Shaka sign

The "shaka" sign is a common greeting gesture. It is often associated with Hawaii and sports such as surfing, kitesurfing, skateboarding, skimboarding, snowboarding and skydiving. It consists of extending the thumb and pinky finger while keeping the three middle fingers curled, and raising the hand as in salutation with the back of the hand facing the person that is being greeted; sometimes the hand is rotated back and forth to emphasize the sign.

Hawaiian locals use the shaka for various meanings, like "all right", "cool", "smooth", etc. Residents of states other than Hawaii who use the shaka may describe it as meaning "hang loose". It is also used to convey what locals in Hawai'i call the "Aloha Spirit," a gesture of friendship and understanding between the various ethnic cultures that reside within Hawai'i. It can also be used to signal a "hello", "goodbye", " 'till next time", "take care", "Alright!"

It is similar to American Sign Language letter "Y", where a fist is also made with only the thumb and pinky extended.

The sign is often followed by waving as a greeting or acknowledgement. It can be used when driving as a signal of thanks to other drivers (for example, someone who stopped to let another driver onto the road from a driveway).

The shaka sign was adopted as a campaign signal by Frank Fasi, a populist Honolulu politician of the 1970s and 1980s. Argentine football player Luis "Lucho" Gonzalez adopted the gesture around 2003 playing for club River Plate. It was used as a gesture towards fans when he would score. Ronaldinho, who has been awarded FIFA World Footballer of the Year, European Player of the Year, and other awards, also adopted the "shaka."

Pro wrestler Crush used the shaka sign as part of his Hawaiian gimmick in the World Wrestling Federation from 1992-1993.

UFC Superstar Chuck "The Iceman" Liddell is usually seen using the shaka with his arms crossed either in front or over his head as he enters the octagon to show respect for his style of martial arts, Hawaiian Kempo Karate.

Origin

One theory according to the Honolulu Star-Bulletin, [ [http://starbulletin.com/2002/03/31/news/kokualine.html Honolulu Star-Bulletin Hawaii News ] ] prevailing local lore credited the gesture to Kalili Hamana of Laie, who lost the three middle fingers of his right hand while working at the Kahuku Sugar Mill. Hamana was then shifted to guarding the sugar train, and his all-clear wave of thumb and pinkie is said to have evolved over the years into the "shaka". This story is also told by the Polynesian Cultural Center. [ [http://www.polynesia.com/retail/hukilau_store.html#shaka The Hukilau Store ] ]

A second theory is that the "shaka" sign had to do with marble playing. The position of the hand after shooting the "kini" (marble) is in the form of shaka. The hand sign came to mean sharp or accurate.Fact|date=November 2007

A third theory is that the word was originally "shark eye". Holding the hand with the pinkie and thumb extended represented the shark head, with the thumb and fingers being the eyes. To say "shaka" (or "shark eye") to someone and flash the "shark eye" hand is said to have been considered a compliment, as the shark is highly respected in Hawaiian culture.Fact|date=November 2007

imilar gestures

In Britain and Northern Europe the symbol is used as a signal for owners of older model Volkswagen vans when passing on roads. The silhouette of the hand reveals a "W"-shaped outline along the top of the hand standing for Volkswagen.

In Portugal, Spain, and other Spanish or Portuguese speaking countries, if the thumb points to the mouth, it is used to indicate the drinking of alcohol, since it is similar the shape of a "porrón" vessel. This is also true in Italy, North America, Russia, and Germany. In Australia, the same gesture mentioned above, refers to "smoking a pipe", more commonly that of marijuana.Again, in Italy and Germany, the thumb close to one's ear and the pinky close to the mouth means: call me or something referred to phone calls. Bringing the thumb close to nose means: something referred to a lie ("the elongation of Pinocchio's nose").

In New Zealand, it is used by the gang Mongrel Mob, possibly because E-E-E can be rotated to M-M-M, meaning Mighty Mongrel Mob. Also can mean to smoke P (Methamphetamine) through a glass pipe.

In China, it is also the sign for the number six.

In India and Venezuela, the sign is used colloquially as a reference to sexual intercourse, and the hand may be moved in the direction of the pinky finger, as to mimic penetration.

In Thailand, the sign is used to refer to the country band Carabao (คาราบาว), in this case the thumb and little finger representing the horns of the water buffalo, as this is the meaning of the word Carabao.

In Serbia, it depicts the profane slang expression "do jaja". This expression is used to describe something as very good. Literally translated, it means "next to testicles", in a sense that is as "high" as that. Since the middle finger is a symbol of the penis, index and ring finger are considered "testicles", hence the thumb and the little finger are "next to testicles".

In the University of Texas at El Paso the sign is known as the Miners pickaxe and used in football games and pep rallies.

At the University of South Carolina the sign is known as "the Spur". It represents the spur of a gamecock and is used at football games and pep rallies to cheer on the Gamecocks.

A similar gesture is the "call me" sign, which also has the pinky finger and thumb outstretched, but then also holds it up to the ear, to signify a telephone. This gesture is a common way to silently tell someone to call him or her to continue a conversation in private, or that a call has arrived for them which they should go answer.

The shaka is also widespread in the skydiving world, where it is usually performed by the jumpers when the plane reaches its maximum altitude, right before skydivers leave the plane for the jump. The tradition is for every skydiver to engage in a dap greeting with his fellow jumpers, thereby wishing them a safe and enjoyable jump, and somehow taming his own fears. One form of this traditional greeting that seems widespread, at least among the European and American skydiving communities, involves a slap followed by a fist bump and the shaka. It is believed that this tradition emerged as a way of making fun of popular sports such as surfing and snowboarding, whose participants are considered as self-absorbed, but stuck among skydivers, and is now passed along to younger generations.

Other signs close in form are the Hook 'em Horns and corna.

References