Ke Ku'ia 'O Ko'oko'olau

Kii: Koolau Watershed Foundation

The natives of Koʻolaupoko were known for their steadfast skill in lua. Both kāne and wahine were proficient in the many techniques and strokes of this ancient Hawaiian practice.

The ʻōʻō, or digging stick, was an essential tool used by all mahiʻai (farmers) tending their loʻi kalo (irrigated taro fields). It was used to dig holes for planting huli (young taro stalks), uproot trees and weeds, and harvest mature kalo from the mud-filled, water-covered patches.

The ʻōʻō were crafted from durable hardwoods such as kauila, uhiuhi, koaie, and other hardwoods including alaheʻe. Each end was carefully shaped into a blade-like spade. The blades were then heated, blackened, and tempered over fire to strengthen the wood, allowing them to withstand rocky soil while resisting splitting and chipping.

During times of war, the ʻōʻō became more than an agricultural tool—it served as a formidable fighting staff. Because of its dual purpose, Hawaiians adapted its design into a dedicated weapon known as the kuʻia. The kuʻia became the traditional fighting staff of the practitioners of lua.

According to the oral traditions preserved within our Hawaiian lua practice, when the people of Kaʻū and Puna on Hawaiʻi Island voyaged to Aotearoa many centuries ago, they carried their kuʻia with them. These staffs continued to serve both as farming implements and weapons. Over time, the Māori further refined the kuʻia in both design and function, developing it into what is now known as the taiaha. This tradition has been handed down through generations within certain families of lua practitioners

One historical note: the statement that Hawaiians from Kaʻū and Puna carried the kuʻia to Aotearoa and that it evolved into the taiaha reflects a specific oral tradition. It is valuable to identify it as such, since it is not a conclusion established by mainstream archaeological or historical scholarship. If this text is intended for publication, presenting it explicitly as an inherited oral tradition, as done above, helps distinguish traditional knowledge from academic agreement.

K. K. Ku'ialuaopuna

This upu below was passed down through ohana of Koolaupoko. The upu is a chant for a special fighting staff or ku'ia of old. It speaks of certain localities known to ohana of the area. The kahako and okina were added for clarity, but not necessary.

Traditional K.K. Kuʻialuaopuna

E Ko'oko'olau e

Ano aʻe nei ka manaʻo

Ma ka pali lele ʻiwa

Ma uka aku o Palikū nō au

Noho au me Kānehoalani

Ke aliʻi kapu o uka

Pā mai ke alo i ka Holoholopali

Ka makani a ke kua loloa

Makehewa aku lā e naue i ke kai

Ke kai e pōuli nei

Inoʻino ʻo Koʻokoolau e

Ke kuʻia a ka ua

E inu i ka wai a Kāne

Ka ua loku o Koʻoko'olau

Oh Ko'oko'olau

The mind is at peace.

Upon the cliffs where the ʻiwa birds soar.

I stand in the uplands above Palikū.

There I dwell with Kānehoalani,

The sacred chief of the uplands.

My face is touched by Holoholopali,

The wind of the long ridge.

It is unwise to journey toward the sea,

For the lowlands grow dark.

Koʻoko'olau is stirred into turmoil.

The fighting staff of the rain.

Drink of the waters of Kāne.

Drink the storm-filled waters of Koʻoko'olau