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Dr. Mitchell C. Eli and his brothers learned the ancient art of lua from 'ōlohe lua Charles Kenn, who was trained by the descendants of King Kalākaua's own court warriors. - Photo: Blaine Fergerstrom |
Warrior spirit
'Ōlohe Mitchell Eli and his staff
to offer masters lua training
Practiced only by warrior chiefs, ali'i koa, the ancient Hawaiian fighting art of lua was practiced and passed down for generations until the missionaries brought about the ban on hula. It was then that the ancient art slipped quietly underground and all but disappeared.
When Ka Mō'ī, Kalākaua, took the throne, he resurrected hula, but lua practitioners continued to hold their craft close in order to protect it from threats.
The secrecy surrounding the practice of lua, however, nearly killed the art. Over years of hiding, being passed from 'ōlohe to student solely by invitation, and requiring ali'i lineage to qualify, lua was on its last legs in the 1970s, relegated to fleeting mentions in historic texts and artifacts in Bishop Museum.
Just in time, a group of young men, including Dr. Mitchell C. Eli and his brothers, was researching what little could be found of the ancient art, when they stumbled across Charles Kenn, an 'ōlohe lua who was trained by the descendants of Kalākaua's own court warriors. Among these royal guardians was none other than Curtis 'Iaukea, Kalākaua's chief diplomat.
Kenn agreed to train the group, at first holding weekly sessions at his home near the University of Hawai'i at Mānoa. Kenn, at first, would only spend long hours giving lectures on Hawaiian culture to the group. They would spend up to six hours, sitting and listening to 'ōlohe speak, not daring to ask when they would learn to fight.
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Dr. Eli and a staff of lua and Hawaiian cultural practitioners, 'ōlohe-in-training, will hold a series of workshops this summer to introduce lua to a wider audience. - Photo: Blaine Fergerstrom |
With time, 'ōlohe Kenn came to trust the group and, satisfied that they had learned enough of the cultural and spiritual aspects of lua and the Hawaiian culture, the physical training began.
Kenn's small home was too restrictive and training moved to the Eli home in Papakōle'ā. Large tarps were put up to conceal from casual eyes what was being learned on the concrete slab. 'Ōlohe Kenn insisted that they work on the concrete, so that they could learn to properly fall and react.
After four years of brutal weekly training sessions, Kenn “graduated” the group and pronounced them 'ōlohe. They, in turn, then began the modern era of lua, slowly increasing the numbers of people invited to learn the art.
In 2005, Dr. Eli co-authored a book, Lua: Art of the Hawaiian Warrior, which pried open the door to the art just a little further. Those interested can now learn a little bit more about the nearly lost art.
It is still difficult to become a fully vetted lua student. There are requirements and protocols expected of any potential haumana lua, but it is now possible to find 'ōlohe teaching and giving seminars in Hawai'i and across the globe.
Masters Lua Leadership Training for Native Hawaiians is scheduled for sessions on Aug. 2 and 3, Aug. 9 and 10, and Aug. 16 and 17 at Nu'uanu Elementary School. Registration costs $150 and is due by July 25. Class is limited to 40 participants, 21 years and older. Those who complete all the sessions will receive a certification. For more information or to request an application, call 531-7231 or email olohedrmitchelleli@pakuiaholo.com.
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