--- title: "This is what you need to know about Hawaii’s ancient special forces" date: "2018-04-02" modified: "2020-10-22" authors: - name: "Blake Stilwell" job_title: "Editor-In-Chief, Air Force Veteran" link: "https://www.wearethemighty.com/authors/blake/" url: "https://www.wearethemighty.com/articles/this-is-what-you-need-to-know-about-hawaiis-ancient-special-forces/" categories: - "History" --- # This is what you need to know about Hawaii’s ancient special forces ![]() Hawaii has a very different history than the rest of the United States. The islands' native culture thrives in its memory, perhaps because that "destiny" didn't manifest itself in Hawaii like it did in the lower 48. --- ### Related: [This martial art was originally developed to beat up Nazis ]() It's a tribute to Hawaiians' strong links to the past that so much is known about the islands' ancient culture. But Hawaiians weren't always a unified people. Each island had its own chief who vied for power among the others. ![]() *Hawaiian Koa Warriors fighting using the Lua art.* To attack a rival's island, a chief couldn't just get 50,000 guys on chariots to roll over to their territory like rulers could in the ancient Middle East. Wars required amphibious operations and small unit combat. Enter the Koa Warriors. The Koa were the elite among the regular armies. They fought with Lua, the Hawaiian martial art, and went into combat barely clothed. Their main tactic involved using less-skilled fighters to shoot projectile weapons on an enemy. And when the enemy infantry closed in, the Koa would pummel them into submission. Beat that, Ohio. They used a variety of weapons, from the oars they rowed with shark-tooth edges, to knuckle dusters, daggers, and garrottes. Learn more in the video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pv9ruMA7HgU [American Heroes Channel]() ## Author Blake Stilwell is We Are The Mighty's Editor-in-Chief, covering military news, entertainment, and history, along with veteran education, employment and entrepreneurship. He is a former U.S. Air Force combat cameraman with degrees in Graphic Design, Television and Film, International Relations, Public Relations, Business Management and Middle Eastern Affairs. After leaving the military, he began working in film and television production in New York and Los Angeles, work that included ABC News, NBC Olympics, and HBO Sports. He then spent two years in Washington with White House Communications, before joining the Near East Foundation. At NEF he served as an International Development Fellow, then Communications Officer, and finally, Media Officer for the Middle East and Africa. Based in the Palestinian Territory, he coordinated strategic communications between eight country offices, international media, and government and NGO partners. He began a career focused on writing and editing in 2015 with We Are The Mighty. He left in 2019 for Military.com, but returned as Editor-in-Chief in 2025. Blake’s work has been seen on CBS News, Fox News, CBC, The Chicago Tribune, Task & Purpose, Military Times, Recoil, Skillset, American History, and was shockingly even used in a Supreme Court argument. He is an avid traveler and small business owner in Ohio, where he spends most of his energy fixing up a very old house. ### Author social links [Facebook]() [Twitter]() [Instagram]() [LinkedIn]()