Martial Arts Of The World - Webs

Pa Kua Ch’uan
See Baguazhang (Pa Kua Ch’uan)
Pacific Islands
The South Pacific islands (Hawaii, Samoa, New Zealand, Guam, and
Tahiti) were inhabited, before the arrival of Europeans and the decimation
of much of the native population, by peoples who were united by a common
group of languages, the Polynesian languages. Examples of these languages
include Hawaiian, Samoan, Maori, and Tahitian. The technology
level of the Pacific islanders was not advanced, never progressing beyond
late Paleolithic technology. The islanders did not have the use of metals or
metalsmithing techniques. As a result, when one discusses martial arts
among these peoples, unarmed combat techniques and fighting with
wooden weapons become paramount, and there did exist several unique
weapons native only to these islands.
The peoples of the Pacific islands were the world’s first long-distance
navigators. Beginning from their homes in Asia, these peoples spread, by
outrigger canoe, to islands throughout the South Pacific, including Easter
Island (Rapa Nui), the most remote place on earth. By the 1500s, these islands
were completely colonized by the Polynesians. Although navigation
and commerce broke down between these islands for reasons that are still
unknown, the very act of reaching these farthest outposts of land indicates
the bravery of these peoples, which, to no great surprise, was often reflected
in their fighting arts.
The oral traditions of these islands tell of a long history of warriors accomplished
in martial arts. The reasons for the necessity to know how to
fight are many, but it can be surmised that given the scarce resources and
population pressures of a limited physical area, such as these islands, the
competition for these resources must have been fierce. It is therefore not surprising
that different tribes or clans of peoples would have had to know how
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