Type Melee | Place of origin India | |
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The maduvu (Tamil: மட்டுவு; Marathi: madhu, Hindi: singhauta), also known as a maru or madu, is a weapon from India. Most commonly called maru, it is also referred to as maan kombu after the deer horns from which it is made. The weapon typically consists of two blackbuck horns pointing in opposite directions connected by two crossbars which also act as a handle. Later variations were often tipped with steel and sometimes fitted with a plate of leather or steel to act as a shield. In the Panjab, the maru was typically constructed entirely of steel.
The maru originated among the Dravidians of south India and was favoured by the Bhil people. A similar weapon, consisting of a handle mounted on an antelope horn, was used as a crutch and served as a self-defence implement for the jogi who were forbidden by their order to carry conventional weaponry.
Technique
The maru is a primarily defensive weapon favouring a low stance, in which the wielder strives to stay lower than the opponent thereby reducing any openings to the body's vital points. Typically, the maru-wielder will block or parry attacks before countering with a thrust, choke, lock or disarm. Offensively the maru is treated similarly to a dagger, used for stabbing.