Te Po

In Lua, there is Pō, a spiritual realm, similar to that of the akua and the tūpuna. It is the space of creation, life, and death—the darkness that reveals the light within and the origin of all things across all planes of existence. Pō is where the warrior seeks to place his adversary. The doorway into Pō is narrow and concealed; it is not easily found or recognized, as it can only be opened in a moment of a breath. A skilled warrior can open this door themselves or manipulate an opponent into opening it.

​Pō is the realm where time stops, where life becomes motionless, and where one's senses dull before reawakening. In Lua, Pō is the art of trapping an adversary in a position known as lewalewa. Think of Pō as a portal to another realm: it is the unbalancing of an opponent at a specific moment so they cannot fight, move, counter, or resist the attack (ku‘ia).

​To open Pō, one must rely on energy flow, balance, and timing. Lua allows the opponent to place themselves into Pō and reaps the reward. A practitioner of moderate skill leads the adversary into Pō. Those without skill are not even aware that Pō exists.

​Pō is similar to wai (water) in that it has no set path; it flows, changes course instantly, and shifts direction at will. It is the realm where an opponent is frozen and off-balance. To escape Pō, one must ground their footing upon Papahānaumoku—the Earth—or as the people of old said, "Ka papa kū o ka honua," the solid foundation of the world. Pō is the path to enlightenment.

Here is a traditional upu of our kupuna of old, ka poe lua.

Eia he upu ula a ka poe lua

Traditional K.K. -Ku'ialuaopuna

Haere mai i te po,

Haere mai i te ao

Huki mai i te afa tapu a Tane

Ka afa ura a Tane

Ta afa e koti ai

Nehe ka iliili

Oni ka lau lipo

Pa mai ka ha

E Kapae i te tapu

E pi i te tai

E nanaue i te ala

Te ala hoi ole mai