Bikinis, surfboards and battle-axes? Hawaii loosens long-strict weapons laws after court ruling

HONOLULU — Hawaii’s tourist hotspot Waikiki is known for bikinis, shopping and surfboards. But resident Andrew Roberts recently introduced another item to evening strolls through his neighborhood: a long battle axe.

Roberts, executive director of the nonprofit Hawaii Firearms Coalition, has been taking the 15th-century-style European halberd on hikes since May, when Hawaii relaxed its gun laws in response to the U.S. Supreme Court ruling Decision of 2022 that Americans have the right to carry firearms in public for self-defense.

The so-called Bruen ruling has upended gun laws across the country, but especially in Hawaii, which has long had some of the nation’s toughest gun laws. strictest restrictions — and one of the lowest rates of gun violence.

A subsequent ruling by the federal appeals court applied Bruen to the state’s ban on butterfly knives, finding it unconstitutional. Although that case and others related to Hawaii’s gun laws still be charged, lawmakers responded this year by passing a measure that generally allows deadly or dangerous weapons to be openly carried in public. Previously, anyone caught with one was immediately arrested.

The new law provides opportunities for some to connect with Native Hawaiian and other cultures through traditional weapons. It also raises concerns that as displaying weapons becomes more common, people will use them more often.

Roberts called himself a “true believer in the Second Amendment.” He said his walks with the halberd or a shorter battle axe help raise awareness of the laws and keep police from harassing him for being armed with unusual weapons.

“I probably get stopped two or three times on an average evening walk and have a conversation about the gun laws in Hawaii and what the gun laws are,” he said.

On a recent Saturday morning, a halberd-wielding Roberts gathered with other coalition members in Waikiki’s sprawling Kapiolani Park. A few carried samurai swords. One held a butterfly knife — also known as a balisong, prominent in martial arts in the Philippines, where many Hawaiians trace their roots. A wooden, Scottish sword dangled from the waist of a man in a red kilt.

Honolulu police officers, who got wind of their plans to march through Waikiki in honor of the law, spoke with them. Roberts told one of them that he had bought his halberd knife on Amazon for $56.

With officers as escorts, they strolled along Waikiki’s main boulevard, Kalakaua Avenue. Some tourists looked twice, but many seemed unfazed by the armed men carrying a large American flag.

“Nobody’s really shocked,” Roberts said. “It’s just a chance to talk to people about what’s happening in Hawaii, about Second Amendment rights.”

In a statement, the Hawaii Attorney General’s Office stressed that the new law does not create a free pass for carrying guns in public.

“The idea that you can just carry guns wherever and whenever you want is simply not correct,” the report said. “There are numerous existing laws and regulations that regulate the use and possession of guns in many ways. All of these laws will continue to be enforced.”

It remains a crime to carry a weapon in a concealed manner, and the law has increased the penalties for carrying one while committing a crime. It is also illegal to carry a weapon in a way that threatens or terrorizes others.

While stabbing weapons and batons are not as dangerous as firearms, they have no place on the streets, said Chris Marvin, a Hawaii resident with the anti-gun violence organization Everytown for Gun Safety.

“I can understand the self-defense argument that people make and I would rather see them use a knife or a blunt object instead of a gun, but the cultural attitude that we are beginning to adopt is not the norm for Hawaii,” he said. “By creating these laws, we are becoming more and more like the mainland, which is full of aggressive, argumentative people who are too quick to resort to violence.”

Michael Rice carried a wooden spear on his hour-long bus ride to the meeting in Waikiki. By studying traditional weapons, like the spear his uncle made from koa wood, he has connected with his native Hawaiian roots: “I don’t get to express my culture that much.”

Soleil Roache, a self-defense instructor who was not present at the walk, said the law now allows her to incorporate the balisong into her classes and learn about its importance in the Philippines, where her grandfather came from. The law gives her the “opportunity to delve into that part of my ancestry,” she said.

Filipino martial arts instructor Burton Richardson said he can now teach and practice in public parks with weapons, including balisong. “In the Philippines, the tradition of fighting with knives, sticks and swords … has been important to the culture,” he said.

The weapon has two rotating handles that can open and close, like butterfly wings, and enthusiasts take great advantage of the blade to display it.

Umi Kai, who makes traditional Hawaiian weapons such as spears, daggers and clubs, was not on the walk. He uses the tools primarily for ceremony or education; they are impractical for self-defense in modern Hawaii, he said.

“For self-defense, I wouldn’t carry a club full of shark teeth every day,” he said.