Ah Wah (Awa)
Reflection
1966-1977
These are the reflections while growing up in Aiea on a lot filled with about 70 chickens and 2 dogs around the mango tree. Every afternoon thru evening was followed by the same ritual of training roosters for a boxing match.
4:00pm - 5:30pm
Kaiheg - ( holding the tail and tap spanking the left and right sides of the rooster's hip while they look fiercely at each other).
Spar - Roosters of the same weight box with each other with boxing gloves.
Wing strengthening - holding the tail while the rooster is clinging to the roof of their chicken coop.
5:30pm - 6:30pm
Feeding time - every water cup is cleaned and the feed bowl has a mixture of chicken feed.
The Chun family:
George Chun - The original Ah Wah (Awa)
Arnold Chun - The 2nd oldest of the brothers.
Edmund Chun - Known for the importing of the famous California cut & Bolz Jap (asil). They were strong birds.
Harold Chun - Known for his island born (potobo) breed and his handler - Andress.
Willy Chun - The youngest of the brothers and knife sharpener. He later imported popular birds from a mainland farm. - Gilmore Farm 86 wins, 16 loss, 6 draw in a year
All events happened on Saturday and Sunday. Everyone had to leave early because the parking lot filled by 8:00am.
The main arena sites:
Waianae: Each of the sites had over 100 matches per day with many vendors selling food such as barbecue plate ($1.50), pancit ($1), lumpia ($0.25), halo halo ($1). The favorite was Kalakai's wagon.
Tanaka Side (morning - 2pm)
In the middle of Paakea Road. The above ring was green with bleachers.
The lower ring a sunken ring with the hillside as the bleachers.
Referee: Abehai
Benny Side ( 2pm - evening)
Referee: Dolpho
Corner of Hakimo road and Paakea Road.
The upper ring was used in the evenings with lighting.
The lower ring had bleachers.
The Barn: Makaha
This was a place that had 12' fence wiring the perimeter.
Ewa: Banana Camp; Korean Camp
Long Bridge: Waialua
They had the best roasted huli huli chicken for sale.
Waimanalo: The junk yard
Kahaluu: The bridge
Kapaa and Koloa, Kauai
The derby (hosted bye the Game Cock Association): Sites rotated within cane fields, etc.
The players: Many of handlers were known either by the nick name, the clothes they were wearing (hat / no hat, black shirt, etc), place they were from (Aiea, Waipahu, etc), or the type of birds they had. When any of the Awa brothers entered the ring, it was automatic jest (10-7). The excitement of the crowd calling out the odds was ear piercing.
Known names:
Ah Wah (Awa)
Ah Po
Aiea (Baclaan)
Alejo (Maui)
Aliong Chun
Andress
Andy Miyamoto
B Bing
Basilio
Benny
Big Boy
Bigote - Mustach and beard
Blackie
Bobby
Bobby Nishi
Boy Boy
Buddy Rego
Bully Rego
Butch - Partnered with Joe Lee - ( Cap and dark glasses )
Charlie Chai ( Big Island )
Choy
Dadon
Doane ( Waldamar )
Dodo
Dolpho
Frankie (Known for the Johnny Jumper)
Gaspar
Gilmore
Harry (Dirty)
Herman Lau (Known for the Johnny Jumper)
Horita
Ignaciao
Iliong
Inky
Jiro
Joe Lee - Always with the Palaka shirt.
Johnny
Junior
Kalakai
Kamilo - Known for his hotel shirt and shorts (tiny mustach)
Kupau
Lanford
Leo - Known for his big step dancing.
Leonard
Leonard Wong
Lushio
Magalones
Mak-sai-sai - Known for the "turkey neck" chickens .... all the feathers around the neck was stripped.
Marshall
Mike (Sekigawa)
Mariano (Red baseball cap)
Masa
Mexican
Oliong
Paishon
P-ting (Waimanalo)
Rego
Raymond
Raymond Reno - Known for the Radcliff training
Sibiu
Simion
Sonny
Sparky
Sunny
Stanley
Sugui
Tagalog - Youths but big betters
Tazan
Ting Ting
Tommy
Undaya - (Wearing the russian hat and wife all dressed up)
Waikele (related to Blackie)
Watercress
If a bird is heavier by a few ounces or height, the advantage is off set by the tying location.
1 Step - Sadon
2 Step - Sing Sing
3 Step - Bau Bau
2 Knife
The popular birds:
Aseel, Asil, Jap, Claret, Black Traveller, Roundhead, Kelso, Cecil Davis, Grey, Blue Grey, Spangle, Bodik, LaSott, Muff, Mclean hatch (Green leg), Red, Blue, MacRay, Johnny Jumper and Henny (Bina Bai)