Jon-kana-po

Nationality: Hawaiian
Age: 22
Occupation: Student
Residence: Oahu
Performance Date: April 30 2013
Primary Language: English

Jon-kana-po is the Hawaiian version of “rock-paper-scissors.” Two people would play by putting their hand into a fist and chanting Jon-kana-po as they shook their fist up and down with each word. When they got to the word “Po,” each player had to change their hand into either a fist, a flat hand, or in the shape of scissors. Jon was the name of the fist; kana was the name of the flat hand; and po was the name of the scissor shape. Each hand shape had its advantage. Jon would beat po; po would beat kana; and kana would be jo. However, if each player put the same hand shape out, they would try playing again, but this time they would chant: “Itchy-Itchy-to.” This change in chant did not change the game at all. The hand motions and shapes stayed the same, but the change of the chant made it to stress the importance of the next move as well as show that the round was not over.