I know this topic doesn't directly relate to primitive weapons, but it didn't seem to fit anywhere else in the forums.

I was watching a video on youtube of a guy doing the Haka, and he was performing what looked like a kata with a pair of short war clubs. Is there a style of Polynesian martial arts out there? Were there set ways of training like there were/are with European and Asian weapons? Or did Daddy Islander just hand his boy a club and say, "Go get 'em, son. Good luck!"?

The History channel's Warriors show had a segment on the Hawaiian fighters.  Looks like at least some of these are up on YouTube.

Thanks!. I'll have to see if I can hunt it down tonight. I'll try Hulu, too.

Interestingly enough, Shorin Ryu, the style of karate I study, was founded by Walter Nishioka, a Hawaiian of Japanese descent. A side effect of this is that we end up learning a lot of Hawaiian words as well as Japanese.

There's tons of little indigenous styles floating around the Pacific Islands. Hell, Hula used to be one before it changed into a dance, if I'm not mistaken. (I assume it was changed into a dance to evade a ban on martial arts by an occupying nation, but never recovered the same way arts like arnis/kali did. That's just me though.)

I practiced a hybrid art called "Limalama" as one of my first empty-handed martial arts. It was a combo of several major Hawaiian/Polynesian arts, with some principles of more modern arts sprinkled in. Ah... I loved that art and how relaxed it was. Too bad the only stuff I can find on it now is "Imua Limalama" (An unsanctioned offshoot based in Mexico that's basically karate with a thin, Polynesian veneer :P)

I also had a book on a Hawaiian art that was similar, but the name escapes me at the moment. (Interestingly enough, it did show some examples of traditional weapon use in it.)

I know very little about this, but there is a martial art in existance commonly called Lua that uses both empty hands and weapons. Pretty practical stuff is my understanding. I bet Wiki has something...


AH, here it is, it's not much but it kinda gives you an idea. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kapu_Kuialua

Thanks! That gives me a lot of good information.

Too bad about the only thing we have where I live is Tae Kwon Do. (although if you do some hunting, you can find judo, kendo, and krav maga).

From what I've seen this would be kind of fun to learn.

The fighting art of the Maori from Aotearoa (New Zealand) is called "Mau Rakau" - This actually refers to their stick fighting arts. There is a little info floating around on the web...

I saw an awesome display between two practitioners with "Taiaha". They were  demonstrating Taiaha techniques and strategies, which was very informative and scary to watch (no, I wouldn't want to face them in hand to hand combat :/ )  This was when I was in Rotorua for a holiday a few years back.

The taiaha is most commonly seen during "powhiri" welcoming and "wero" challenge ceremonies. In this capacity it is not seen as fighting per se, however let me assure you it can be very intimating....

http://wayofwarrior.wordpress.com/2010/06/12/the-maori-martial-system-mau-rakau/

_K_

given that polynesians were pretty much all dedicated warriors and fighting and warfare was their normal way of life.
It's surprising that there isn't more info about their martial arts.

It is surprisingly sparse, particularly with the high praise the Maori arts got from European observers. One of the few interesting things I pulled up the last time I was looking into this is this interview with a Maori master http://www.fighttimes.com/magazine/magazine.asp?article=1149

Likely all these indigenous arts were driven underground by colonist/invaders.   There is another parallel in the Philippines,  where the invading Spanish drove everything underground and indeed various "folk dance" forms were actually Arnis and Escrima moves done to music...

Impossible to keep track of the thousands of islands in the archipelago, so the Filipino arts flourished.

It's not just colonialism either.  Those warrior arts weren't codified, or formalized - not like they were in Japan, and to a lesser extent China.  So, when something better came along (guns), the polynesians would have had no reason to cling to their roots.  Being pragmatic warriors, they would have simply left off what no longer worked and moved on to what did.  Without a system in place to enshrine the old ways of doing things, they inevitably get lost.

I prefer Mexican Judo - in that judon't know who you're messin with holmes.

You make perfect sense Atlatlista. Being pragmatic is essetial to survival. Without codification of art and customs, things change or get lost all together.

Pikåru wrote on Nov 1^st, 2012 at 10:49am:

I prefer Mexican Judo - in that judon't know who you're messin with holmes. You make perfect sense Atlatlista. Being pragmatic is essetial to survival. Without codification of art and customs, things change or get lost all together.

I always heard that mexican judo was the most dangerous.  Cause judonno if I have a knife, judonno if I have a gun....

As my dad says, "judon't know what I have in my pocket..." the essense of Mexican Judo.  

Have a read of this article: http://www.bullshido.org/Te_Mau_Taiaha

"According to an ancient Maori proverb, Te Mau Taiaha should be taught “from the feet up”. Formal taiaha footwork patterns are based on a complex, dance-like step called karo (evasion), with many variations named for the characteristic movements of different animals. For example, the tuatara (lizard) pattern features slow, crouching, sinuous steps, in contrast with the light, active footwork of the tui (bird). "


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Being pragmatic warriors, they would have simply left off what no longer worked and moved on to what did.

You have obviously never read "To Face the Daring Maori'. Whilst the Maori did utilise European Technology, they maintained and used (ferociously and with deadly consequences) their traditional fighting  arts, strategies and tactics.

The Maori of New Zealand are credited with being the creators of trench warfare. Google 'Maori Pa'.

I didn't say traditional arts wouldn't be used.  I said they would have left off what no longer worked and moved on to what did.  In the absence of a systematized martial arts tradition (as is the case in most of polynesia) this leads to erosion or total loss of the art.  On a local level, it differed on a case by case basis, but if you think Maori warfare didn't change post-contact, I think you'd be in the minority.

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but if you think Maori warfare didn't change post-contact, I think you'd be in the minority.

I don't think that at all. It changed when they adopted the use of firearms.

Speaking of rifles,

Here is a nicely carved Maori rifle in the Auckland Museum  :)

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