I'm looking for info on mau rakau and Maori fighting arts in general. Anybody know where to look? Links, books, articles, anything's OK. Cheers,
Greatings Abraxas , try this link angelfire.com/ma/jfjkd/FANZ.html .I will see what i can find for you,I will have some time on sunday & post what i Know of here for you was there any info specificaly you were after ie patu ,taiha , people to get in contact with??? cheers Riki
i wouldnt hold your breath. even living in NZ there is basically nil info on maori fighting arts. afaik they pretty much died out with the advent of the gun. traditional weapons are still used and some people do train them, but you would be hard pushed to find a teacher.
greatings ikken , there was a seminar over in foxton(lower north island nz) a couple of months ago & there was a group training in Otaki & pretty sure there was a group in Porrirua,But i think the main guy Pita Sharples is in the Hawkes bay area,(Pita was in the stop smoking comercials on tv ),So the art is still alive & there are teachers still out there.Any way will catch up with me mate later today (he is right into his maoritanga),so i will post me findings later today. what club do you train with Ikken & where abouts in nz you from?
greatings Abraxas, i spoken to one of my mates and there are guys that do train every saturday morning 6am at the beach,so the art is still alive ,I was told one of my other mates is right into it ,so will try to get hold of him for more info for you if you like.I have found a couple of more sites for you in the meantime. www.stampingground.com.au/liston-rua.html www.maori.org.nz hope these will help regards Riki
sorry that 1st link is www.angelfire.com/ma/jfjkd/FANZ.html i just found this info on the web for ya hope this helps Mau Rakau Wananga If you are interested in learning more about training in mau rakau, Pita Sharples' school of mau rakau are holding wananga around the motu. They hui around once a month, and the next hui is: 15-16 February 2002, Akerama Marae, Towai For further information, contact: Briarley Yates on: Ph: (09) 438 8831 Mob: (021) 114 5851 Email: briarleyy@hotmail.com I know this is a little out dated but there is email address there ,that may be still valid regards Riki
i train at the whangarei muay thai gym with jason houghton, and at the portland hall I train judo with "Tony" (I don't know his last name- its about as informal as it can get) you?
I'm sure if u contacted any local Maori culture groups or the local Marae that they should be able to put you onto someone who is teaching the Maori fighting arts in your area. There was quite a good section on long stick fighting in the movie Whale Rider [if I remember], so someone must be teaching it I hope! It'd be a shame if it was lost forever. A lot of the moves were very similar to bo from what I can remember of the movie, so you can expect that you will feel fairly confident with it if you are used to working with bo which isone of my favourite weapons. Good luck! It's nice to see a few more Kiwis here too!
Hi Ikken Hisatsu , Im from levin down the lower end of the north island ,we mostly train in sticks (fillipino arts),have trained in Muay thai ,nam pai chaun kungfu ,zendo kai ,jkd concepts ,so all my previous styles i have incorporated into what we train ,but the main focus is on the sticks hi abraxas will catch up with my mates on Thursday ,so i will be able to give you a good background ectect then Hi reiki yes i got workmate right into his maoritanga ,so he will know all about it,but he decided to have along weekend lol ,I just found out my other mate started up a club to do with maori weapeonary ectect ,so will catch up with him as well ,Are you a northislander to?what systen are you training in? Take care guys Riki
Hi Riki I'm in the NI too, [Auckland] doing mixed MA. We do a lot of weapons work and arnis sticks too - love those sticks! :love: I also love working with my Bo and other weapons too. cheers
Hi Reiki , awesome another person in NZ who plays with eskrima sticks .What system of arnis sticks do you play with?( to me play & train are the same thimg :Angel: ) . Do you play single/double sticks ?Do you play in long-medium or corto range ?Are there many fillipino styles up in Auckland? Hi Abraxas Sorry mate could not catch up with any my contacts ,But will keep trying,I think ive still got a old article on the maori fighting system ,Which i will see if i can dig out & write it up in this thread for you in the meantime.
Hey, if you blokes do manage to catch up with each other please make sure that someone takes a digi cam 'cos the gallery could do with some more pics. Especially with such a little known art. Have fun!
Hi Rick We do Remy Presas version - [modern arnis] with one and two sticks. ie single sinawali, double sinawali, redondo, banda banda etc plus snake disarms, watik strikes, figure 8 strikes, de cadena etc etc. all these translate over nicely for sword work too. We try to work in all ranges, but mainly med long where you can swing the sticks well. There is no playing, only training ;-) I'm not sure how many dojos teach arnis/escrima/kali in Auckland apart from our system, we have 14 dojos around Auckland and thru the Waikato and BOP. Anyway I enjoy the weapons syllabus and enjoy teaching it too, particularly bo.
Hi Abraxas , Just a quick update ,I have found the article on the maori fighting arts ,will have to right it out in several posts as im only a one finger typer & it will take me ages,will try to post a part each night ,starting tomorrow,hope that be will be alright. thanks for the reply Reiki will post soon.
ok here goes for the 1st post This info is taken out of "New Zealand Martial arts Magazine Feb-March 1997 issue no.18..im not quiet sure who the writer was ,but im presuming it was Paora Sharples. So here goes...part 1 History of- Te Whare Tu Taua O Aotearoa Inc The origins of Te Whare Tu Taua O Aotearoa Inc .(formally known as -Te Runanga Tu Taua Mau Taiaha O Aotearoa Inc .) Can be traced back to 1983 with the New Zealand Polynesian festival ,which was hosted by the Ngati Kahungunu people in Hastings .after much debate ,Pita Shaples was chosen to co-ordinate the Powhiri (welcoming ceremony )which involved the training of over 1000 people from Gisborne right through to Wellington in the use of the Taiaha (long club ). The Powhiri of that festival was at that time , the largest ever performed in modern times . As a result of its outstanding success, the need arose for an organization to be established to meet the growing interest of Maori in the ways of their culture . While it may appear to some as being something of a recent phenomenon ,the creation of the Whare Tu Taua O Aotearoa could be more accurately described as re-affirmation of Maori spiritual and culture knowledge from the past that is characteristic of modern renaissance. The teachings of the Whare Tu Taua go right back to ‘the old days ‘ of pre-European , to a time when only Maori inhabited Aotearoa . To a time when Maori lived in tribal groupings (whanau ,hapu and iwi ) living in a constant flux of warfare . Where Whare Tu Taua teachings concentrate on training methods ,moves and techniques utilized by ancestors to kill and survive in that era . With the arrival and encroachment of the pakeha (white man ) in Aotearoa and the subsequent decline of Maori culture through integration ,a rapidly declining number of selected people become custodians of weapon use , techniques and moves of attack and defense of the old days ,during the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries . Only recently during this period of culture revival (the last 20-30 years )has there been such an unprecedented demand for ,not only Maori weaponry , but teachings of all facets of Maori culture. By associating this knowledge with a martial arts perspective , it is hoped that this , along with traditional viewpoints of history and heritage ,will be revisited and kept alive through the years to come . will post more tomorrow night ,hope this is the sort of info you are looking for
part 2 Te Kaupapa O - Te Whare Tu Taua O Aotearoa Inc A key element ,not just of the Whare Tu Taua but everyday life, is ‘kaupapa ‘ for which there is no literal pakeha translation . Kaupapa is more than just content or plan , the simple reason being - it is everything that exist with a spiritual base. Kaupapa is an important focal point for the spiritual aspects of the Whare Tu Taua which can be traced back to Hore Hore Pa site at Takapau where the organization originated and first began at Rakau Tatahi Marae in Hawes bay , and where all students are expected to visit at some stage during there instruction . The head office of Te Whare TU Taua O Aotearoa Inc. can be located at Hoani Waititi Marae , Waitakere City ,Auckland Currently there are an excess of 2000 members under the guidance of the organization spread all over the country side , from various tribal groups with varying backgrounds which gives a good indication of the growing significance of its instruction .Membership is open to everyone and does not exclude anyone .All that is required is a desire to learn. As Tumu Whakarae (Sacerdotal Head ) Master & founder of the Whare Tu Taua O Aotearoa ,Pita Sharples Has been invested with the knowledge and ability to determine the kaupapa of his students and is the sole adjucator for the higher grading of the higher levels along with assistance from the current Taura Tu Taua students ( pouwhitu ),and most recently graduated and highest ranked students Taura Pouwhakarae ( pouwaru ). A student begins as an ‘Akonga” and progresses through various stages. At each level ,titles are earned by virtue of progression . Each stage that is studied is also broken down in a series of categories ,all of equal significance and all of which must be mastered before progression to a higher level. When examining the sectional content of each stage ,it becomes obvious that the scope of the runanga is far broader than simply the physical content alone .for every discipline and technique that must be attained with each stage , there is a certain degree of knowledge and understanding of what these requirements mean. A student that has reached the top four levels ,is also required to attain one of seven FIGHTING TITLES . These are combat titles and are attained through inter- competition within the Whare Tu Taua , where students fight one another undergoing a variety of fight situations and environments testing a number of attributes and skills including endurance ,speed , agility , reaction and stamina and also knowledge of relevant attack and defense and counter attack ,moves multiple attacks ectect .This in every grade students are taught to protect themselves instinctively and with a tremendous degree of fluency .once a title is earned it is held for life. These titles in order of achievement are - Te Tama-a-Tu Rakau Kawa Nui Rakau Kawa Pakoko Tawhito Kiko-Puku Matakaikutu Ika-a-whiro ok the final part i wont be able to put on here till friday ,As stated in my last post ,This info is out of a article in a magazine (see my previous post ),
final part, Pouwaru Wananga ; In December of 1996 , a Wananga ( intensive training live in ) and grading was held for the highest ranked students of Te Whare Tu Taua O Aotearoa , where they were graded for their final stage to become “Masters “- Taura Pouwhakarae .The week long Wananga took place in the Ngahere (bush/forest ) and at the Moana ( sea ). The Kaupapa of the Wananga was “Whakaiti” (the closest definition in English is “Humility”) which saw students develop a closer relationship with ,and understanding of the environment of the forest (Tane ), the sea ( Tangaroa ) and the elements (Tawhirimatea ). Students gained a greater appreciation of the natural elements of the world and of their creator, Io-Matua-Kore. Humility may be found in the understanding that: in the face of such creations , man is so insignificant. Yet in the fostering of love and understanding amongst mankind ,and in promoting care for the environment man is vitally important. Students were given daily tasks which saw them climb mountain slopes ,dive for sea food , fish using natural means and for the later half of the Wananga live of the fruits of the land and sea. A major objective of the intensive training was to comprehensively revise the entire syllabus of what had been taught over the past 13 years .The actual grading took one and a half days and involved the full range of fighting types and techniques , testing a number of tolerance levels . For example ,in one particular exercise , stamina was tested by duration combat in which each student fought 10 consecutive opponents one after the other. fighting styles were tested on different terrains and in different environments , including sparring on sand , in dense bush ,semi sub-merged in water as well as various inclines and declines .. At the conclusion of all the fighting and testing ,as a final exam all students embark on a 20 kilometer run over sand including the Tumu Whakarae ,of which all but two students completed . As an added difficulty no food was allowed to be consumed over the final 24 hrs of testing. The entire Wananga & grading was an extreme test of fitness , stamina & guts and was both humbling and exhaustive . Saturday evening participants returned to Hoani Waititi Marae in west Auckland to formally conclude the Wananga .Here the Tumu Whakarae announced the gradings achieved by the students. Eight students gained the Pouwaru “masters “ title of Taura Pouwhakarae. the top students received an additional title of - Tohunga Mau Raku .A formal graduation well be held on Feb. 22nd 1997. Role of -Te Whare Tu Taua O Aotearoa Inc. Primarily Pita sees a key function in- Fostering young Maori who have not got there Maori side and assist those who have lost direction in today’s times . The hectic physical requirements , associated with the discipline that students learn through years of training with traditional Maori weapons ,gives full credibility as a martial art perspective and are indeed aspects that many young people find particularly attractive . However , as one climbs the grades ,students realize the importance of other aspects such as Whakapapa , History , Customs as well as physical conditioning / perfection and fitness and most importantly the learning of ones language - blending together to ultimately empower the individual .This is all achieved through the art of Mau Raku. Therefore , Te Whare Tu Taua O Aotearoa is more than just a martial art or school of Maori weaponry .It also emphasises “ Maori Spiritual Religion and culture values”, effectively combining them in a way that reflects the “whole Maori way of life “,as a Taonga ( treasure ) , it belongs to the people .Kia Ora Na Paora Sharples That was the end of the article ,remembering this article was written back in 1997... Once i get hold of some of my contacts ,I will post my findings in here.So i hope this is what you were after Abraxas..
Hi Rick, Sorry for not replying sooner. I've been back in Blightey for a couple of weeks. Thanks so much for the article. The great effort you put in is also very much appreciated. Hopefully one day I can return the favour! Cheers again,
