Sipi Tau - History of the war dance

Winger Siale Piutua explains Tongan cultural challenge / war dance; the Sipi Tau. Rugby World Cup 2015 England has seen some outstanding cultural challenges, from New Zealand's haka to Tonga's Sipi Tau.
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[@Idkidk55957]

They say the people of the Pacific were the greatest sea navigators in the world. The ability to efficiently and effectively navigate with stars and travel back and fourth from islands thousands of kms long. You should definitely be proud of your ancestors. What a great way to acknowledge them then with the words of war your ancestors spoke. Thank you very much for keeping the tradition going whether you're Samoan, Fijian, Tongan or Maori.

[@jamesound2597]

malo ofa atu

[@teti_99]

Seb Reni we were the greatest navigators. Long before the samurai, Viking and knights existed, we traveled between islands like it was a car ride to the store. Centuries before Columbus reached the American continent, Polynesians were trading and traveling between the people of the ancient americas. I'm proud to be Tongan and I love my heritage. It is built around family and honor, peace and war. Thank you for your kind words Seb Reni

[@lelikoloa6873]

God is good all the time and all the time god is good amennn

[@horsemen6769]

Looked like Doug howlett for a second there.

[@jamesound2597]

mate ma'a tonga

[@fo4357]

Respect to Siale Piutau, but the sipi tau is NOT traditional. It was created for rugby as an answer for the Maori haka. I've done Tongan dancing since I was a kid. The moves in the sipi tau are nothing like moves from any other Tongan dances

[@fo4357]

@Lay Can you please explain what you mean? What is traditional about it?

[@fo4357]

@Lay Yes, that is what the word traditional means. Maybe my question was unclear. What I meant to ask is what makes it traditional? Eg. the name? (I've never heard a reference to the sipi tau in any historical text, nor in my years as part of professional traditional Tongan dance groups); the movements? (Again, they are unlike moves from the lakalaka, mako, etc.) I don't speak Tongan well, so maybe you know something I don't know

[@fo4357]

@Lay I know that's what it says in Wikipedia, but notice that there are no references. Many years ago (around 20 years), the Wikipedia page had a description of the Sipi Tau, but under the title Kailao (again with zero references), until I edited the page to show that they are not the same thing. It still has both dances on the same page, however. Kailao, both the Tongan and Uvean versions, and the Samoan version (which also derives from Uvea) use pate kailao, but I don't believe that they are related. How can the Sipi Tau, a dance with no weapons, a chant, and no music, be a variation of a dance using weapons, a drumbeat and no chant/singing? Also, what other Tongan dance uses a chant rather than singing? I can't think of a single one. Also, how do you, personally, know that the Sipi Tau is a variation of Kailao? My opinion is based on doing Tongan dance throughout high school, dancing in two professional Tongan cultural groups that performed throughout New Zealand, including one that toured Europe and competed in Tonga, under the tutelage of the family of the Tatuila (heriditary dance master/punake of Mu'a), who are my close relatives. I have also read a number of books on the subject of Tongan dance. This is not to boast, but show that my opinion is based on being a dancer for many years.

[@dalenewton9697]

One certainly gets the impression from the video that the dance is traditional, as he says 'it dates back to centuries ago'. Perhaps it is traditional only in the sense that the moves are based on some war dance from way back when. Sounds a lot better than saying ' we made it because the All Blacks had a dance' :D. Did Tonga people used to have war dances which might have inspired the it?

[@chiraqkiller3079]

@@dalenewton9697 I've happily answer ur question. Because FO seems to also want a reasonable explanation or connection between the current Sipi tau and previous tongan war dances. Firstly I will say that the sipi tau is (Traditional) and heres why. Yall would already know about the kailao and how it is a dance using weapons, a drumbeat and no chanting, whereas the sipi tau is a war dance with no weapons, no drumbeat and a chant. You guys are also questioning how sipi tau is a variation of the kailao. FO says he thinks theres no relation whatsoever. Well its because u guys are focusing on the major differences and not the actual context of the dance. This is why the Sipi tau is a variation of the Kailao. The kailao is a (Sequence), which emulates battle, The drumbeats are signals that alert the group of which moves to perform next and the steps are called by the lead dancer who signals when to do it. The Sipi tau is the same, it emulates battle, there is no drumbeats because the moves in the kailao are more complex and need drumbeats to identify which ones to do which is why the dumbeats in the Sipi tau is the Leader, the person at the front of the sipi tau is the drummer, he signals his pack leading them through the moves. the dance may be different but the intentions are the same. The Kailao was performed by the Tongan rugby team but was later stopped and renamed Sipi Tau where the moves changed but the sequence still remained the same. The chants was penned out by the 4th King, the words of the sipi tau address the players love for their land and God. In context the Sipi tau is a more modern war dance, but is traditional because it's related to the Kailao. Its not just a danced whipped up from scratch to show off with, that would have 0 relation. the fact that its inspired by the kailao proves its connection. Also @FO stated, "Wat makes the Sipi tau traditional", well the fact that its foundation is built from the Kailao plain and simple. The Kailao is traditional, which also makes the sipi tau traditional to tongan people. U still may be arguin about the chanting. Well the think of the chants as the unspoken words hidden inside the hearts of tongan warriors. tongans went into war with 2 things in their hearts, Their Land and God. The first king of Tonga gave the land of tonga to God. Tongan warriors had this love and passion that they kept inside their hearts going into battle expressing with their strength. These words is are wats written for the Sipi tau chant, Its the expression of Love for the land and god, these are words that were kept in ancient tongan warriors and is only now resurfacing. I can interpret this because I'm tongan and Its just a spiritual connection and understanding. This is my own Interpretation, @FO shouldn't be so arrogant as to question a persons tradition so easily, If u truly seek an answer than ask a Tongan Elder. Trust me, theres always a hidden connection behind things.

[@paulinenyashanu243]

00:13 His hair!

[@teti_99]

Pauline Nyashanu lol that's poly hair for you. Waves for days! Hahaha

[@施宇洋-m4c]

Need translation as subtitles

[@mundeeyeahfasho3763]

War dance

[@muchofas]

Gurl hes speaking english 😟

[@hellovanite]

The sipi tau is a manufactured war dance penned by the king to copy the haka it didn't exist before the 90s and Tonga didn't have a war dance pre the 1800s. the version prior the current one was nothing like the one they do now. It's a straight rip off the haka.