Pictures: How to do the All Black Haka
- Published
The Haka is part of the Maori warrior culture, and a great way to try to scare your rugby opponents! It starts with the knees bent with arms like this, waiting for the call from the leader to begin.
It's performed by the All Blacks before their matches. All together, you shout "Ka Mate! Ka Mate!" with your arms spread wide. Then "Ka ora! Ka ora!" slapping your thighs twice, then your chest once.
Put your arms up in the air, and then go through it all again with the same words.
"Tenei te tangata!" You pump your fists from side to side in front of your body, first one way and then the other.
"Puhuru huru!" Move your right hand up and down by your waist four times, then "Whakawhiti te ra!" The arms are raised to the sky.
"Upane, Kaupane!" Raise up one arm and put the other across your chest. Then do it again on the other arm. After this, do the move again, but this time slapping the elbow once on both arms.
"Whiti te ra!" Up go the arms again. And the Haka famously finishes with a jump, the arms raised and a very loud "Heeeee!"
The words mean: "I die! I die! I live! I live! This is the hairy man who fetched the sun and caused it to shine again. One upward step! Another upward step! The sun shines!"