an opponent's joints in such a way that the joints reach their maximal degree of motion....
s, throws
Throw (grappling)
A throw is a martial arts term for a grappling technique that involves off-balancing or lifting an opponent, and tossing them to the ground in Japanese martial arts referred to as nage-waza, 投げ技, "throwing technique"...
, pressure point
Pressure point
A pressure point in the field of martial arts refers to an area on the human body that may produce significant pain or other effects when manipulated in a specific manner...
manipulation, strikes, usage of various weapons, battlefield strategy, open ocean warfare as well as the usage of introduced firearm
Firearm
A firearm is a weapon that launches one, or many, projectile at high velocity through confined burning of a propellant. This subsonic burning process is technically known as deflagration, as opposed to supersonic combustion known as a detonation. In older firearms, the propellant was typically...
s from the Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
ans.
The actual name of fighting art was referred to as "Kuialua", literally meaning two hits. That name was subsequently given to the god
Hawaiian mythology
Hawaiian mythology refers to the legends, historical tales and sayings of the ancient Hawaiian people. It is considered a variant of a more general Polynesian mythology, developing its own unique character for several centuries before about 1800. It is associated with the Hawaiian religion...
of this martial art.
Only those associated with the alii
Ali'i
Alii is a word in the Polynesian language denoting chiefly status in ancient Hawaii and the Samoa Islands. A similar word with the same concept is found in other Polynesian societies. In the Cook Islands, an ariki is a high chief and the House of Ariki is a parliamentary house...
(nobility), such as professional warriors, guardsmen, and the royal families themselves, were generally taught Kuialua. However, during times of warfare, the makaainana (commoners) were also instructed in the basic movements and functions of the martial art.
The old warriors of this art would coat themselves with a thin layer of coconut oil
Coconut oil
Coconut oil is an edible oil extracted from the kernel or meat of matured coconuts harvested from the coconut palm . Throughout the tropical world, it has provided the primary source of fat in the diets of millions of people for generations. It has various applications in food, medicine, and industry...
and remove all of their body hair in order to be able slip away and avoid being grappled in battle. The word for Lua masters, olohe, literally means "hairless".
Style specifics
The modern form of this art has been adjusted to suit modern times, however, the traditional spirit of the art remains intact. Weapons used by natives of the Hawaiian IslandsHawaiian Islands
The Hawaiian Islands are an archipelago of eight major islands, several atolls, numerous smaller islets, and undersea seamounts in the North Pacific Ocean, extending some 1,500 miles from the island of Hawaii in the south to northernmost Kure Atoll...
may have been focused on primarily in the art at one time, as it is said the fighter who loses his weapons should then resort to the hand-to-hand stylings of Kuialua.
Training methods include spear catching, training in the surf, and focus of "mana" or life force. This energy is described much like chi or ki in Chinese or Japanese martial arts. Exercises are used to focus this energy much like the exercise of chi kung.
Weapons
- Hoe - CanoeCanoeA canoe or Canadian canoe is a small narrow boat, typically human-powered, though it may also be powered by sails or small electric or gas motors. Canoes are usually pointed at both bow and stern and are normally open on top, but can be decked over A canoe (North American English) or Canadian...
paddlePaddleA paddle is a tool used for pushing against liquids, either as a form of propulsion in a boat or as an implement for mixing.-Materials and designs:... - Hoe Leiomano - Paddle, sharkSharkSharks are a type of fish with a full cartilaginous skeleton and a highly streamlined body. The earliest known sharks date from more than 420 million years ago....
tooth weapon - Ihe - Short spearSpearA spear is a pole weapon consisting of a shaft, usually of wood, with a pointed head.The head may be simply the sharpened end of the shaft itself, as is the case with bamboo spears, or it may be made of a more durable material fastened to the shaft, such as flint, obsidian, iron, steel or...
with barbed edges or straight point (up to 9 ft (2.7 m) staff) - Kaane - GarroteGarroteA garrote or garrote vil is a handheld weapon, most often referring to a ligature of chain, rope, scarf, wire or fishing line used to strangle someone....
(strangling cord) - Kookoo - StaffsStick fightingStick fighting is a generic term for martial arts which use simple long slender, blunt, hand-held, generally wooden 'sticks' for fighting such as a staff, cane, walking stick, baton or similar....
(long and short)- Kookoo Loa (6 ft (1.8 m) staff)
- Kookoo Pōkole (4 ft (1.2 m) staff)
- Kuekue Lima Leiomano - Knuckle duster weapon
- LeiomanoLeiomanoThe leiomano is a shark-toothed club used by various Polynesian tribes, but mostly by the native Hawaiians.Leiomano is a word in the Hawaiian language and may have been derived from lei o manō, which means "a shark's lei."...
- Shark tooth weapon - Maa - SlingSling (weapon)A sling is a projectile weapon typically used to throw a blunt projectile such as a stone or lead "sling-bullet". It is also known as the shepherd's sling....
- Maka Pāhoa - Double-edge (eye) daggerDaggerA dagger is a fighting knife with a sharp point designed or capable of being used as a thrusting or stabbing weapon. The design dates to human prehistory, and daggers have been used throughout human experience to the modern day in close combat confrontations...
- Newa - Short (small) club
- Pahi - Knife
- Pāhoa - Single-edge dagger
- Pāhoa Kookoo - CaneCaneCane are either of two genera of tall, perennial grasses with flexible, woody stalks from the family Poaceae that grow throughout the world in wet soils. They are related to and may include species of bamboo. The genus Arundo is native from the Mediterranean region to the Far East. Arundinaria...
double-edge dagger