Taiaha

The taiaha is a traditional close-quarters staff weapon of the Maori people of New Zealand, made from wood or whalebone and typically five to six feet long. It has three working parts: the upoko, or head, carrying a carved arero, or tongue, used for stabbing and parrying; the ate or tinana, the gripped body of the shaft; and the rau, a flattened blade used for striking. It was wielded with short, sharp strikes or stabbing thrusts backed by quick footwork, and its use as a weapon of war declined after European contact introduced firearms, though it survives today in Maori martial training, ceremonial welcomes, and kapa haka performance.