Home > Hobbies > Fire Knife Dance

"That's where we dance with the fire and the knives . . . at the same time."  -Kap Teotafiti

Do you want to see how we put it out?Do you want to see how we put it out?One of Stamps' more interesting hobbies is very addicting but surprisingly not well known outside Oceania. Originally from the islands of Samoa, the fire knife used to be used as a weapon. Now a marshall art, people come from all around the world to the annual world championship held at the Polynesian Cultural Center in Laie, Hawaii. Our own Chief Sielu at the Center is a former world champion fire knife dancer himself. Stamps saw the fire knife dance performed only once by Chief Sielu before taking it up.

 Tastes like chicken
Kap Teotafiti at the PCC, attempting to light the roll end of the knife by transferring flame with his tongue.

fire knife
There aren't that many pictures around the Internet of the fire knife. The dimensions of the fire knife are strictly regulated for competitions. Doubles are 34 inches in length, and the single knife is 37 inches long. fire knives
Chief Kamoku dancing with double knives. Don't it just make you wanna go out and try it yourself?! There actually is a blade on the fire knife, thus its name, as well as a hook.  (The Samoan name for the fire knife means "the tooth of death.") pose. . . pose
Here is quite possibly THE best fire knife dancer in the world, Chief Sielu, appearing in a promotional photo for the PCC. Notice the tattoo that runs up from his knees. This is the sign of a Samoan chief. Shashin dozo!
Gavin from Australia, who taught Stamps most of his fire knife along with Jai, pictured here performing at a wedding reception. Gavin competed once in the world championship competition. Notice the size of the flame in this picture. Even better than "Wedding Singer," wedding fire knife dancer
Gavin doing the same move Kap is pictured doing above, "eating fire." Slimy yet satisfying
Fa'afetai Tialino with doubles. Now THAT'S impressive!
Conan Kekipi Higa spinning indoors. hall of mirrors?


Here's a picture of Stamps' first time dancing with fire.               


 Spin it!
These next three shots are of him dancing at the nearby Hukilau beach. Spinning on grass is easier than spinning on sand, but wherever you spin it's fun. This move is called the "helicopter"
Shashin dozo!
Stamps may not hold any prestigious world fire knife titles, but in August 2000 he actually took the record for the world's worst fire knife burn.
This picture was taken one month after he managed to burn off some of his favorite skin. He's feeling much better now.

Discover Polynesia
The Polynesian Cultural Center This is where the fire knife world championship is held each year in the spring, a must see.

© 2010 F. C. Stamps
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