#1887 The Heroic Haka

In our last couple +1s (here and here), we’ve been talking about our Johnson family trip to the Toronto FC game and the complexity of healthy humans.

Today I want to chat about one more example of that integration of opposites.

First, quick context setting…

As we discussed, I admired the TFC player who is a REALLY tough player who was also REALLY thoughtful and kind when he flashed a loving smile and kicked that ball Emerson’s way during their warmups.

When I watched him do that and then celebrated him for the integration of toughness and warmth, I thought of the New Zealand All Blacks.

More specifically, I thought of one of their most powerful hakas.

A little more context…

At the end of our Notes on Sam Walker’s great book, The Captain Class, we talked about how the best teams and their captains EXUDE a palpable sense of what the Māori called “maná”—which is, essentially, what we call Soul Force.

Now…

One of the examples Sam uses to make his point is the New Zealand All Blacks and the captain of their best teams, Buck Shelford.

Sam tells us that “One of Shelford’s most memorable qualities as captain was his dedication to a pregame ritual known as the haka.”

Then he tells us: “New Zealand’s Maori tribe were renowned warriors, famous the world over for their intimidating facial tattoos, their skill at wielding giant staffs made of wood or whalebone, and celebrating victories in battle by eating roasted hearts of their enemies. The haka, which is basically a group dance, was an ancient component of Maori warcraft, a tightly choreographed spectacle of ignition performed in a variety of circumstances but mainly before battle. The haka was meant to paralyze the enemy with dread by conveying the idea that the warriors had come under the influence of the gods. It was also used to create a collective frenzy among the warriors to put their bodies in perfect sync. The message it sent, as the haka expert Inia Maxwell put it, was that ‘we’re going to battle and we’re not really expecting to come back alive or injury-free, so let’s throw everything at it.’”

Now…

As I was creating the Note, I wanted to make sure I shared a haka so you could SEE it and FEEL the power of it.

So…

I asked ChatGPT to give me the most viewed haka of all time. I found one with over 75 million views. Check it out. It’s incredible.

But…

After watching that one, I let YouTube feed up another one (longer chat about that algorithm! 😲) and THAT’s what I want to chat about Today.

If you feel so inspired…

Check THIS haka out here.

Now…

That haka was performed in honor of an All Blacks player who died tragically.

It begins with a Māori player on the opposing Irish side laying a jersey at the centerline of the field for the fallen Hero.

Then…

The haka begins—with ALL of its FEROCIOUS intensity.

(Goosebumps.)

THEN…

The haka ends.

Then…

The widow of the fallen All Blacks player and their two young kids slowly walk onto the field and make their way to pick up the jersey that had been laid down before the haka began.

You can FEEL the pain and sorrow and love in the SAME WARRIORS who just performed that fearless haka.

It’s a profound thing to witness.

As the announcer says, “It’s hard to put into words” just how powerful the moment was.

And…

That’s Today’s +1.

Once again…

Here’s to resolving the apparent dichotomies of life and embracing the complexity of the human experience as we go out and give the world all we’ve got.

TODAY.