How do you perform a haka?

By David Garrido
Newsbeat sports reporter

It's perhaps one of the scariest sights in world sport, performed by arguably the most feared team in world rugby. But you'd rather be doing the haka than facing it, right? So Newsbeat jumped at the chance.

Newsbeat has a crack at the haka

Bit of history, then - this war dance gives us an insight into New Zealand's culture, and the first version of it came into being around two centuries ago.

A Maori chief was being chased by his enemies, and after coming out of his hiding place, the words he said to another chief were the basis of the original text - that has evolved into what we see the All Blacks perform before every game.

In front of a giant rugby ball promoting the World Cup in New Zealand in 2011 by Tower Bridge in London, we met the Manaia, a Maori Cultural Arts Group, to learn the haka.

'Deafening war cry'

It definitely wasn't as easy as the likes of Joe Rokocoko and Mils Muliaina make it look.

The leader of the group started us off with a deafening war cry which basically means: "Get ready, something's happening", and we responded with a long "heeeeeeee" sound.

The main part of the haka starts with a fairly easy hands-on-hips stance, bending your knees (as if you're doing a half-squat) then lots of slapping your thighs and stamping your right foot.

We could handle that - so far so good.

What exactly is a haka?

Then it gets a bit more complicated. You keep the slapping going, but also chant: "Ka mate, ka mate" (translated as: "It is death, it is death") followed by a thrusting movement back and shouting "Ka ora, ka ora" ("It is life, it is life")

It does feel aggressive, it does feel warrior-like, it does feel great. And you don't even have to be good at rugby.

After punching out to the front, right and left, you then jab sharply with your right hand down towards your groin - or, as the leader put it: "Into your basket".

After that, it's another punch into a half-Superman pose, flexing the left bicep with the right arm underneath, then both fists on your knees before throwing your arms up to the sky. Still keeping up? Nearly there...

'Ignore it at your peril'

The final part of the haka as done by the All Blacks involves slapping your right forearm twice with your left hand and vice-versa, then doing it double-time... followed by one more half-Superman and again arms in the air.

The climax is when the leader shouts: "Pukana!" and you strike a scary pose, poking your tongue out and bulging your eyes.

As we found out, it's quite easy to look just a bit demented rather than actually making your opponents even the slightest bit afraid of you.

And that's pretty much it. But if you're facing the haka, ignore it at your peril - it gives the All Blacks even more reason to pummel you into the ground.

Which is more or less what New Zealand's rugby players have done to all their opponents this autumn.