Ka ʻai a ka olohe i koe iā ʻoe

Kii: Ku'ialuaopuna

Pa Lua, Olohe, and the Training of Kekuhaupiʻo

I ka wā kahiko, many pa lua, or schools of instruction, existed at various levels of skill and prestige. Those pa lua that belonged to a high chief’s court were guided by the most accomplished olohe, who were responsible for overseeing each school. These skilled olohe determined the type and level of training conducted within their pa lua. Within chiefly pa lua, additional olohe lua assisted with instruction and protocol.

In contrast, pa lua located within the various ahupuaʻa and not under the direct authority of a high chief typically had only one olohe overseeing all instruction. These schools were smaller in size and had a limited number of haumāna. While many of the rituals and protocols were similar, some olohe specialized in training only younger keiki. As these children matured and developed their abilities, they were often sent to other olohe to complete their training.

Kekuhaupiʻo of Keʻei, Kona Hema, underwent this type of training as a child. His first instruction began under his father, Kohapiʻolani, a warrior chief seasoned in battle. Kohapiʻolani trained his son in running and in casting hau spears with efficiency and skill. Seeing how quickly Kekuhaupiʻo learned, Kohapiʻolani sought out a greater teacher to further his son’s development.

He approached the great warrior-priest of Hikiau Heiau, a trained olohe lua named Laʻamea, to oversee his son’s training. Laʻamea soon recognized the young Kekuhaupiʻo’s rapid growth in skill and knowledge and saw that the boy could become a great warrior in the king’s army if given advanced instruction in lua. Laʻamea therefore sought out his cousin, Koaiʻa of Kapalilua, Kona, believing that Koaiʻa possessed the deeper knowledge and experience needed to advance the boy’s training.

Koaiʻa, though well into his years and no longer actively teaching lua, was renowned for his strength, battlefield skill, and fearsome knowledge of bone-breaking techniques. It was said that Koaiʻa had never lost a battle.

Upon meeting Kekuhaupiʻo for the first time and seeing the boy’s strong body and quick mind, Koaiʻa decided to accept him as his final haumāna. Koaiʻa was himself a high chief and olohe of the Kapalilua lands in Kona. At that time, Kapalilua was suffering from a prolonged drought and severe food shortages. Understanding this, Kekuhaupiʻo’s father sent canoes filled with food and provisions to Koaiʻa, ensuring that the chief could devote his full attention to training his son.

This practice of seeking out experts in specific fields allowed chiefs to secure knowledge and skills vital to their future success. Under Koaiʻa and his other teachers, Kekuhaupiʻo was taught not only martial skill but also how a proper chief should conduct himself—how to treat and interact with others, and how to lead with fairness and restraint. These lessons were taught by example.

Kekuhaupiʻo later passed these values on to many others, from High Chief Kamehameha and his ʻohana to the rising chiefs of Kalaniʻōpuʻu’s court. Kamehameha recognized these qualities in his olohe Kekuhaupiʻo and modeled himself after the values of the olohe who came before him. This included fairness in leadership, respect for the makaʻāinana, and a refusal to take advantage of others.

As with all olohe, Koaiʻa was taught to reserve one final ʻai for himself—a secret technique kept in case a haumāna should one day turn against their teacher. This hidden ʻai served as the olohe’s last safeguard.

During a ceremonial fight between teacher and student, Kekuhaupiʻo demonstrated such instinctive skill that he was able to overcome Koaiʻa despite never having been taught the secret technique. This was considered highly uncommon in ancient times. That unlearned but instinctive knowledge is known as Ka ʻai a ka olohe i koe iā ʻoe—“The teacher’s stroke that you do not have.”