Season 1 Episode 7: Shaolin Monk vs Mori Warrior

Bob Hubbard

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Episode 7: Shaolin Monk vs Māori Warrior

Shaolin Monk Team: Eric Chen (Kung Fu Master/Historian), Wang Wei (Wushu National Champion), Alfred Hsing (Chinese Weapons Expert)
Māori Warrior Team: Seamus Fitzgerald (Māori Weapons Historian), Jared Wihongi (Special Forces Combat Instructor), Sala Baker (Māori Weapons Specialist)
Shaolin Monks Weapons: Twin Hooks, Emei Piercers, Staff, Whip Chain
Māori Warrior Weapons: Stingray Spear, Mere Club, Taiaha, Shark Tooth Club

Shaolin Monk Māori Warrior Advantage Close Range: Emei Piercers Mere Club Mere Club Mid Range: Staff Twin Hooks
Taiaha Stingray Spear
Taiaha Twin Hooks
Special Weapons: Whip Chain Shark Tooth Club Shark Tooth Club -For the short range match up, the Emei Piercers took on the Mere Club. The Emei Piercers showed amazing speed, accuracy, and killing potential as Alfred turned a gel torso's head inside out with repeated stabs. The Mere Club annihilated a bull skull (which is two times thicker then a human skull) with ease. The experts of the Māori wanted to prove that the Mere was stronger than steel, so they set up a test. Sala tried to smash through a row of bricks with a steel knife and managed to smash through one, but the Mere smashed through three, and this gave it the edge.
-For the first Mid Range weapon match up, the Twin Hooks were put up against the Stingray Spear. The Twin Hooks went up first, and managed to cut up a pig carcass and added more when both swords were put together to double the range and managed to cut through a gel torso. The Stingray Spear answered back with an impressive show when the spear stabbed its opponent and lodged the ends of the spear into the gel torso. The Stingray Spear caused severe damage, but not as much as the Twin Hooks, and the Twin Hooks were given the edge for this and re-usability, as the stingray spear was deemed a "one shot" weapon .
-Next the Taiaha went up against the Staff. Although the Staff managed to take out clay pots with amazing speed and precision, the Taiaha showed more strength as it took out two cow spines (which is three times thicker than a human spine). The fact that the Staff was used more as a defensive weapon was the determining factor because the Taiaha was built to kill and was given the edge.
-In special weapons, the Whip Chain was put up against the Shark Tooth Club. Although the Whip Chain showed a lot of killing potential and sharp precision as it took out all five glass orbs in two strikes, the Shark Tooth Club was able to not only cut its leg of beef, but keep cutting when the teeth broke off inside the target. That was shown as nightmarish damage. The Shark Tooth Club was given the edge.
-It should also be noted that in the simulation, the Shaolin also used a meteor hammer or possibly even a rope dart. Whichever the weapon, its tests were not shown in the episode.
-The experts representing the monk also appear to have wielded wind and fire wheels, or chakrams, which were demonstrated in early clips of the episode, but were not used in weapons testing, possibly due to the Maori's lack of a long-range weapon.
Simulation 7

This battle takes place in a valley. A young Shaolin Monk is training when he hears strange sounds. He investigates and sees a Māori doing the "Ka Mate" haka. When the Māori is done, he pulls out his stingray spear, ready to fight. The Shaolin bows in respect, and the Māori attacks. The Shaolin dodges his attacks and pulls out what appears to be a meteor hammer. He strikes the Māori, but then loses his weapon along with the Māori's stingray spear and runs away with his Twin Hooks and staff, the Māori hot on his heels. The Shaolin stops and pulls out a Whip Chain, whipping it at the Māori. The Māori, now armed with his Taiaha, catches the Shaolin's whip and flips him to the ground, but the Shaolin continues whipping around until the Māori catches the whip and pulls it out of his hands. The Shaolin runs away again with the Māori chasing him and pulls out his staff. The two warriors clash until the Māori's Taiaha breaks the staff. The Māori launches a furious series of attacks, which the monk attempts to dodge. Although the monk appears to be hit once (there is a sound of the Taiaha hitting something and the Shaolin cries out in pain, but the injury is never shown), he nonetheless manages to get his Twin Hooks and finally disarm the Māori of his Taiaha. The Shaolin hooks together his Twin Hooks and slashes the Māori's torso. Enraged, the Māori tackles the Shaolin in the middle of the Shaolin attempting another strike, only to be kicked back. The Shaolin pulls out his Emei Piercers, and the Māori answers back by pulling his Shark Tooth Club and a Mere club. The Māori lunges at the Shaolin, only to have his Mere disarmed when the Shaolin appears to break that arm. The Māori counters by cutting the Shaolin in his lower torso with his Shark Tooth Club. The Shaolin spins his Emei to distract the Māori, then punches him in the face. The Māori lunges at the Shaolin, but the monk dodges all his attacks and finally stabs the Māori in his temple with the Emei, killing him instantly. Finally, the Shaolin stands silently over the dead Māori's body and bows his head in remorse.
Overall Winner: Shaolin Monk
In the most lopsided battle yet the steel weapons of the monk were able to efficiently dispose of the Māori, who fought bravely but was outmatched in skill and the development of his weaponry. Curiously enough, the monk won despite losing three of the four weapon matchups, mostly because all the Māori weapons were made for war, and the Shaolin weapons were mostly made for passive defense. However, the one he did win with proved decisive, with the Twin Hooks having the most kills of any weapon featured in the series. Ultimately, the Māori was unable to counter the Shaolin Monk's incredible agility and precision, and coupled with the monk's one weapon actually made to attack, the Māori was simply outclassed.

Shaolin Monk Māori Warrior Overall kills: 692 308 Close Range: Emei Piercers: 31 Mere: 78 Mid Range: Staff: 57
Twin Hooks: 566
Taiaha: 151
Stingray Spear: 6
Special Weapons: Whip Chain: 38 Shark Tooth Club: 73

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deadliest_Warrior
 
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Bob Hubbard

Bob Hubbard

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Watched this episode and from the start I gave the monk the advantage. It just seems to me that someone with metal weapons and comparable skill would beat someone with stone and wood weapons.
 

Flying Crane

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I saw this one just the other day, and again, I've got some issues with how things were presented.

I found the choice of weaponry for the monk a bit odd. I would have given him the dao (curved broadsword) and the spear, instead of emei daggers and hooked swords. I think the daggers and hook swords are more exotic, and less likely to be in common use. The more common, and more likely weaponry would be the dao and spear, and perhaps the jian (straight sword). The staff is a good choice, as something the monk would always carry.

I found the presentation of the maori weaponry a bit off as well, particularly the mere club. They wanted to claim it is stronger than steel, and compared how many brick slabs they could smash thru with it, and with a large bowie type knife. The mere club won.

I think they just presented the info a bit inaccurately. The mere club was pretty impressive, and it's certainly a tough item given it smashed thru the bricks and came thru unbroken. But that doesn't mean it's "stronger" than steel. Rather, I suspect a lot of it had to do with the forward mass of the mere club, when compared to the bowie. The mere club was made out of jade, and that gives it a lot of mass compared to steel. But most of that mass is forward, while the bowie would have less mass in comparison. Yet the bowie still smashed/cut thru several of the bricks, and came thru ok. The mere club simply went thru an extra brick or two. I don't think this gives any clear claim that the mere is stronger than steel. It certainly shows its toughness, but it really shows that it's got more forward mass than the bowie, and nothing more. I suspect a steel chopping knife with an equivalent mass and balance to the mere, might out perform it.

Also, it was certainly impressive how the mere club destroyed the cow skull. However, I think a dried and cleaned skull is more brittle than a skull inside a living head that still has muscle and tendon and ligaments attached and helping hold everything together. Still an impressive blow, but I think it gives a misleading impression.
 
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Bob Hubbard

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Now that you mention it, I did think the emei and hook swords were odd choices.
 

jks9199

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The series certainly seems to pull some odd choices... and I'm not impressed by some of the "experts" they're using, either. Of course -- I've had the same issue with several other similar sorts of shows. Being on Spike... expect hype.
 

LoneRider

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An old episode but a good episode. It's one of my favorites due to the sheer contrasts of the two warriors.

Me and my father (a veteran karateka) watched this episode on my iPod during my recent cross country roadtrip to California when it was Mom's turn to drive. Dad was pretty sure of the Shaolin winning where I put the odds about 55/45 in favor of the Maori through most of the episode. I based this partially on the fact that the Maori weapons displayed were designed to be lethal in one strike for the most part and the Shaolin weapons displayed (excluding the twin hooks) seemed to be a lot more defensive in nature.

Dad said that the Maori lost the fight because their weapons and battle philosophy was almost entirely geared towards direct assault and sheer brutality. The more agile Shaolin he said were at a distinct advantage. The episode proved him right but I wonder what others who saw the episode thought of that statement...
 

knuckleheader

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I like when the "masters" smack talk each other.
On anyday, one or the other can win. I like the gun play. The Thompson
is one of my all time favorites.
 

LoneRider

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I thought Sala Baker's comment was pretty humorous: "They're little...We're big. Do the math."

And I could up to a point agree with Jared Wihongi's comment: "You've got a skilled small person against a skilled big person the big person has an advantage."

Personally I say yes...up to a point. If said skilled small person always keeps in mind to be quick and clever and not let said big person get a hold of him that's his best chance for victory.
 

tellner

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Indeed, Lone Rider. And sharp things are incredible force multipliers. A five year old can kill the biggest, strongest man with one stab. That said, my money would be on the Maori.

The monk might have had to fight bandits. Maybe. Most of the time a good show of force by a bunch of armed guys is going to be enough to convince the bandits to find easier prey. Odds are he was never in battle, never even in a real fight. Martial arts might be part of his training. If it were it was probably only part of it and not the main focus. If he was a former soldier who had taken up the robe that's a whole different thing.

But the warrior is just that. A warrior. Fighting is what he's done all his adult life and in play as a kid. He's been in a lot of mixups - raids, battles, regular fights. He's got the self-confidence and willingness to kill that come from doing it a lot. And he's bigger, stronger and better fed than the monk.

Anything might happen on any day, but my money would be on the big guy with the spear and club.
 

LoneRider

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Tellner - Lord knows I agree with you. I thought that the Maori/Shaolin matchup would've been a much closer shakeout with the scales in favor of the Maori. Especially considering all Maori weapons featured were designed for swift and decisive kills with one hit.
 

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