There are some of the "All Blacks" Rugby team and some traditional ones.
Posted on 06/04/2006 5:15:08 AM PDT by naturalman1975
NEW Zealand troops announced their arrival in Dili with a fearsome haka today, sending clouds of dust over the troubled East Timor capital as they stamped their feet in the traditional Maori war dance.
While the Kiwis have been on patrol in the dangerous Becora area since early last week, they performed the ceremony today as a formal greeting to Australia's Brigadier Mick Slater, who commands international troops in the city.
"Kamate, kamate – ka ora ka ora (I die, I die – I live, I live)," a group of 30 New Zealand troops roared, thumping their chests in unison and shaking the ground with their stomping as Brig Slater looked on.
"If we could get everyone in the joint task force to show that type of controlled aggression, we would have this thing licked in no time," Brig Slater told them after the performance.
"I'd like to see that same demonstration, a big haka with the whole company downtown, it might change the whole tone of this city."
The Australian-led taskforce of more than 2200 troops has struggled to contain gang violence in Dili, although the New Zealand contingent of about 140 appears to have calmed Becora, once regarded as a major hotspot.
New Zealand's Major Eugene Whakahoehoe said that the haka was both a challenge designed to determine friend from foe and a statement of intent by the Kiwi troops.
"This is our piece of turf, we're prepared to defend it," he said.
Maj Whakahoehoe and Brig Slater embraced in a tradition Maori hongi after the haka, where friends rub noses in greeting.
Brig Slater told the troops that the international task force would soon control security in Dili.
However, as he spoke, rioting was continuing elsewhere in the city, with youths torching homes and cars in the Comoro Bridge area.
So are the Kiwi troops all Maori?
No, but there are a lot of Maori in the New Zealand military, particularly in the Army. The warrior tradition appeals.
Many haka (including those of the New Zealand defence forces) can be done by pakeha (non-Maori) as well as Maori.
If he's ex-Air Force, he may not know much - the RNZAF only acquired its own unique haka in the last few weeks. I'm not sure what they did in the past - if they used a different one, or didn't do a haka or not.
KIA KAHA PING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The Haka is pretty cool. I've seen it a few times in person and I was blown away. A proud tradition.
I guess just a few European ethnics stomping the ground, sticking their tongues out, and popping their eyes will make even the most hardened Islamic wonder what mess he has gotten into. White people just don't do that stuff unless they are crazy.
I played schoolboy rugby and played a few games against New Zealand schools. And they used to do the haka at us.
It's incredibly intimidating to face it.
There are some of the "All Blacks" Rugby team and some traditional ones.
I had seen a Scotch commercial once where a New Zealander football team faced off a Scottish team with the Haka . It was very impressive to see , but when it was over the Scottish team just quietly pulled up their kilts . Do the Scottish troops of the UK do that for intimidation as well ?
NZ "All Blacks" vs. South African "Springboks" team.
I just watched them both and you have brightened my day considerably , especially with the " commercialized " one ! I shall now dedicate a bottle of Stolichnaya to you Oh Man of the Nighthawk , may you have a great evening !!!
> So are the Kiwi troops all Maori?
Probably not, tho' a very large percentage of them would be.
When Kiwis do the Haka, irrespective of our cultural background, we bl**dy mean it. It's a Warrior thing...
Kia Kaha!
"DieHard"
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