Polynesian Martial Arts

[Stranger]

Has anybody here trained in these arts?
Any videos online?
Any experience working with practitioners of these styles?

ie. lua, Maori martial arts, anything from Guam, Fiji, Tonga, Samoa

Thanks in advance.

[Ikken Hisatsu]

good luck finding a website for maori martial arts, I live in new zealand and have never heard it mentioned. I think you will find that polynesian MA's aren't exactly big in the world of MA.

[Stranger]

This is as close as I got to finding info on Maori martial arts. (http://www.tu.co.nz/)

[Stranger]

...and here is Hawaiin lua (http://www.olohe.com/index.html)

[Stranger]

...but I am looking for more visual information and personal experiences.

PS I know Jake te Muss didn't study any Maori martial art to learn what he did in his fights, but in both "Once Were Warriors" and "Whale-Rider" they mention Maori long stick fighting.

[Stranger]

Come on ORA fans!

Are you saying that the links I posted represent all info on the web about Polynesian martial arts and nobody has any personal experiences?

Let's see some posts d@mn it!

[chen zhen]

Dunno sh!t about it, thats all;)

Theres actually ORA fans out there?:D
flattering:)

[Stranger]

"Theres actually ORA fans out there?
flattering"


Yes, when the post are about other related MARTIAL arts.
I can do without the posts about Xeeby's little pee-pee. :D

[chen zhen]

Dun worry, I edited the pee-pee parts out:D

-cz

[Black Jack]

I once spoke to the grandmaster of Lua on the phone for a bit.

Very nice man who sent me some info from Southern Cali. He has a student up here in Chicago, but its in a area I would not be got dead in, very bad part of town for certain people, cop just got shot there a few months ago, so I guess me taking a look is going to have to wait.

Lua has had a solid influence on Jujitus here in the states, starting with pre-ww2 Danzan Ryu Jujitsu and then to the small circle locks of Wally Jays sysyem which came down from Danzan Ryu.

After I get deeper into silat and find the time one of my goals is to study some Lua or Lima Lama. I know there is a big Lima Lama school in Wisconsin plus the Grandmaster lives in Huntington beach CA.

[Stranger]

Isn't Lima Lama heavily laced with kenpo?

[Black Jack]

From what I hear is that is has some heavy kenpo influence but it also has lua and some other polynesian based systems mixed in with it.

If we are talking about just kenpo I have always thought that the McSweeny system was just hard as nails and I have also been impressed with some of the Kosho-Ryu gents.

Kosho-Ryu can be pretty deceptive. Both are nothing like the Ed Parker stuff.

[Kempo Guy]

Lua is pretty cool, as is Lima Lama.

Stranger,
The founder of Lima Lama trained with Ed Parker and some of the movements may be reminiscent of American Kenpo. FWIW, from my little experience with Lima Lama has shown great differences from AKK in regards to teaching methodolgy and principles involved (although if you come down to it biomechanics is biomechanics... :D).

Lua, as in Elua Lima of Olohe Sol Kaihewalu, there is some connection with Lima Lama there as well as Olohe was a student of Tino Tuiolosega (GM of Lima Lama).

I've had the opportunity to train with both of these gentlemen (as well as another exponent of Lua) and have to say they are similar yet different...

Black Jack,
I've been told GM Tino is moving to Mexico soon.
As for Lua (Elua Lima), many of the principles are very similar to Silat and they use similar patterns on the floor when working out (perhaps you know what I mean)...

KG

[Black Jack]

Kempo Guy,

Thanks for the feedback. As a fan of western martial studies and ideals I have always had a interest in native lua methods and in Tuiolosega's lima lama.

Can you tell me about your lima lama and lua experiances, what you thought some of its signature flavours were, its tactical viewpoints, where does it differ from kenpo and so on.

Cheers

Black Jack

[Kempo Guy]

Black Jack,

I don't have a lot of time right now but will try to give you a brief overview of my experience. My experience as mentioned has been primarily in Lua (mostly with a line other than Olohe Kaihewalu) and some Lima Lama (both with GM Tuiolosega & another teacher).

A very distinguishing characterisitic from AKK is the lack of scientific terms (as used in AKK). The tools remain the same but Lua in particular differs in the sense that many techniques employ grabbing (i.e. limb destruction or tearing).

As you may have observed that in AKK there are "rapid fire strikes" (for lack of a better term) and you may see similar techniques in LL and Lua. Although the tools used to strike may be different. The hand movements during strikes in Lua / Lima Lama seemed rather soft and utilize a snap of the wrist during strikes to amplify the effect of the whip like strikes.

In Lua I also saw a lot of emphasis on protecting centerline and employed slight movements to get off the angle of attack. This by no means mean that it is circular in nature or that it's passive but rather angling off by slipping and or trapping the arm to get to the "meat". :D I was quite surprised to find that Silat Serak (as I've seen it) seemed very similar in the way it's executed.

There seemed to be little emphasis on specific stances (at least in Lua...) but rather emphasized movement and getting off the line, trapping and destroying the opponent. In other words, it was very direct.

Having said all this, the Elua Lima was in particular heavily form and technique oriented. Lima Lama also had techniques and forms but they were fewer in number.

If you have specific questions, let me know.

KG