Taiaha
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A taiaha is a traditional weapon of the Māori of New Zealand. It is a close-quarters staff weapon made from either wood or whalebone, and used for short, sharp strikes or stabbing thrusts with efficie
Two Māori men fighting with taiaha
Portrait of Te Rangi Hīroa (Peter Henry Buck) dressed in Maori costume and holding a taiaha, 1930s
Detail of upoko
Crest of the New Zealand Army, with the second sword swapped for a taiaha in Charles Bennett's honour
Mau rākau
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Mau rākau, meaning "to bear a weapon", is a martial art based on traditional Māori weapons.
Taiaha
…and parrying; the ate (liver) or tinana (body), the long round part that is gripped; and the rau, the long flat blade that is the main striking part. Mau rākau is the martial art that teaches the use of the taiaha and other Māori weapons in combat. As with other martial arts styles, students of the taiaha spend…
A man holding a tao