Poi has been part of the Maori tribes for hundreds of years. It began as a way for the men to build coordination, flexibility and upper body strength for battle. The women would use poi as wrist exercises, as their duties to the tribe were to weave and make clothing. The art eventually made its way into a dance and the Maori woman began to perform poi for a variety of events.

Unlike popular belief, the Maori people never used fire in their performances. The traditional poi is made up of plant fibers with fabric wrapped around it to form a ball, attached to a cord made up of twisted flax leaves with a tassel hanging from the end.