Deadliest Warrior - Maori vs Shaolin Monk

My son and I have an interest in martial arts so we watch Spike TV's "Deadliest Warrior" where they match up warriors from different time periods by analyzing their weapons and plugging it all into a computer. I don't always agree with the testing methods or outcomes but it's always entertaining and gives a lot of historical martial arts info. Here's the first 5 minutes of last night's Maori vs Shaolin Monk. Caution, it can get pretty bloody if you're squeemish.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r1TiqKLdWTE

My husband and watched that last night too. The show amuses me because of all the posturing on both sides! I also like how, with some of the weapons, they try to make it sound more "dramatic" than it really is - last night it was the spinning Shoilin double-ended spikes!

It's a cool show for sure, but I also don't like how they test weapons differently. Instrument everything and test everything the same, remove all the errors. I was so bummed when they did Pirate vs Knight... everyone I know wanted to see Pirates vs Ninjas (squad action). My next vote is for William Wallace.

I'm not sure how they define "Maori", because only two of those weapons are authentic - the mere and the taiaha. I've never even seen a "Stingray Spear" in any book on Polynesian material culture, but it looks like it would be pretty handy for fishing in a lagoon. A tarerarea might have been more useful against a rampaging Shaolin Monk:
"...the darts are 10 or 12 feet long, and are made of hard wood and are barb'd at one end. They handle all their arms with great agility particularly their long pikes or lances, against which we have no weapon that is an equal match except a loaded musquet (sic)." (James Cook)

That style of shark tooth club is Hawaiian - here in NZ they were just single edged tools used for preparing food. At least they gave the Taiaha some respect. There are a couple of great accounts of the taiaha vs. sword battles in the book "Maori Weapons in Pre-European New Zealand". This looks like it would be pretty entertaining too - I wish we got a Maori TV signal here!

Definitely entertaining. I wonder how much of the "smack talk" is scripted? Paipo, that full contact taiaha looks very interesting!

I was just thinking that there should be a drinking contest for this show - every time the narrator says "bloody," you take a shot! I would be PLOWED by the end of the show!

I like it!

:drink: