issue2 pg24-45.indd
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issue2 pg24-45.indd
Story and Photos Britt Yap While some Hawaiian cultural practices like the hula or the Hawaiian language is available to the masses and has made a comeback after years of oppression, the art of the Hawaiian warrior still eludes me. Like many local residents I’ve talked to, I couldn’t really explain to anyone what the lua was, or its significance to the Hawaiian people. All I really knew was that it was a Hawaiian martial art and it was secretive. Then several months ago when I was writing the cover story for the first issue of UPROAR Magazine, I met Rudy Valentino, BJ Penn’s trainer from the Big Island. Rudy and I hit if off right away and talked about how he takes his fighters to visit sacred Hawaiian places on the Big Island. He goes on these “field trips” to help the fighter become more focused and one with himself, and educates them about their culture. When I asked Rudy more about his background and why he takes the time to share these cultural places with his fighters, he revealed to me that he was a kumu kane, a grand master of the lua. Immediately intrigued, and wanting to learn more about the lua, I asked Rudy if Hanalei and I could visit him on the Big Island. And this would begin our lua journey. UPROAR MAGAZINE 37 Training Grounds T The Hawaiian martial art of lua has been downplayed for centuries. Even today, when the mixed martial arts scene is taking the world by storm, this ancient marital art skims under the radar as not to be revealed to the mainstream MMA audience. Its secrecy has baffled many, and most people don’t even know it exists. According to Rudy Valentino, there is good reason for that. First of all, the lua is unlike other martial arts that are taught to the masses today. In its purest form, lua is a killing art, and isn’t meant for everyone to learn. “Lua is a warrior art, not a commercial art,” said the 53-year-old, who has about 48 years of martial arts experience. “The true lua has nothing to do with self-defense.” Lua is a type of dangerous hand-to-hand combat in which fighters break bones, dislocate joints, and inflict severe pain by pressing on nerve centers. Ancient Hawaiian warriors used this technique in battle, and the most renowned lua practitioner was King Kamehameha the Great. Today, there are lua masters that keep the art form alive and teach a small number of selected Hawaiians from the younger generation. The purpose of teaching someone the lua is not so that they can go out in the streets or in the ring to use it. Instead, Valentino said, the purpose for teaching the lua is to make sure that this particular part of the Hawaiian culture is perpetuated. Valentino, who became an ‘ōlohe (lua master) in 1975 under Brother Abe Kamahoahoa, said that there have been times when he was unsure if he wanted to continue to teach the art form. He felt some of his students weren’t taking it seriously and they weren’t giving proper credit to those who taught them. Valentino has always given credit to Kamahoahoa, who taught him all that he knows about the he‘e (hand-to-hand) style of lua. “Since Brother Abe’s passing, I’m the only one alive still teaching his art to a select few,” he said. After Kamahoahoa’s death, Valentino became kumu kane (grand master). He said families from different islands across the state have specialized and passed down different pieces of the lua. However, the lua consists of hundreds of different moves, with and without weapons, making it is impossible for someone to know them all. Over the years, Valentino has taught the lua to hundreds of students and there are currently 10 ‘ōlohe under him. He has yet to teach any of his understudies all of the moves that he knows. “Each ‘ōlohe was taught different phases and sections of it,” he said. “No one person knows all the moves. That’s what it takes to be grand master.” When listening to Valentino speak, one can feel the struggle of balance between sharing the art form and keeping it untainted. He said the worst thing that could happen is if the lua was exploited. He doesn’t want it to turn into a commercial art form, or have hundreds of people being named lua master without the proper training and knowledge. If this happens, he foresees many people using the lua for the wrong reasons and getting others hurt. He also fears that if the lua is taught to the masses, it will become diluted and combined with other martial arts. While being able to mesh different martial art forms is important for an MMA fighter, keeping the lua in its purest form and passing that down for generations to come is more important to Valentino. UPROAR MAGAZINE 39 Training Grounds This knuckle-duster was probably used in close-range, hand-to-hand combat. “The lua will never be lost, ever. Unless they kill off all the Hawaiians.” -Rudy Valentino This leiomano is made from sharks’ teeth and kauila wood. 40 UPROARHAWAII.COM OCTOBER - DECEMBER 2008 Similar to Valentino’s efforts to balance his teachings, lua is a system of fighting based on the theory of duality. Lua warriors combine the traits of Kū, the god of war, and Hina, the goddess of the moon to seek balance between good and evil. Ironically, Valentino doesn’t fear that lua will be lost or forgotten. “The lua will never be lost, ever,” he said. “Unless they kill off all the Hawaiians.” To help with the preservation of the lua, Valentino encourages Hawaiian charter schools and Kamehameha Schools to teach the history and significance of the art form. “There needs to be more knowledge and education about the lua so that it is never lost,” he said. “For Hawaiians, it’s part of their history and their heritage. They need to know the value and respect it. But the training of the moves is not for everyone.” Valentino is known to share the Hawaiian culture with his fighters—like BJ Penn and Kendall Grove—because it all comes back to knowing oneself, he said. One thing he found that helps focus a fighter is educating them on their background and culture. “The lua is not all about fighting,” he said. “It’s about knowing who you are and where you come from. The lua is a very spiritual thing.” This martial art is held so dearly by those who know it best because of its suppressed past. By the end of the 18th century, King Kamehameha had acquired American firearms and used them in battle to defeat his opponents. With guns and canons being so effective in warfare, the hand-to-hand art soon became obsolete. Then in 1820, the kapu system was broken, disrupting the societal system that had insured the passing of Hawaiian traditions for generations. Then, when missionaries came to Hawai‘i, the teaching of lua was looked down upon, and by the 1840s it was banned. Only a few Hawaiian families continued to practice the moves to pass the discipline down to their children. The art virtually disappeared. Because different cultures throughout history have hidden fighting movements within dance, some believe the ha‘a (war dance) and hula incorporated lua moves. They say that this allowed the warriors to practice their technique without giving away secret battle tactics. The lua was practiced in secrecy up until the 1980s. Today, some lua masters continue the tradition by only training their students in the dark of night, and never at the same location. However, there are a few masters who have written books and opened up their teachings to nonHawaiians, trying to commercialize the art and make it available to the masses. Valentino, on the other hand, has certain rules that he follows when inviting a person to be a student of lua. “I get to know them, who they are. I try to get into their head and see how much they can handle,” he said. After several long conversations with the person, and knowing them for a while, he decides if he wants to be their teacher. In his training, he teaches his students how to be in control of the art so that they never use it on others. While Valentino has not done this yet, he said other lua masters get a criminal background check on their potential students before agreeing to train them. “I like to train people who are serious and give me 100 percent,” he said. “I like training sincere people.” To date, Valentino has not made anyone a lua master. He has a lot of young people training under him, but he said that a grand master has to have a lot of life experiences, and someone 19 or 20 years old still has many life lessons to learn. “I haven’t shown all the moves to one person yet,” he said. “I hope that one day I can find someone worthy or a select few that can master this art to pass it on to the next generation.” ALL PAU This open frame leiomano is made of sharks’ teeth and koa wood. Lua weapons Some Hawaiian Weapons Ihe (short spear) Pololū (long spear/javelin) Pāhoa (wooden spike dagger) Leiomano (shark-tooth weapon) Lā‘au pālau (long war clubs) Newa (short war club) Pōhaku (stone hand club) Ma’a (sling) Ka’ane (strangulation cord) Ko‘oko‘o (cane) Nounou (thrown stones) Ko‘i (war hatchet or axe)