About Us
In 2005, Kuʻialuaopuna was established under the guidance, blessing and authority of
ʻŌlohe Lua Kukui Richard Kekumuikawaiokeola Paglinawan,
ʻŌlohe Lua Moses Elwood Kalauokalani,
and ʻŌlohe Haka Noelani Kanoho Mahoe.
Kuʻialuaopuna established in Puna, Hawai‘i, was founded to bring the ancient knowledge of Hawaiʻiʻs warrior arts to Puna. The revitalization of the Hawaiian fighting arts for Kuʻialuaopuna started on the island of Oʻahu, Hawaiʻi in the early 1970ʻs, by Richard Paglinawan, and Moses Kalauokalani. This extensive, required training included the teaching and understanding of protocols and kapu specified by Native Hawaiian scholar ʻŌlohe Lua Charles William Lu'ukia Kaho Kemoku Kenn, together with Native Hawaiian genealogy, Hawaiian cultural studies, and the historical genealogical lineage of Pākuʻialua. These two also trained under the teachings and guidance of Mary Kawena Pukuʻi, and several Hawaiian cultural experts who continued the practices of various traditional arts.
These select ʻōlohe were proficiently and patiently trained in all the levels of the Hawaiian art of lua fighting techniques and spiritual practices which can be identified as kapu and traced to the Hawaiian Kahuna Orders of Papa KuʻiaLua, Papa Lonomakaihe, and connection to the lineage of Kekūhaupiʻo who learned from his father Kohapiʻolani, a warrior chief of Keʻei, South Kona, Hawai‘i.
James Palenapa Kekahuna and Olohe Naluahine Kaopua
Naluahine Kekaaweokaahumanu Kaʻōpua lived on the Keauhou side of Keʻekū on the sands of Mākoleʻā in Kona. Naluahine's great grandfather, Lana'i was over 7 feet tall. Lana'i was a trained lua fighter and a attendant for Kamehameha I during his lifetime. As a child Naluahine recalls that his grandfather taught hula by day and lua by night, and as a young boy, it was Naluahine’s job to bring the kukui candles into the pa lua at ‘Umihale (the enclosure of Lonoikamakahiki). Lua was a profession that was continuous in his ohana genealogy, as Naluahne's father and uncles were also well skilled in this art. Naluahine persisted in his training under the various olohe lua of his lands as a child, until an adult. Naluahine in his older years, passed on his family's knowledge of Lua to Charles Kemoku Kenn.
Naluahine Kaopua
Henry Seishiro Okazaki,
Henry Seishiro Okazaki, was born in the town of Kakeda, Fukushima Prefecture, Japan, on January 28, 1890. He migrated to Hawaii in 1906 and settled in Hilo, Hawaii. At the age of 19 he was diagnosed as having a lung disease thought to be tuberculosis. As a desperate measure to combat depression, he began his study of Judo under the tutelage of Master Yoshimatsu (Kichimatsu) Tanaka at the Shinyu Kai Dojo in Hilo. The arts fascinated him and eliminated his frustration over his illness. He practiced with all his strength and being. Strangely, his devotion led to a complete recovery from his illness.
Professor Okazaki studied various martial arts, including the Hawaiian fighting art of lua, from a Hawaiian man in Puna, Hawaiʻi.
Professor Okazaki eventually formed an eclectic system which he called "Kodenkan". This system included Judo, Jujitsu, Hawaiian Lua, Okinawan Karate, Chinese Kung Fu, and American Wrestling. Breaking with tradition, Prof. Okazaki taught not only the Japanese, but any and all races.
He gave the name "Danzan Ryu" to his school of Jujitsu, in which Okazaki also incorporated 20 lua strikes he had mastered from the man in Puna, Hawaii. These ʻai or lua strikes were passed down to Professor Libert O ʻ Sullivan.
Luʻukia Kaoho Kemoku Kenn
Charles William Luʻukia Kaoho Kemoku Kenn was born in Honolulu on January 2, 1907. One of the few remaining masters of lua during his time. Kenn was descended from a line of kāhuna. In his writings, Kenn argued passionately for defiance against the Americanization of the Hawaiian people.
Kenn recorded Hawaiian chants from elders, preserving information about the Hawaiian language and cultural traditions. As a young man, he had learned lua from several teachers, such as Naluahine Kaopua of South Kona, as well as two lua practitioners who had trained at a royal lua school established by King Kalakaua. He had also studied with sensei Seishiro Okazaki.
When he was in his late 60ʻs he was approached by men who wanted to learn the ancient tradition, Kenn initially refused, but eventually agreed to teach a core group of students. He graduated a group of five ‘ōlohe (masters), who have continued teaching select students. Kenn's efforts led to the establishment of two lua pa (schools) in Hawaii: Pa Ku‘i-a-Lua, Ku‘i-a-Holo.
ʻŌlohe Lua Richard Paglinawan
'Ōlohe Lua Kukui Richard Likeke Kekumuikawaiokeola Paglinawan was a student of Charles Kenn, and founder of Pākuʻialua. Richard is a descendant of Kapule, a warrior priest originally from Kohala, Hawai'i, who served in the army of Kalaniopu'u and later, Kamehameha I. Born and raised in Waiahole, Oʻahu, He was trained in many traditional Hawaiian practices from a young age until adult hood, as well as trained in various martial arts. He was a social worker and held many esteemed positions in the State of Hawaii as well as in the community. All for the perpetuation of Hawaiians and their culture. His dedication to promote Lua as a way of life took him and his students all over the Pacific in the promotion of all Indigenous fighting arts and culture. He sadly passed away in 2015. He is also still on our advisory board when needed!
Professor Libert Ku'uleilunalili O 'Sullivan
Professor Libert O’Sullivan trained under Professors Bing Fai Lau and Sig Kufferath in the art of Jujitsu, receiving his Black Belt in June of 1949. He also studied Kenpo and Karate under various sensei.
Born in Honolulu and raised on the island of Molokai. In 1957, Sensei O’Sullivan taught students at St. Louis High School and continued working with Professor Kufferath at the Nikko Dojo of Honolulu. In June of 2000, he received his 10″ degree professorship from the Hawaii Kenpo Jujitsu Society. He was also a guest jujitsu professor with Paku'ialua. Liberts training in American jujitsu brought him to the art of Lua while training under professor Henry Seishiro Okazaki. Reportedly, the secret of Lua was broken in 1917, when Henry Seishiro Okazaki learned Lua from a Hawaiian man on Hawai'i. Eventually, Okazaki converted the Lua he learned and transferred these strikes into his Danzen Ryu System. Professor Libert mastered those same strikes and passed them on. Professor Libert has since passed on and is also on our advisory board when needed.
Ōlohe Ha'a Noelani Kanoho Mahoe
Noelani Kanoho Mahoe carries the title, Olohe Ha'a or master of dance. She has also trained in some forms of Lua however, she has not attainted the level of Olohe Lua. Through her many years of cultural studies, she has contributed to the revitalization of the ancient ha’a (dance forms), upu and chants of Lua, through her research, hula training, and her associations with older and knowledgable Hawaiians of past generatons. Her past accomplishments go back to the early 1950's, where she studied music, chant and hula, under Thomas Ka'ulaheaonamoku Hiona. After her attaining Kumu hula under Mr. Hiona, she continued her training under various kumu hula, and singers such as, Kawena Puku'i, Alice Keawekane, Kaupena Wong, Lena Machado and other noteable Hawaiians of an older time. She became a notable Hawaiian musician and writer. Her training with these masters enabled her to transition over to the lua practice and help to revitalize the old traditional ha'a in Lua, back to form. Noelani Kanoho Mahoe formed the Hawaiian singing group the " Leo Nahenahe Singers in 1963 and in 2002, she received the Hawaii Academy of Recording Artists Lifetime Achievement Award. Olohe Ha'a Noelani Kanoho Mahoe is retired from teaching 'aihaa in our lua practice, but is still a valuable resource for Ku'ialuaopuna.
ʻŌlohe Lua Lua Moke Kalauokalani
Moses Kalauokalani, the esteemed Ōlohe Lua of Paku'ialua, holds the title of Ōlohe Lua Pili Paa. For over fifty years, he has passionately traveled across the Pacific, promoting the Hawaiian Lua practice from Raiatea and the Marquesas to Aotearoa and beyond. Olohe Moses believes that all Polynesian fighting arts share a common genealogy, connecting us to a shared origin. He is one of the five haumana who studied under the legendary Charles Lu'ukia Kaoho Kemoku Kenn. He is a co-founder of Paku'ialua and Ku'ialuaopuna. Olohe Lua Moke Kalauokalani recetly passed away in 2025.
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ʻŌlohe Lua Mamane Wong
ʻŌlohe Lua Mamane Wong brings over 20 years of dedicated training in lua. His journey includes extensive mentorship under prominent figures such as ʻŌlohe Richard Paglinawan, ʻŌlohe Moses Kalauokalani, ʻŌlohe Lua Keani Kaleimamahu and ʻŌlohe Haʻa Noelani Mahoe. Additionally, he has honed his skills under sensei Libert 'OSillivan, delving into the lua arts of Henry Okazaki. His rich experience and lineage make him a dedicated practitioner in the practice of lua.
'Ōlohe Moses Kalauokalani ( left) and
'Ōlohe Ha'a Noelani Mahoe ( center) and
ʻŌlohe Lua Kukui Richard Likeke Paglinawan
are still an integral part of Ku'ialuaopuna.
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Kuʻialuaopuna is dedicated to promoting and preserving the rich cultural and traditional knowledge of our people throughout the Pacific. We strive to honor our heritage through the practice indigenous fighting arts, ensuring that these valuable traditions are passed to future generations. Join us in celebrating our unique identity and empowering our community these time-honored practices. Together, we can keep our culture alive thriving.
