Seven masters of the Māori fighting arts have reached the top echelon of the art form.
Amongst the many men who have embraced Māori weaponry as their lifestyle choice, the second only female to have reached this level is Erin Keremeta-Kapa.
"This is going to take some getting used to for me! When they said, "Gather around, all you pouwaru," I thought, that's me too! I felt really humbled to be standing there alongside my brothers."
It's a journey that has taken 10 years to reach this level of mastery.
Erin says, “It’s amazing, I've reached the top of the mountain, but there's so much more to learn, and so many more things to strive for.”
As a master of Māori weaponry, she will continue to pass on her knowledge to the next generation to help keep alive the traditions of the fighting art.