Fighting Arts of New Zealand
Unfortunately the fighting art of the Maori people is not very well documented and it is still taught orally and practically to students.
Never less they do have a very distinctive fighting style called the "Mau" (hand to hand) and "Mau Rakau" (fighting sticks).
Besides hand to hand combat the people of New Zealand also use various weapons. Each weapon having its own training and general style as well as personal adaptation of that style.
Some of the traditional weapons used by Maori's are as follows:
The most commonly taught of these are that of the Taiaha.
The fighting style and routines of this weapon are taught in regular schools on Mokoia Island in Rotorua.
(Information found on this page was kindly supplied by Whiri Kemara
whiri@culture.co.nz(Editor/Designer of
www.culture.co.nz) )
(Picture of the weapons and their description was taken from
http://www.maori.org.nz/s_show/weapons/index.htm )
