Why I enjoy a good Haka
   in 1975 while Robert and I were dating, as part of the BYU sound services division, I got the opportunity to attend and help at THE WORLD OF DANCE.  An event that the Y was hosting.  Dancer's from all over the world came in for the show.  We remember laughing at the dancers from Israel complaining about the lack of oxygen in the high altitude after a dance, only to turn around a light up a cigarette.  A very large group of Tongans and Samoans, and Hawaiians were there, they were from the Polynesian cultural Center, but the BYU also had their Ball Room dance troupe that preform several styles of American dances. 
Robert was in the sound booth, as normal, and I had a head phone on assisting in set up running of the show. Just basically passing orders to others as needed.  I remember being very sad that as the HAKA was being preformed. people laughing at the performers.  They didn't understand.  We had had time with their floor, don't ask me to remember his name, I couldn't pronounce it at the time.  During rehearsal he had taken them time to explain what the HAKA was, is.
In the past, warriors of the Maori and Samoan, and other  tribes would go to war, often without blood shed.  The HAKA is a "testerone" bragging contest, to put it in it's simpliest form.  They were out to intimidate the "other guy" make him feel sorry that's he'd ever thought about going up against the tribe. 
Read the "lyrics" of a HAKA and you hear therm declare how tough and "onry" they are .  When they open their eyes wide, stick out their tongue and flick it in and out, they are imitating a snake.  A frightening creature. When they leap with both legs, tucking them under their legs, and I don't see that often, they are imitating the lizards, often poisonous that are in the islands.  Slapping their checks, the unspoken message is "go ahead, toss your spear, it will just bounce off me" Slapping their thighs not only makes good strong noises but unsaid it's "I'm going to stop you out" or other such ideas.  The chants are united, in unison, just as they are.  They have each other covered, you're not going to get past them.   As the floor manager explained with a shrug of his shoulder "the first guy that flinches, looses."  The name of the game was to get the other tribe to back off, you can't win, go back home. And they often did.  During the clean up that night I picked up several large nut shells, kikui nuts, that were part of their costumes, their clicking added in the noise they were making and kept them for many years.   I had seen many a hula, growing up in Los Angeles and much small versions of the HAKA, but never knew it was not a dance but a stance of power and commitment to keeping their families safe and war bloodless.  I still love it.