Mau rākau, meaning "to bear a weapon", is a

martial art Martial arts are codified systems and traditions of combat practiced for a number of reasons such as self-defense; military and law enforcement applications; competition; physical, mental, and spiritual development; entertainment; and the preserv ...

based on traditional Māori weapons.

Weapons

Mau rākau is a general term referring to the skilled use of weapons. It is said that the use of weapons was taught in the Whare-tū-taua (House or school of war). The term Mau taiaha is used to refer to the use of the

taiaha A taiaha () is a traditional weapon of the Māori of New Zealand; a close-quarters staff weapon made from either wood or whalebone, and used for short, sharp strikes or stabbing thrusts with efficient footwork on the part of the wielder. Taiaha a ...

and does not necessarily include other weapons. Regular schools are held on Mokoia Island in

Lake Rotorua Lake Rotorua ( mi, Te Rotorua nui ā Kahumatamomoe) is the second largest lake in the North Island of New Zealand by surface area, and covers 79.8 km2. With a mean depth of only 10 metres it is considerably smaller than nearby Lake Tarawera ...

to teach the use of the

Mita Mohi Mita Hikairo Mohi (22 May 1939 – 20 November 2016) was a New Zealand exponent and teacher of the art of traditional Māori weaponry and a former professional rugby league footballer who represented New Zealand at the 1972 World Cup. Early li ...

established the Mokoia taiaha wānanga, which had trained more than 11,000 people over more than 30 years, , and had reached more than 20,000 people by the time of his death in 2016. One of those is actor

Cliff Curtis Clifford Vivian Devon Curtis (born 27 July 1968) is a New Zealand actor. His film credits include '' Once Were Warriors'' (1994), ''Three Kings'' (1999), ''Training Day'' (2001), '' Whale Rider'' (2002), ''Collateral Damage'' (2002), '' Sunshin ...

, who attended a Mau Rakau taiaha programme on Mokoia Island at the age of 10. Curtis was like a son to Mohi, and helped him out whenever he could at programmes in prisons and the community. Other Māori weapons: *

Mere (weapon) The mere () is a type of short, broad-bladed weapon in the shape of an enlarged tear drop. It was used to strike/jab an opponent in the body or the head, usually made from nephrite jade (pounamu or greenstone). A mere is one of the traditional, h ...

Kotiate Kotiate is a type of traditional hand weapon of the Māori, the indigenous people of New Zealand. A kotiate is a short club normally made of wood or whalebone. Kotiate means to cut or divide the liver (koti = cut in two or divide; ate = liver), ...

Tewhatewha A tewhatewha is a long-handled Māori club weapon shaped like an axe. Designed to be held in two hands, the weapon comes to a mata (point) at one end and a rapa (broad, quarter-round head) at the other. Use Like pouwhenua and taiaha, this long ...

Patu A patu is a club or pounder used by the Māori. The word ''patu'' in the Māori language means to strike, hit, beat, kill or subdue. Weapons These types of short-handled clubs were mainly used as a striking weapon. The blow administered w ...

Pouwhenua Pouwhenua or pou whenua (land post), are carved wooden posts used by Māori, the indigenous peoples of New Zealand to mark territorial boundaries or places of significance. They are generally artistically and elaborately carved and can be found t ...

* Wahaika

Mythology

It is said weapons including the taiaha and patu were handed down by

Tāne In Māori mythology, Tāne (also called Tāne-mahuta, Tāne-nui-a-Rangi, and several other names) is the god of forests and of birds, and the son of Ranginui and Papatūānuku, the sky father and the earth mother, who used to lie in a tight em ...

, god of the forest and Tū, god of war, the two sons of Rangi-nui and Papatūānuku. The Whare-tū-taua (House of war) is a term which covers the basics of educating young ''toa'' (warriors) in the arts of war.

References

External links

Mau Rākau assessment guides

New Zealand Qualifications Authority The New Zealand Qualifications Authority (NZQA; mi, Mana Tohu Mātauranga o Aotearoa) is the New Zealand government Crown entity tasked with administering educational assessment and qualifications. It was established by the Education Act 1989 ...

{{DEFAULTSORT:Mau rakau New Zealand martial arts Māori mythology Māori weapons