mau rākau
{{more citations needed|date=January 2010}}
{{Use New Zealand English|date=March 2024}}
{{Infobox martial art
| image =
| imagecaption =
| name = Mau rākau
| aka =
| focus = Weaponry
| country = {{flagicon|NZL}} New Zealand
| olympic = No
| creator = Various
| parenthood =
| famous_pract = Cliff Curtis, Temuera Morrison
}}
Mau rākau, meaning "to bear a weapon", is a martial art based on traditional Māori weapons.
Weapons
Image:Maoritattoo.jpgMau 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 and does not necessarily include other weapons.
Regular schools are held on Mokoia Island in Lake Rotorua to teach the use of the taiaha. Mita Mohi established the Mokoia taiaha wānanga, which had trained more than 11,000 people over more than 30 years, {{asof|2007|lc=y}},{{cite web | url=http://www.corrections.govt.nz/news-and-publications/magazines-and-newsletters/naku/january-2007/a-bit-of-hollywood-in-rotorua-tikanga-programme.html | title=A bit of Hollywood in Rotorua tikanga programme | publisher=The Department of Corrections | work=Naku | date=January 2007 | author=Mita Mohi | author-link=Mita Mohi | archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20081015212544/http://www.corrections.govt.nz/news-and-publications/magazines-and-newsletters/naku/january-2007/a-bit-of-hollywood-in-rotorua-tikanga-programme.html | archivedate=October 15, 2008 |url-status=dead}} and had reached more than 20,000 people by the time of his death in 2016.{{cite web | url=https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11751835 | title='Beautiful man' Mita Mohi dies | work=Rotorua Daily Post | date=November 20, 2016 | accessdate=July 30, 2019 | author=Makiha, Kelly }} One of those is actor Cliff Curtis, 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:
Mythology
It is said weapons including the taiaha and patu were handed down by Tāne, 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
{{Reflist}}
External links
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20070225031424/http://www.nzqa.govt.nz/for-maori/resources/maurakau/intro.html Mau Rākau assessment guides], New Zealand Qualifications Authority
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