10 shocking customs you should know before traveling – You need to see this!

2. Intimidating Dance Moves in New Zealand

via:senatus.net

Rugby fans may have seen the All Blacks – the national rugby team of New Zealand – performing haka, a sort of chanting dance spectacle native to the Maori people of New Zealand. It involves intimidating facial expressions, stomping, clapping, chest-thumping, howling, chanting and tongue wagging in order to put fear into one’s opponents.

Although it is most often seen today by Kiwi sports teams, the ancient practice can also involve the telling of the tribe’s history through art and poetry, communicate peace and show respect, as it was used to show respect to daredevil Viggo Mortensen after the filming of the Lord of the Rings trilogy.