When I was little, maybe six or seven, I was taking hula lessons in Makaha. I had a kumu that was VERY strict (which one isn't ?). I remember I was struggling to do the common hula exercise. You know the one... where you have to sit with your okole between your legs and roll with your arms crossed on your chest, down on the ground and back up again... over and over...
Well, I was a mere thirty pounds and couldn't keep my friggin' knees from popping out from under me when I rolled on the floor. No matter how I tried, them friggin' knees would come out again. The Kumu was getting impatient with me and starting yelling. Still OUT came my knees...
Finally she says: "Either you do it, or I'm gonna stand on your knees!!" Now, completely terrified of this THREE HUNDRED POUND Kumu stepping on me..I was crying and trembling. So, I started slow...then tried to whip around onto the floor and out came those knees !!! True to her words, she stepped on both my knees (mashing them into the floor) and tell you what... I whipped them rolls, over and over again. Really, really fast !! The whole time my knees were completely hidden under her big feet !!
She got off me, pleased as could be with herself ! She told me to do it on my own now...and I did it !! Of course my knees still didn't bend in the right direction... but I could do it. Still to this day... doing this hula exercise runs shivers up and down my spine... If I close my eyes I can still hear my kumu's voice and remember the rigors of hula... Makaha style !!
About Author
Lena Armitage Robinson was raised in Waianae, Oahu. Graduated from Waianae High ('88). She moved to chilly Wisconsin with her husband in 1990. She has three sons and works as an inspection auditor at a Phillips subsidary in Wisconsin. "I still haven't run into anybody else lolo enough to be in Wisconsin with me from Hawaii !! I miss my ohana, island weather, ono food and all the Hawaiian culture. Nothing beats sitting on the beach watching the sunset, eating a plate lunch with cool breeze blowing and cuddling up to your honey." After 8 years of strenuous hula lessons.. Lena remembers "Kawika" fondly and sings it to her keiki...she hopes to get them to learn to dance to it. She would love to hear from classmates from Waianae High class of '88 !!
