Martial Arts

1. Ma hea au e ʻike ai i ka lua?

   Ma he-a au e ʻi-ke ai i ka lu-a?

   Where can I see lua, the Hawaiian martial art?

   Usage

   Lua is the traditional Hawaiian fighting art, covering bone-breaking joint work, strikes and weapons. It all but disappeared in the 19th century and was revived from the 1970s as part of the Hawaiian Renaissance; today it is passed on in a small number of hālau (schools) rather than walk-in gyms. For a visitor, looking for a demonstration at a cultural centre or festival is the practical route

   Grammar Note

   "Ma hea ... e ... ai?" asks where an action takes place. The ʻokina "ʻ" is a full consonant letter for the glottal stop, not an apostrophe; "ʻike" (to see) and "ike" are different words, so it must always be typed

2. Hiki iaʻu ke komo i kēia papa i kēia lā?

   Hi-ki ia-ʻu ke ko-mo i kē-ia pa-pa i kē-ia lā?

   May I join this class today?

   Usage

   Asking about a drop-in. Modern Hawaiʻi is a serious jiu-jitsu and MMA state — the home of BJ Penn and Max Holloway — and gyms on Oʻahu and Maui routinely take visitors for a single session. The conversation itself will be in English

   Grammar Note

   Ability is expressed as "Hiki iā [person] ke [verb]", with the first-person singular contracting to "iaʻu". Hawaiian is basically VSO, so the verb sits near the front

3. Hiki iaʻu ke nānā wale?

   Hi-ki ia-ʻu ke nā-nā wa-le?

   May I just watch?

   Usage

   Asking to observe. Gyms will almost always say yes. Lua training and hālau events, by contrast, are frequently closed to outsiders and should be treated as no-filming by default — always ask first in a cultural setting

   Grammar Note

   "Wale" follows the verb to limit it to "only doing X". The macron (kahakō) lengthens a vowel and distinguishes words: "nānā" (to look) versus "nana" (to snarl)

4. He aha ka uku no ka papa hoʻokahi?

   He a-ha ka u-ku no ka pa-pa hoʻo-ka-hi?

   How much is a single class?

   Usage

   Asking the price. A drop-in at a Hawaiʻi jiu-jitsu or MMA gym usually runs US$25-40, sometimes with a separate charge for gi rental. Gyms aimed at visitors around Waikīkī sit at the higher end

   Grammar Note

   "He aha ka uku ...?" is the set way to ask a price. The prefix "hoʻo-" normally forms causative verbs, but on a numeral it gives "exactly one", as in "hoʻokahi"

5. Hoʻomaka hou nō wau i ka mokomoko.

   Hoʻo-ma-ka hou nō wau i ka mo-ko-mo-ko.

   I have only just started fighting sports.

   Usage

   Flagging that you are a beginner. "Mokomoko" was the traditional Hawaiian bare-fist boxing contest and now serves for boxing and fighting sports generally. Say it early so the session can be adjusted

   Grammar Note

   Hawaiian puts the verb first and the subject after it (VSO). The particle "nō" intensifies whatever precedes it, adding a sense of "really, truly"

6. E ʻoluʻolu, e mālie iki.

   E ʻo-lu-ʻo-lu, e mā-li-e i-ki.

   Please, take it a bit easy.

   Usage

   For asking a partner to lower the intensity. In a Hawaiʻi jiu-jitsu room people just say "go light" in English, but this phrasing lands well with a Hawaiian speaker. Never hesitate to say it, however keen the room feels

   Grammar Note

   Commands take "e" before the verb: "e mālie" = be gentle. "E ʻoluʻolu" literally means "be pleasant" and is the standard polite request formula

7. Ua ʻeha koʻu kuli, no laila e haʻalele au i nā peku.

   U-a ʻe-ha ko-ʻu ku-li, no lai-la e haʻa-le-le au i nā pe-ku.

   My knee is hurt, so I will sit out the kicking drills.

   Usage

   Declaring an injury. Hawaiʻi gyms usually have you sign a waiver on the first visit, but a same-day problem can only be flagged verbally. Swap "kuli" (knee) for "poʻohiwi" (shoulder) or "kua" (back)

   Grammar Note

   "Ua" marks completed aspect. Hawaiian has two possessive classes; body parts, which you do not choose, take the o-class form "koʻu". The plural article is "nā"

8. Aia he mikilima e hiki iaʻu ke hōʻaiʻē?

   Ai-a he mi-ki-li-ma e hi-ki ia-ʻu ke hō-ʻai-ʻē?

   Are there gloves I can borrow?

   Usage

   Checking on equipment loans. Hawaiʻi gyms often lend gloves to a first-time visitor, but a mouthguard and rash guard are effectively always your own for hygiene. A jiu-jitsu gi typically rents for US$5-10 a session

   Grammar Note

   Existence is expressed with "Aia he + noun". "Mikilima" compounds a borrowed element with "lima" (hand); Hawaiian regularly builds names for new objects by combining existing words

9. Hiki iā ʻoe ke hōʻike mai iaʻu i kēia hana?

   Hi-ki iā ʻoe ke hō-ʻi-ke mai ia-ʻu i kē-ia ha-na?

   Could you show me this technique?

   Usage

   Asking to be taught a move. In a jiu-jitsu class you thank your partner with "mahalo" and a fist bump after drilling. Hawaiʻi gyms lean heavily on the idea of ʻohana — family — so newcomers are usually looked after generously

   Grammar Note

   "Mai" follows the verb to show motion toward the speaker; "aku" points away. "Hōʻike" is the causative hoʻo- on "ʻike" (to know), hence "to make known, to show"

10. I ka hola ʻehia e hoʻomaka ai ka papa?

    I ka ho-la ʻe-hi-a e hoʻo-ma-ka ai ka pa-pa?

    What time does the class start?

    Usage

    Asking about the timetable. Hawaiʻi gyms commonly run three blocks: early morning around 6am, a noon session, and evenings from 5-7pm. The schedule lives on the gym's website or Instagram — printed timetables are rare

    Grammar Note

    "ʻEhia" asks "how many" and attaches to countable nouns; "hola" is borrowed from English "hour". Even in a question, the frame stays "e" before the verb and "ai" after it

11. Aia he wahi ʻauʻau ma ʻaneʻi?

    Ai-a he wa-hi ʻau-ʻau ma ʻa-ne-ʻi?

    Is there a shower here?

    Usage

    Checking for showers. Established Hawaiʻi gyms have showers and lockers, though a small dojo near the beach may offer only an outdoor rinse. Jiu-jitsu culture takes skin infections seriously, so always wash straight after training

    Grammar Note

    "Wahi + verb" builds a noun phrase meaning "place for doing X". "ʻAuʻau" is a reduplicated form; reduplication in Hawaiian often marks repeated or continuous action

12. Aia he papa jiu-jitsu ma ʻaneʻi?

    Ai-a he pa-pa jiu-jit-su ma ʻa-ne-ʻi?

    Is there a jiu-jitsu class here?

    Usage

    Asking whether jiu-jitsu is taught. Hawaiʻi is one of the strongest Brazilian jiu-jitsu scenes in the United States, with many academies in Honolulu alone. Hawaiian has no native term for it, so the English word is used as is

    Grammar Note

    Modern Hawaiian usually keeps a foreign term in its English spelling when no native word exists. Some borrowings are respelled to Hawaiian phonology, but sport names are typically left alone

13. E hāpai i kou mau lima, e nānā i nā maka o kou hoa.

    E hā-pai i kou mau li-ma, e nā-nā i nā ma-ka o kou ho-a.

    Get your hands up, look at your partner's eyes.

    Usage

    Said by the coach. One of the most common cues during pad work and sparring — reading the eyes rather than the hands tells you what is coming. The clipped imperative carries no harshness

    Grammar Note

    Plurality is marked by "mau" before the noun: "kou lima" (your hand) becomes "kou mau lima" (your hands). Objects are introduced by the preposition "i"

14. E peku me ka ikaika a pau, mai kāohi.

    E pe-ku me ka i-kai-ka a pau, mai kā-o-hi.

    Kick with everything you have, do not hold back.

    Usage

    Said by the coach. What the pad holder calls when they want full commitment. Half-hearted contact is the more dangerous option, so this doubles as permission to strike at full power

    Grammar Note

    Prohibitions use "mai + verb". It is spelled the same as the directional "mai" but means "do not" when it heads the clause before a verb. "A pau" means "all" and intensifies the preceding noun

15. E hoʻomaha no ʻelima minuke, a e inu wai.

    E hoʻo-ma-ha no ʻe-li-ma mi-nu-ke, a e i-nu wai.

    Take a five-minute break and drink some water.

    Usage

    Said by the coach between rounds. Hawaiʻi's humidity means you sweat hard even indoors, so water breaks come often. Gyms have a refill station and everyone tops up their own bottle

    Grammar Note

    Numerals one to nine take the prefix "ʻe-", giving "ʻelima" for five. "Wai" is fresh water; sea water is a different word, "kai". Successive commands are linked with the conjunction "a"

16. Ua lawa no kēia lā. Maikaʻi loa ʻoe.

    U-a la-wa no kē-ia lā. Mai-ka-ʻi lo-a ʻoe.

    That is enough for today. You did really well.

    Usage

    Said by the coach to close the session. Hawaiʻi gyms usually line up for a bow or go round the room with fist bumps at the end. "Mahalo" is the natural reply to the coach

    Grammar Note

    "Loa" follows an adjective as an intensifier: "maikaʻi" (good) becomes "maikaʻi loa" (very good). "Maikaʻi loa!" also stands alone as everyday praise

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