POLE CLUBS,
FIJI HAD TWO BASIC VARIETYS OF FIGHTING CLUBS THE STRAIGHT ONES SOMETIMES CALLED GADI BECAUSE THEY WERE OFTEN MADE OF GADI WOOD BUT THE WOOD WAS ALSO USED ON OTHER TYPES OF CLUBS AS WELL.
GADI, THIS WAS A STRAIGHT POLE NOT FLARED AT EITHER END THOUGH SOMETIMES TAPERING TO A SMALLER GRIP. THE GRIP IS OFTEN THE ONLY PART OF THE CLUB WITH CARVING WHICH IS USUALLY OF THE TAVA TAVA STYLE WHICH SEEMS TO BE THE MOST PREVELANT DECORATIVE DESIGN IN FIJI CLUBS. SOME OF THESE CLUBS HAVE A ROUNDED STRIKING END AND SOME HAVE A FLAT ONE. THE BUTT OF THE CLUB IS USUALLY FLAT OR SOMETIMES HAS A CONCAVE HOLE , SOME WITH INLAY.
THE OTHER FORM IS MORE LIKE A BASEBALL BAT WITH A LARGER STRIKING END AND FLAREING OUT AT THE SMALLER BUTT END BELOW THE GRIP. THIS WAS CALLED A BOWAI AOI AND WAS THOUGHT TO HAVE ORIGINATED ON TONGA WHERE IT WAS CALLED POVAI. IT WAS WIDELY USED IN FIJI AND THE FAVORITE CLUB OF RATU SERU CAKOBAU . HIS CLUB WAS MADE INTO THE MACE OF THE FIJI HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. OFTEN BOTH FORMS OF POLE CLUBS ARE CALLED BOWAI BUT THERE IS A DIFFERENCE. BOTH TYPES OF CLUBS WERE OVER 100 CM. LONG. SEPARATING THEM FROM THE SHORTER CUDGLES OF SIMULAR FORM. THE FULLY CARVED POLE CLUBS WERE USUALLY TONGAN EITHER FROM TONGA OR MADE BY TONGANS IN FIJI OR SAMOA OR WHERE EVER THEY MIGHT BE. THE FIJIANS LIKED TO INLAY IVORY IN THEIR CLUBS EITHER MARINE IVORY (WHALE, ECT) OR HUMAN IVORY TEETH.
PICTURES
1. AN EXAMPLE OF TAVA TAVA DESIGN, ON A PRE 1850 CLUB BUTT.
2. 3. & 4 A BOWAI ,FULLY CARVED IN TAVA TAVA DESIGN 32 INCHES LONG AND END 7 INCHES IN CIRCUMFRENCE
5. FULLY CARVED BOWAI WITH ANOTHER FORM OF FIJI CLUB.
6 &7 CLOSER TO A GADI FORM THAN A BOWAI WITH A INTERESTING DESIGN ON THE CLUBS BUTT AND A ROUNDED TOP. 50.5 INCHES LONG
8, 9.&10 CARVING DETAIL TAVA TAVA ON POLE CLUB BUTTS
11. ROUNDED STRIKING HEAD OF BOWAI , TAVA TAVA DESIGN
12 CONCAVE BUTT END OF A PLAIN GADI CLUB