Capoeira suitable for all

Above about Capoeira that suitable for all.

Imagine the dance that the whole body than doubled, while the martial art used.

Creative dance, sports and exotic art form capoeira movements used to make a more philosophical approach to the eye.

The dance tells the story of the slave trade acutely in 16 th century, the Portuguese in Brazil. Many of the slaves brought to Brazil were from Angola in Africa, where the name of Capoeira Angola.

The dance was supposed to be used by slaves as an expression of freedom.

Since any movement of words made may Capoeira as a language.

Devon Angoleiros Do Mar - means that players from the sea - is a small group, which seeks to preserve capoeira.

It is aimed at promoting healthy lifestyles and promote cultural awareness, offers weekly classes in Exeter and Plymouth, as well as regular seminars and exhibitions.

Owner Angoleiros Thu Mar Devon 30 years, Christie O'Callaghan, Plymouth. He had just concluded an official trainer - have made the first non-Brazilian teacher for a group of such status. He said: "I began, capoeira, dance and music, and immediately addictive practice.

"Capoeira is a celebration of Afro-Brazilian culture, and this is a great way to express themselves creatively.

"Capoeira Angola is practiced in the traditional style of capoeira today.

"It's magic, trick, charm, wisdom, art, culture, dance, history, education, philosophy of life, lifestyle, and, if necessary, the martial arts.

"Capoeira as a dance and games, as this battle. Although it is not a fight with the intent to use, which showed an important role in the history and development.

"This is the restoration of the situation in life occur in a complex combination of dance, acrobatics, tricks and play in a circle waiting for the actors and musicians.

"Players take turns to enter the circle in pairs to create a movement to another.

"The group is very welcoming and friendly. Capoeira for everyone - our students are young children to adults."

Jason Frost, 31, from Exwick Road, Exeter, is the practice of capoeira throughout the year and participated in several displays.

He said: "I have never been particularly interested in dance or martial arts, but the game is almost reversed.

"There is a strong sense of community in the group and the more involved you are, the more it becomes."

Chloe Pooley, 34, Newman Road, St Thomas, Exeter, is the practice of capoeira played a little over a year, as well as in several displays.

"Capoeira is a synthesis of martial arts, dance, movement and music," she said. "It is very fun and has a high social component.

"All you need is enthusiasm and openness. However, the flexibility will definitely help!

"It's not so easy to take. But if you do this, it becomes very addictive."

The movement of Capoeira

Here about Capoeira movement.

-Cocorinha: A crouching position.
-Ponte: Backbend or low backbend (arms and legs bent but back isn't touching the ground)
-Resistencia: Like cocorinha, but one leg can be forward, you lean back as you escape. You use reistencia to go to a low ponte, rolé or rasteira to the side.
-Entrada: A sidestep dodge, also a step forward. The entrada step is also what leads into spinning moves like the Armada, Mei Lua de Compasso, and Meia Lua Solta
-Balanço: An evasive maneuver to the side with legs spread, you use the momentum to bounce back into other moves.
-Rolé: A way of moving low to the ground, legs sweeping short in front of you.

-Escala: Defensive move where you fall back onto one leg. From here usually you spring forward to attack, a sweep or Chapeu de Couro

-Reverse Planche (left) and Manna (right): These strength holds are sometimes seen in the roda by very strong capoeiristas. Just thought I'd throw them in.

-Vingativa: A counter that uses your weight and leverage to topple an opponent.
-Cruz: A counter that ‘uproots’ the opponent.
-Boca de Calca: A simple takedown where you grab the opponent's ankles and yank.
-Arrastão: Takedown where you move in close, shoulder to the opponent's chest, grab their thighs and heave their skull to the ground.
-Acoite de Braco: A body slam or throw or takedown. Grab one arm, put your other arm between his legs, heave him up onto and over your shoulders and plunk him on the ground.
-Cintura Desprezada: A series of 4 acrobatic partner exercises developed by Mestre Bimba to teach students how to land on their feet. This training helped students learn moves like backflips, forward flips & au sem mao. I don't know what these are and I've never done them before, so don't bother asking.
-Arpão: Spinning handslaps.
-Giro: To spin on your heels, like faking a kick
-Asfixiante: Forward punch.
-Godeme: A backhand elbow, backhand or overhead strike.
-Galopante: A swinging palm strike.
-Cutelo: Any hit with the outer edge of your stiff hand, like a chop
-Dedeira: Eye gouge
-Telefone: Smacking both sides of the head with your hands
-Cutevelada: Any elbow strike.

Au (ah-ooh) movement

Above about capoeira movement.

In capoeira the aú is basically a cartwheel. It differs from a normal cartwheel in that the player looks at their opponent instead of the ground when performing it. The aú is useful for maneuvering around the roda and setting up for other movements.

General rules of Capoeira

Here are general rules of Capoeira.

• In Capoeira you don't try to beat the shit out of your opponent. The other one is not your enemy, he is your friend, and both of you try to keep the game going. Therefore no bleeding noses please.
• No active blocking in Capoeira; instead try to be evasive. When the pace of the game increases, get some distance between yourself and your fellow (at least in Regional).
• Don't be predictable. That may sound hackneyed, but since Malandragem (dirty tricks) is accepted and widely welcomed among Capoeiristas, you can easily get tricked into some serious trouble. Be creative and let the music take controhoholl.

Ginga Capoeira technique

Above about Ginga in Capoeira.

This movement, pronounced 'jinga', is probably the most important part of Capoeira. From this dance like movement the capoeirista is in constant movement and can flow from attack to defense with little thought. The ginga controls the capoeiristas' movement and timing. Only through practice can one truely master the ginga. The ginga differs slightly according to whether you are playing Angola or Regional. In Angola the ginga is very free and upto the individual, where as in Regional the movement is much more structured. 

Strategy add kicks to defenses in Capoeira

Here are tip to defenses in Capoeira.

1. Step 1

   Set yourself in an opening stance. Place your legs shoulder-width apart with one in front of the other.

2. Step 2

   Perform an Armada or standard kick. Quickly spin your body around 360 degrees while lifting your back leg and extending it for the kick. Shift your weight as you turn. Keep your front foot on the floor. Continue the rotation and then place your back foot on the floor. You land sideways with your feet shoulder-width apart.

3. Step 3

   Use the Meia Lua de Frente as a defensive attack. Lift your back leg waist-high. Swing it around 180 degrees. Hold your arms out to balance yourself during the move. Pull your leg back in to get into position.

4. Step 4

   Do a straight kick or Bênção. Bend your knees and lift your front leg waist-high. Lean forward with both hands and grab the opponent. Straighten your lifted leg out slowly and firmly kick the opponent.

5. Step 5

   Utilize the Meia Lua de Compasso or Rabo de Arraia in a defensive attack. Start in a basic stance. Step back with one foot. Bend forward and place your hands on the floor. Push off with your back leg. Kick that leg to waist-height. Spin your body around with the kick and land on your back foot.

6. Step 6

   Perform the Negativa or takedown. Allow your partner to kick low. Lift your knee up to your waist. Extend your lifted leg. When your partner kicks, defend yourself with a kick to her chest. This knocks her down and gives you the advantage.

Capoeira all in one

Above about Capoeira.

Capoeira, pronounced “cap-o-era,” is a fitness art form from Brazil that is becoming increasingly popular in the United States and the rest of the world, especially Japan. Instructors, called mestre capoeiristas, began teaching in America in the 1970s. Groups can be spotted in parks or on beaches practicing the high kicks and dance-like movements of capoeira. Dustin Hoffman even did it in the movie Meet the Fockers, and Halle Berry practiced capoeira to prepare for her role in Catwoman.

“Capoeira is an Afro-Brazilian cultural art,” said instructor Akinlana Lowman. “It is a martial art, it is also a dance and also a game. It’s a lot of things in one, and it’s very hard to kind of classify it as one thing.”

Lowman has been practicing capoeira since 1995 when his mother signed him up for a class. He is now an instructor at Prophecy School of the Arts.

Capoeira has an extensive and controversial history, dating back to when African slaves were first imported to Brazil in the 16th century. Africans, especially those from Angola, brought their traditional style of fighting with them to Brazil. There, with the influence of Brazilian folk dance, capoeira evolved. The name “capoeira” is derived from Portuguese terms referring to chicken fights.

“In the beginning of slavery, Africans were encouraged to keep practicing the forms of fighting they had in Africa for the purpose of keeping the rivalries between different tribes,” said Lowman. “They wanted to keep these rivalries so that people couldn’t band together against slavery.”

In 1888, capoeira was declared illegal and went underground. Capoeira gangs formed, particularly in Rio de Janeiro. Those caught practicing capoeira received harsh punishments.

“Sometimes if you were found practicing capoeira your feet and hands would be tied to the back of a horse and they would drag you to the jailhouse,” said Lowman.

Despite this, one capoeira master named Mestre Bimba created a new style called “Capoeira Regional” and was able to get it legalized in the 1930s. He is known as the “father of modern capoeira” and started a school to teach the art form in Brazil.

“That started the academy period where capoeira was supposed to be practiced inside,” said Lowman. “It was only supposed to be practiced inside places registered with the government.”

From that time on, instructors started to travel to Europe to teach capoeira. Its style evolved to seem more like a martial art in that cords are awarded to signify ranks. The ranks are student, graduated, formed, teacher and master. The game of capoeira begins with the “roda,” which is the circle of people in which it is played. Those sitting around the circle play instruments or clap and sing along with the music. The two players in the middle of the circle spar, using head butts, acrobatic kicks, feints and sweeps. Their movements are fluid and go along with the beat of the music.

“When you’re playing the game you’re trying to show the person where their openings are and kind of making each other more on guard,” said Lowman. “That kind of translates to life and living your life, being able to have your eyes open and be on guard.”

The object of the game is not to hurt the opponent, but to demonstrate skill. There is minimal bodily contact, and capoeira is more theatrical and meant to teach how to protect oneself and manipulate situations to one’s benefit. It’s all about learning and realizing that there is always something new to learn.

“Capoeira is a liberating art on different levels,” said Lowman. “It liberated people from slavery, but it’s also something that liberates your soul.”

Those who practice this fitness art form learn strength, flexibility and concentration. It is possible to practice the moves of capoeira alone, but it’s a more communal type of fitness.

Two players are needed for the game. Currently there are five to seven students that regularly attend Lowman’s class at Prophecy School of the Arts. People at any skill level are encouraged to come and can join at any point. The classes have no “beginning,” so even coming a month before the classes end is acceptable.

“It’s a way to stay fit and practice a martial art and at the same time be involved in something that is functional and cultural,” said Lowman.

In the class, students are taught about the history and philosophy of capoeira as well as the moves. Also, traditional instruments are provided for people to learn the music that goes along with capoeira. The songs are sung in Portuguese, so it’s an opportunity to learn a bit of a foreign language.

“(Capoeira) is a very physical art,” said Lowman. “It keeps you very physically fit, and you gain strength from it, but it’s also something you can use to learn about life. There’s a lot of life-learning and philosophy to capoeira.”

Capoeira is an art form

Here’s about Capoeira art form.

Capoeira is an Afro-Brazilian art form that combines elements of martial arts, games, music, and dance. It was created in Brazil by slaves brought from Africa, especially from present day Angola some time after the 16th century. It was developed in the regions known as Bahia, Pernambuco and Rio de Janeiro. Participants form a roda, or circle, and take turns either playing musical instruments (such as the Berimbau), singing, or ritually sparring in pairs in the center of the circle. The sparring is marked by fluid acrobatic play, feints, and extensive use of sweeps, kicks, and headbutts. Less frequently used techniques include elbow strikes, slaps, punches, and body throws. Its origins and purpose are a matter of debate, with theories ranging from views of Capoeira as a uniquely Brazilian folk dance with improvised fighting movements to claims that it is a battle-ready fighting form directly descended from ancient African techniques.
Historians are divided between those who believe it is a direct descendant of African fighting styles and those who believe it is a uniquely Brazilian dance form distilled from various African and Brazilian influences. One popular explanation holds that it is an African fighting style that was developed in Brazil, as expressed by a proponent named Salvano, who said, "Capoeira cannot exist without black men but its birthplace is Brazil".
Even the etymology of the word capoeira is debated. The Portuguese word capão means "capon", or a castrated rooster, and could mean that the style appears similar to two roosters fighting. Kongo scholar K. Kia Bunseki Fu-Kiau also suggested capoeira could be derived from the Kikongo word kipura, which describes a rooster's movements in a fight.[citation needed]Afro-Brazilian scholar Carlos Eugenio has suggested that the sport took its name from a large round basket called a "capa" commonly worn on the head by urban slaves. Others claim the term derives from the Tupi-Guarani words kaá ("leaf", "plant") and puéra (past aspect marker), meaning "formerly a forest". Another claim is that given that capoeira in Portuguese literally means "chicken coop", it could simply be a derisive term used by slave owners to refer to the displays as chicken fights.

Mean of striking

Above about striking.

Striking is offensive attack with a part of the body intended to effect or do harm to an opponent.

Striking can come in various forms:

• Punching – hitting with a closed fist
• Slapping – hitting with an open palm
• Kicking – hitting with the foot or shin
• Elbows – hitting with the elbow
• Knees – hitting with the knee
• Other Strikes – Knife hand, ridge hand, spear hand, hammerfist, extended knuckes

Punching is largely associated with Boxing, Kicking with Capoeira, Savate and Taekwondo, the other strikes with Muay Thai, Karate and Kung Fu.

Promote art form of Capoeira

Here’s about Capoeira artist seeks to promote art form.

On a warm Monday evening, students sweat it out indoors as they rock their bodies back and forth, swaying from side to side as they alternately step back with the left and right foot.

To the sound of upbeat Afro-Brazilian music, the movements are smooth and coordinated as students watch Capoeira instructor Alex Patz demonstrate basic movements of the Afro-Brazilian art form. They applaud as Patz performs a few acrobatic moves.

"It's not just a martial arts form, it's an art form," Patz told his students. "It has a lot of dance elements to it."

Actually, it's a combination of those things.

Patz was introduced to Capoeira years ago when he and his Concord High School friends watched Capoeira moves in the movie "Only the Strong."

"We were breakdancers trying to copy Capoeira moves," remembered Patz, now 31 and a Walnut Creek resident.

So he and his friends looked up Capoeira in the phone book and found the name of a renowned instructor Mestre Acordeon. They soon enrolled in classes at the Capoeira Arts Café in Berkeley.

Patz has trained in Capoeira for nine years and has taught for four years. He also taught Capoeira to local children and teens in Iraq while serving in the military in 2005.

"It was a fun experience, a way for me to learn about their culture," said Patz, a Walnut Creek resident.

He has taught Capoeira for teens in after school programs in Richmond and, most recently, for the Mt. Diablo Unified School District.

To further promote the culture and physical benefits of Capoeira, Patz established Escola de Balanca, a network of classes for children, teens and adults currently held in Walnut Creek's Civic Park Community Center and at the Veterans Hall in Concord.

Patz said that as even as he teaches Capoeira, the learning aspect for him is ongoing. In addition to continuing his training in Berkeley, Patz has been mastering the Portuguese language.

"Music is really important to language learning and understanding the songs," he said. "The songs communicate to players what they should be thinking about when they're in a circle."

Classes usually begin with a warm-up of stretching and basic Capoeira movements, such as the ginga, a back-and-forth movement, before moving on to more physical sequences and acrobatics. Toward the end of class, the students form a road, or circle, and spar in pairs while the other students clap or sing to music. Patz's instruction includes learning songs and the history of Capoeira.

Patz said he strives to teach a well-rounded approach to Capoeira.

"I hope students broaden their understanding of the art form because it's a lot more complex than they think," Patz said.

Carlo Cuevas said he tried a Capoeira class at a gym but enjoys Patz's style of teaching.

"I'm becoming more flexible and getting cardio for exercise," Cuevas said.

"I've seen this style at Brazilian festivals and have always had an interest in this style of martial arts," said student Lauri Seman of Pleasant Hill, who attends the Brazilian festival Carnaval every year. "I love the fact that you can combine dance with martial arts. Fitness is an important aspect but so is learning about the Brazilian arts and culture."

Facts about Capoeira

Above about what is Capoeira mean.

Capoeira was created because the slaves wanted freedom, but they didn´t have weapons to fight. So, based on animals movements and games from Africa born the Capoeira. We can say that Capoeira is The Brazilian child of African parents. But Capoeira is not just a fight, is a dance, is culture, is a way of life.
When you train Capoeira, you don´t learn only body movements, you learn music too. The capoeira´s music brings energy and you can do things that you never thought.

Afro-Brazilian Martial Art

Here’s about history of Capoeira.

Capoeira is an Afro-Brazilian martial art now spreading over the rest of the world, and is the only sport from Brazil that seeks Olympic recognition. Originally the preserve of the underclasses in Brazilian society, capoeira is now practised amongst the middle-classes, and even taught as a sport in schools. The author explores the history of capoeira and explores the conflict between traditionalists, who view capoeira as their heritage descended from the maroons, a weapon to be used against injustice and repression; reforme, who wish to see the spread of the sport internationally; and academics, who are attempting to discover the true history of capoeira as opposed to the myth.

About Floreio movement

Above about Floreio movement

Floreio is a movement modality that involves high end development of:
- joint mobility
-strength
-endurance
- control
-balance
-quality of movement
- flexibility
-and dominance of one's body all blended into a flowing, beautiful art.

Capoeira dance of freedom

Here's about capoeira of freedom.

THEY STOOD together in the circle, rhythmically clapping and singing, their instructor's words pelting them harder than the rain.

"You need energy, guys," Eddie Jimenez barked. "Capoeira - energy, energy. If you're not going to have the energy to sing, you're not going to have the energy to [do cartwheels] or do backflips."

Here, Jimenez is known as "Tucano," professor of Capoeira, the Brazilian exercise that combines martial arts, dance, music and acrobatics in a unique display that makes improvised fights look as choreographed as ballet.

The students will do all of it at this free class, held at noon Saturdays, through Sept. 19, in Long Island City's Socrates Sculpture Park.

And they might have to do one more thing.

"You've got to feel Capoeira," said Allan Montalvao, who's known as "Professor Abara." "Mostly, the music and the feeling of freedom Capoeira gives you."

Montalvao started the park program and has taught Capoeira for several years at Club Fitness, an Astoria gym.

The collection of 20-something and 30-something students who braved the rain on a recent Saturday said they enjoy the liberating feeling of a unique workout.

But there's something more.

"It's almost spiritual," newcomer Erin Johnson said.

Capoeira's feeling of freedom may have once taken a more literal form. The dance aspect of Capoeira, which begins with a simple ginga, or swing, movement, has been traced to African slaves' attempts to find a stealth training form to overcome their Brazilian captors. While historians debate this origin, the awarding of cords for progress - like belts in karate - honors the notion.

"We wear the cords because the slaves once were bound by them," Jimenez said. "It symbolizes freedom."

The two-hour class at Socrates Sculpture Park ends with the students forming a roda, or wheel, and preparing to show what they've learned by entering the circle. Beginners practice their dodges and circular kicks to emulate their teachers' fluid movements as Jimenez grabs the berimbau - a Brazilian instrument that looks like a bow without the arrow - and sings about his culture and Capoeira's history.

"It's very unique," Montalvao said. "It starts as a sport. Later, it becomes a philosophy of life."

Festival of Capoeira

Above about Capoeira Festival.

If yoga’s downward dog has gotten a bit old and you are in the mood to try some alternative martial arts—specifically Brazilian self-defense hidden in dance—check out two open workshops at the opening night of Afro Brazil Arts’ 20th annual Capoeira Festival (Clemente Soto Vélez Arts & Cultural Center, 107 Suffolk St between Rivington and Stanton Sts; 212-677-2203, afrobrazilarts.org. 6:15 and 7:30pm, $15).

“[Join us for] a week of eye-popping acrobatics, beautiful dances, soaring songs, delicious food, and, of course, dance parties,” says Mestre Ombrinho (Michael Goldstein), the first non-Brazilian American capoeira master.

The festival runs through Sunday 19, so check the website for a schedule of classes, events and photos. We’re particularly partial to the Saturday lineup: DJ Chocolate will be spinning samba rhythms until the early hours, followed by the grand finale performance on Sunday featuring international masters from as far as Senegal, from 2 to 4pm.—Sophie Gore Browne

Brazilian moves learn by cape kids

Here's about Brzilian moves.

With the Brazilian national football team having shown off their skill on the Confederations Cup stage, Cape Town township kids are learning the moves of the South American country - and at the same time staying out of trouble. The Brazilian sport of capoeira - which was introduced by African slaves to Brazil in the 16th century and is a mixture of dance, music and martial arts — is being taught to children aged 6-12 years from townships such as Delft, Langa, Manenberg and Bonteheuwel.

Classes, which take place every day after school hours, were started by Beleza Lopez, an Angolan born capoeira teacher and founder of the non-profit organisation the Capoeira Educational Youth Association (CEYA).

Lopez, who started the township classes in 2006, said he was impressed at the amount of children that were eager to learn about capoeira, which he said was fun, safe, and developed high self-esteem.

“Children have the potential to do whatever they want, but due to a lack of resources many dreams are shattered.”

He said by providing free classes he was bringing children together to interact and in so doing using capoeira as a tool for child and youth development.

Classes involve a series of warm-up exercises, the practicing of body moves, rolls and jumps. Singing and music is integrated into the lessons. Overall, the impression is of a mix of karate, judo, ballet and dance.

Shannon Senter, 11, a Grade 4 learner at Boundary Primary School in Bonteheuwel said she had started classes in February and now all her other school mates wanted to join.

“I am the best and I am not going to stop playing,” she said.

Diana van Neel, the mother of nine-year-old Nadine, who attends classes every day at Bluegum community center in Bonteheuwel, said at first she had been worried about her daughter attending such a “strange” class.

But van Neel said she was now happy her child was attending the classes as she was no longer on the streets and was better focused on her school work.

Music of Capoeira

Above about music of Capoeira.

Music is integral to capoeira. It sets the tempo and style of game that is to be played within the roda. The music is composed of instruments and song. The tempos differ from very slow (Angola) to very fast (são bento regional). Many of the songs are sung in a call and response format while others are in the form of a narrative. Capoeiristas sing about a wide variety of subjects. Some songs are about history or stories of famous capoeiristas. Other songs attempt to inspire players to play better. Some songs are about what is going on within the roda. Sometimes the songs are about life or love lost. Others have lighthearted and playful lyrics. Capoeiristas change their playing style significantly as the songs or rhythm from the berimbau commands. In this manner, it is truly the music that drives capoeira.

There are three basic kinds of songs in capoeira^{[citation needed]}. A ladainha (litany) is a narrative solo usually sung at the beginning of a roda, often by the mestre (master). These ladainhas will often be famous songs previously written by a mestre, or they may be improvised on the spot. A ladainha is usually followed by a chula or louvação, following a call and response pattern that usually thanks God and one's teacher, among other things. Each call is usually repeated word-for-word by the responders. The ladainha and chula are often omitted in regional games. Finally, corridos are songs that are sung while a game is being played, again following the call and response pattern. The responses to each call do not simply repeat what was said, however, but change depending on the song.

The instruments are played in a row called the bateria. The rhythm of the bateria is set by the berimbaus (stringed percussion instruments that look like muscial bows). Other instruments in the bateria are: two pandeiros (tambourines), a reco-reco (rasp), and an agogô (double gong bell). The atabaque (conga-like drum), a common feature in most capoeira baterias, is considered an optional instrument, and is not required for a full bateria in some groups.

Facts about Capoeira

Here's about Capoeira.

Capoeira is a complex movement art that began during colonial era Brazil. The beginnings of Capoeira were in the time of slavery (1500-1888). People from all over central Africa were brought as captives of the Portuguese. This meant that people with knowledge of many different African combative styles were meeting and interacting. Since any form of rebellion against their captors would meet with severe punishments, any fight training would have to be hidden or disguised. Thus techniques were incorporated into ritual celebration and dance, which was tolerated by the oppressors. The real development of Capoeira is said to have happened in the Quilombos, which were encampments of escaped slaves. The largest of these settlement was called Palmares(1600-1694) which had a population upwards of 20,000 people. Capoeira warriors defended the Quilombos, and the military strategies used were based on Capoeira philosophies. There are few records of what the Capoeira of this time was like stylistically, although some accounts do exist that lend clues. Thinking about it logically however, one may assume that since it was used for actual combat and defense, that it was fast paced and violent.

The gang era (1885-1920’s) came around the time slavery was abolished. During this time Capoeira was the preferred weapon of power for the poor and for criminals. Large gangs formed that controlled Rio and battled the Police on a regular basis. You could often recognize the Capoeiristas by the silk scarves they would wear around their necks. This was to protect them from the straight razors that would come into play when fights got out of hand. It was obviously another brutal era for Capoeira. Some amount of ritual surely was integrated—especially since Capoeira had brushed a lot of elbows with Candomble, a popular Afro-Brazilian religion, and magical protection was believed to be a skill that Capoeiristas had to master. However, there are accounts of widespread bloodshed in this time, thus the Capoeira was definitely aggressive.

In the 1920’s Mestre Bimba reworked Capoeira techniques (adding moves from the African art of “Batuque”) and teaching methods into the style known as “Regional” which led to the academy era. Bimba brought notoriety to his new school by challenging anyone of any style to defeat him; the longest fight lasted one minute and ten seconds. He was undefeated in his lifetime. Taking Capoeira off the street and into schools changed the image of it attracting more affluent students. Capoeira was finally legalized in 1937 due largely to this work. Regional is fast paced and uses takedowns as well as powerful kicks.

Mestre Pastinha’s Capoeira “Angola” was based on the more ritualized Capoeira of the Bahia region of Brazil. While not very popular in its day, a revival of interest in Angola occurred in the 1970’s, which rescued it from extinction. Angola played at a much slower pace that Regional, thus lending itself to more developed strategizing. It is generally played lower to the ground, and closer to the opponent as well. There are more theatrics in the game such as the “Chimadas”.

Contrary to whatever you may run across on internet chat rooms, books, or other propaganda, neither Angola or Regional are more “authentic” than the other. They both contain elements of styles that went before them, and they both were added to as well. Both are part of an ongoing evolution.

The term “Contemporânea” is a relatively modern one that refers to any Capoeira style incorporating ideas from both Regional and Angola, and other sources such as work of the Senzala Group, and the Chicago African martial arts revival during the 1960’s. The specific techniques you might run across from one Contemporânea school to another may vary wildly. Again, Contemporânea styles are not less authentic because they are non-traditional. Capoeira constantly changes by its very nature and they are a reflection of that fact.

The Capoeira Defenses

Above about defenses of Capoeira.

Capoeira defenses consists of evasive moves and rolls. A series of ducks called esquivas, which literally means "escape", are also staple of a capoeiristas' defensive vocabulary. There are typically different esquivas for every step of the Ginga, depending on the direction of the kick and intention of the defender. A common defense is the rolê, which is a rolling move that combines a duck and a low movement. This move allows the defensive players to quickly evade an attack and position themselves around the aggressor in order to lay up for an attack. It is this combination of attacks and defense which gives a game of capoeira its perceived 'fluidity' and choreography.

Other evasive moves such as rasteira, vingativa, tesoura de mão or queda allow the capoeirista to move away or dangerously close in an attempt to trip up the aggressor in the briefest moment of vulnerability (usually in a mid-kick.)

Make the good kicks

Here's tip on how make a good kicks.

You need to work on the conditioning, strengthening and flexibility in the legs and body, as well as the aerobic cardiovascular work-out. If you have a typical class, you generally do this for a while before you actually do any techniques. I think we used to do 45 minutes of warm-up before we started ginga.

Of course you also need to practice each kick. The more you practice the better you will be and straighter. Higher will depend a lot on your flexibility.

Anniversary of Capoeira

Above about anniversary of Capoeira.

Capoeira Angola might not be big in the Capoeira scene of Holland, but thanks to a few people it is well represented and continues to serve the art and the community! To celebrate the 6th Anniversary of the Capoeira Angola center in Amsterdam, led by Totti Angola (senior student of mestre Joao Grande), everybody is invited to Amsterdam on the 5th of July, 2009.

Book of Capoeira

Above about 'The Little Capoeira Book'.

Capoeira is a synthesis of dance and personal defense from Brazil. The Little Capoeira Book presents some of the popular theories of how and why capoeira began and profiles the most famous capoeiristas and their contributions to the art. The book contains diagrams showing various positions and movements and discusses attacking and defending strategies and the critical aspects of feinting. Over 100 photographs and illustrations are included.

Offered of Capoeira class

Here's about Capoeira class

BRADENTON -- Brazil is already famous for its soccer and samba. Now

another Brazilian art form is coming to Manatee: capoeira, a form of

martial arts.

The Volta Ao Mundo Academy is offering a program at the Manatee County

Central Library on June 29. The class is open to all but targeted for

school-age children.

Some 500 years old, capoeira uses music and rhythm. The class will

include martial arts, music, gymnastics and Brazilian culture.

The program is free and seating will be available on a first come, first

serve basis.

Talks about Capoeira Youth

Above about Capoeira Youth.

Capoeira Youth was set up in Newham last year following its success in transforming the lives of slum-dwellers in a pilot project in Bogota, Colombia.

The martial art, which was invented by African slaves and took root in Brazil, is a hybrid of sport and dance with an acrobatic duel taking place to the accompaniment of music.

Leaders of the scheme say they have seen a remarkable change in the 200 newly recruited capoeiristas, including young asylum seekers, gang members and drug abusers.

"Because it is such a multi-faceted sport using martial arts, acrobatics, music and dance there is something for everyone and it unites rather than divides" said project founder Josephine Genetay.

Capoeira Youth is among five projects in line for the London Legacy Award, a prize honouring a charity which best uses sport to tackle social problems.

The award is jointly funded by the Beyond Sport foundation, which aids projects that promote social change through sport, and Mayor Boris Johnson. It is supported by the Evening Standard.

Other projects to make the shortlist are a boxing academy for disadvantaged youths, a five-a-side football scheme for the mentally ill, an inner-city horse riding club and a football project that helps rehabilitate homeless people.

The shortlist was chosen by judges from Beyond Sport, City Hall and the Standard from 40 entries.

Nick Keller, founder of Beyond Sport, said: "Each of the five projects that made the shortlist for the Beyond Sport London Legacy Award shared the common attribute of having a fantastic community leader.

"What we're hoping is by holding up these projects that others will be inspired by the potential of sport to address some of the capital's most pressing social issues."

Readers of the Standard can vote for their favourite charity by 26 June.

Mr Johnson will announce the winner during the Beyond Sport Summit on the evening of 8 July.

Sport groups on grant shortlist

Ebony Horse Club, Brixton
The riding club was set up 13 years ago for children from ethnic minorities. Ebony, which was praised by judges for breaking down estate boundaries, is raising funds for a riding centre in the Coldharbour district.

London Boxing Academy, Tottenham
This combines boxing and schooling for teenagers who have been excluded from mainstream schools. A second centre is to open in Hackney.

Coping Through Football, Waltham Forest
The project offers football training and league matches for long-term mentally ill men aged 20-39 who are referred by the NHS.

Street League, various London projects
This scheme uses football to get London's homeless off the streets. Set up in 2001 by an A&E doctor, players also sign up to a Directions2Work programme to give them skills and qualifications.

Capoeira Youth, Stratford
About 200 disadvantaged youths have taken up the martial art since the programme began last year. It would use the grant to extend training across London.

It's about Capoeira

Here's about Capoeira.

Being from another country, Muzenza became a new group of friends, a family, a trustworthy house for me to learn in.
Capoeira is all encompassing; covering sport, fitness and well-being, language (Free Portuguese tutorials and also learning from other foreign students), singing and music, balance and flexibility, and strength and self control.

Capoeira offers a small amount of self-defense, along with speed and recognition training. It caters for the hard core exercisers, to the part-timers who like a lesson dedicated to learning to play an atabaque (drum), to those capoeirista's who know their stuff and would like to spend 2 whole hours learning flying kicks and mortals (back flips).

Bombril teaches regular classes 6 days a week. Catering to all levels - from beginner to intermediate, to professors and instructors. And also teaches personal training sessions during the day.

Talks about history of Capoeira

Above about history of capoeira.

One of the important changes enacted by Afro-Brazilian activist groups and legislators in recent years was the mandatory incorporation of black history and culture into school curriculums. Perhaps the most prominent force in the informal preservation of Afro-Brazilian culture has been Capoeira, a unique blend of dance and fight. Developed in the slave shacks as a way to fight their masters, Capoeira has been described as “the fight of ballet dancers” and the “dance of gladiators.”

Capoeira is “played” in a circle (roda) formed by the capoeiristas who, dressed in white, take turns playing instruments, singing, and fighting. At the beginning, two fighters kneel at the feet of the lead singer to listen to his opening chant. Then the drums and other instruments join in with a call-and-response form of chanting, characteristic of the African musical tradition, that gets everyone singing. As the music picks up, the two fighters are given permission to begin and move towards the center to exchange fluid attacks, dodging acrobatically, and connecting moves with the ginga (a rocking back and forth of the body). The game ends with a cordial handshake as new fighters take the floor.

Explore this feature to learn more about Capoeira’s history, its ties to other key cultural symbols, and listen to music that reflects important themes in the Afro-Brazilian experience.

PART 1: HISTORY

As with much of African heritage in Brazil, what is known about Capoeira’s origins is tentative. Of the little that was written down about slavery, even less is available today as Ruy Barbosa, the finance minister of Brazil’s first Republic government of 1889, ordered that documents be burned to erase it from history.

The prevailing account is that the “warrior dance” began in the senzala, or slave house, where the African captives would gather to keep their culture alive through rituals. As the slaves in one plantation were often captured from several different African tribes, many times their only common language was rudimentary Portuguese and body gesture. Dance, drum, and chant became tools to strengthen bonds and create a sense of community. One of their dances is rumored to have been the N’golo, performed during the puberty rituals of the Mucope of southern Angola. The young men would dance, imitating zebras fighting, and the winner of the N’golo would be awarded a bride for which he did not have to pay a dowry.

Competitive festive dances were the perfect cover for developing the skills needed to kill the slave drivers. With time, the bonds of the senzala allowed the slaves to organize and plan their escape. Once on the run, they would practice their dance of resistance in forest clearings. These areas of low vegetation were called caa-puera in the Native-Brazilian tribal language tupi, and from there Capoeira evolved.

Capoeira spread throughout Brazil and remained alive, even after slavery was abolished, in the public squares, alleyways, and docks where poor blacks spent their unemployed time. However, the deadly dance was seen as the practice of criminals and outlawed in 1890 by President Marechal Deodoro da Fonseca.

Capoeira became legal again in the 1930s and schools were set up seeking to organize the practice and remove its stigma of marginality. It is now recognized as one of the cultural hallmarks of Brazil and is widely practiced around the world.

Many see an urgent need to reaffirm Capoeira’s unique place, not as a martial art, but as a unique combination of several cultural traditions. There are fears that with the heavy influx of oriental martial arts, Capoeira’s dance-fight-game mixture will degenerate into violent combat.

“There are two to hit the negro
with stick, whip and machete
To survive the negro has
just two feet and two hands
switching his hand for his foot
and his foot for his hand
hit them on the face
and they’ll land in the sand.”

Sergio Ricardo, THE GAME OF ANGOLA

Since Capoeira was created as a form of physical resistance and continued on as a form of cultural resistance, it is closely linked in Afro-Brazilian consciousness to the history of Palmares and its famous leader Zumbi. Although the warriors of Palmares used weapons to defend themselves, Capoeira songs often cite their struggle as the height of the Afro-Brazilian fight for freedom.

PART 2: CULTURAL SYMBOLS

Quilombo dos Palmares

“Negroes Fighting”
Painting by Augustus Earle, c. 1824

Slaves that escaped from plantations remained on the run constantly, yet as their numbers increased, they began to organize themselves into maroon communities. The largest of these communities was the Quilombo dos Palmares, a fortified collection of smaller communities located in the northeastern hills, occupying 360km of territory.

At its height Palmares had some 30,000 inhabitants, which included not only runaway slaves, but also Indians and poor whites. The community was ruled by a king and his council, developed agriculture and metallurgy, and even established commercial ties to neighboring cities. This growth drew attention from the colonizing government which saw Palmares as a threat and began sending expeditions to destroy it. From its foundation in 1596 to its destruction in 1716, Palmares resisted 66 expeditions.

Zumbi

Zumbi was born free in Palmares, the grandson of a famous Congolese princess. As a child he was taken by an attacking expedition and given as a present to a priest in the city of Porto Calvo. There the child was named Francisco and educated in Latin and Portuguese.

Yet, at the age of 15, Zumbi escaped and returned to Palmares where he was adopted by the community’s king, Ganga Zumba. In 1678, Ganga Zumba grew tired of fighting off the Portuguese and Dutch and negotiated a peace treaty that granted those born in Palmares their freedom as long as runaways were returned and the community moved closer to the Portuguese settlements. Zumbi, now 23 and a prominent warrior of one of Palmares’ larger communities, refused to comply and became the leader of those who remained.

Zumbi’s resistance, ignoring the fact that under the treaties’ agreement he would be granted freedom, earned him the status of a mythical figure in the fight for unconditional freedom. In 1694 he was injured and fell into a nook in a cliff during one of the Portuguese attacks. Rumors circulated that he had killed himself to escape bondage. When he reappeared in a battle the following year, myth spread of his immortality.

However, the Portuguese captured one of his closest companions, Antonio Soares, and promised him freedom if he would give them Zumbi. Soares led them to the “black king,” and as Zumbi approached to embrace his friend, he was betrayed and stabbed in the stomach. Zumbi fought back and killed Soares, but was overwhelmed by the whites that ambushed him and his men. The Portuguese then decapitated Zumbi and hung his head in the city of Recife to warn the blacks that their mythical hero was dead.

Zumbi lived on in the black cultural consciousness and remains to this day the greatest symbol of liberty. The day of his death, November 20th, is now a national holiday, Black Awareness Day.

Although most of the music in Capoeira is transmitted from teachers to students, capoeiristas like Mestre Toni Vargas from Grupo Senzala add to this rich tradition with original creations. Mestre Toni grew up in Rio de Janeiro and began practicing Capoeira at the age of 10. An accomplished teacher, performer, writer, and singer, his powerful imagery, distinctive sense of rhythm, and defiant tongue make him a potent voice in Capoeira today. “I am a white man with a black soul,” he claims.

In the song Chorou (Cried), Mestre Toni Vargas sings the laments of the African slave, tortured and humiliated by their masters in Brazil.

To learn more about Toni Vargas and Grupo Senzala, visit the website of his student and representative in the U.S., Fernando “Sonic” Moraes.

PART 3: MUSIC: SLAVERY

Around 1530, sugarcane plantations began to appear in Brazil. By mid-century, Portuguese colonizers brought Africans to Brazil as slave laborers for the expanding sugar economy. At the time, Portugal had a population of about two million and was already stretched in its trade and exploration of the globe. In Brazil, this meant that an extremely small elite ruled over the largest transplanted slave population in the Americas. When the slave trade ended roughly 300 years later, 3.6 million Africans had been imported - more than three times as many as in America (about one million).

The main instrument in Capoeira is the berimbau. Resembling a bow, the berimbau is a curved stick with a wire tied at both ends. A hollow gourd provides the resonance chamber and a rock or coin is pressed against the wire to produce a variety of notes. Capoeira is usually played to the sound of three berimbaus of varying size and timbre, along with an atabaque (large drum), pandeiro (large tambourine), and an agog� (double cow bell). The musical arrangements, hand clapping, and tempo depend on the style of Capoeira being performed.

In the song Navio Negreiro (Slave Ship) Mestre Toni Vargas depicts the sorrow felt by the uprooted slaves during the fatal crossing of the Atlantic. This song provides a glimpse of what is known as banzo, the feeling of suicidal nostalgia that overwhelmed the African slaves, often leading them to eat dirt every day until they died.

PART 4: MUSIC: SLAVE TRADE

The transportation of slaves from Africa to the New World was only one of the sides of what is called the “triangular trade.” First, the Europeans would export goods to African kings who would provide them with slaves captured during military campaigns. These slaves then embarked upon the perilous journey across the Atlantic in horrific conditions where around 15% of the “imports” would die. The triangle was completed by the exportation of goods from the Americas to Europe. The slave trade was officially outlawed in 1850 after increasing political pressure from England. However, it continued illegally for many years, as did trading within Brazil. In 1888, Brazil became the last country in the Western Hemisphere to abolish slavery.

Capoeira’s music not only allowed slaves to disguise their fight as a dance, it also preserved African instruments and call-and-response chant. However, its most important attribute might be its preservation of oral tradition. Its songs passed down images and traditions through the centuries that might of otherwise have been lost without the continuity provided by the Capoeira community.

In Misturou (Mixed), Mestre Toni invokes the rituals of Afro-Brazilian religion and the black hero Zumbi, illustrating the mixing of races and cultures that have come to define Brazil.

PART 5: MUSIC: RACIAL MIXING

During slavery, a large number of mixed-race Brazilians were born, largely through rape, but also through informal marriages between whites and nonwhites, due to a shortage of white women. In Brazil today, nearly one fourth of all marriages are interracial. A 2007 scientific study of mitochondrial and nuclear DNA in 120 Brazilians, performed by geneticists at the Federal University of Minas Gerais, estimates that upward of 85 percent of the population, including tens of millions of Brazilians who regard themselves as white, have a more than ten percent African contribution to their genome. Likewise, a large proportion of Afro-Brazilians have at least one European paternal ancestor.

About ABADA-Capoeira

These are about ABADA_Capoeira.

ABADÁ-Capoeira believes in using capoeira as an effective vehicle for promoting social change and integration and stimulating individual growth. ABADA-Capoeira Australia uses the instruction and performance of capoeira to transcend socio-economic barriers between communities and encourage community empowerment. ABADA-Capoeira Australia helps meet the community's need for safe, accessible space for participants of all ages and abilities to participate in meaningful activities that engage body, heart, and mind, and serves as a valuable cultural resource. The organization promotes individual and community values of respect, cooperation, and freedom.

Capoeira versus Muay Thai

Here's about Capoeira versus Muay Thai

I's the Muay Thai versus Capoeira fight from The Protector (2005) featuring Tony Jaa and Lateef Crowder. If you saw "Soul Samurai" back in February, it's clear that I've been infusing more and more of these two fighting styles into my fight choreography these days. I definitely enjoy the hard impact knees and elbow strikes of Muay Thai mixed with all the fun spinning fishtail kicks and attitude turns of Capoeira. Continuously adding new fight styles into the Vampire Cowboys' repertoire helps push myself and my actors into new realms with their skill sets as well as give our audiences a bit more splash amongst all the Kung Fu and katana work usually seen in our plays. I like to think that's what keeps our fights so exciting, you never know what new thing is gonna appear onstage. It's always fun figuring out what new style I'm gonna study and implement for the next show. Expect these two forms to stick around and evolve more for next season's Vampire Cowboys show along with a whole bunch of other new bloody fun.

Good cause about Capoeira

Above about Capoeira.

All Capoeiristas say over and over again that Capoeira is not only a martial art. We tend to look down on other martial artists in the knowledge that they just learn how to bash their heads while we get to learn movement, music and philosophy in one. Actually, that is unfair, cause other martial arts do also have underlying philosophies. Still there is clearly differences between Capoeira and most other martial arts. Some of these differences come out of the fact that capoeira did not evolve in temples or was invented by soldiers in some academy. Those who did practise Capoeira in the past, were usually underprivileged people like slaves, unemployed men, street thugs and such. Capoeira did grow and develop further on the streets (taking advantage of the rich culture of African rituals, dances and martial arts brought by Africans to Brazil – but for this story check out the posts under “African Roots“). Maybe because of this, because most of today’s teachers still know what poverty and oppression does with people, many Capoeira schools are involved in social projects, trying to give the people “o povo” what belongs to them: hope, perspective, movement.

“Capoeira Beyond Brazil”

I realized the importance of this topic when I was reading a book which was sent to me by Blue Snake Books. It is named “Capoeira Beyond Brazil” and is written by Aniefre Essien (Tartaruga), who is teaching Capoeira to at risk youth in Oakland, California since 1998.

The people from Blue Snakes Books asked me to write a review about this book. As I never wrote a review before (except in school, but that doesnt count) I was very interested in doing so, especially when it was about a Capoeira Book I never had heard of before. So I sat down and read this book and I liked it. I wrote this review a long time ago, but due to many reasons I was not able to complete it well and it took months – till today – till I was able and willing to do so. In the meantime one of my favourite Capoeira Bloggers Mandingueira did already post a review about this book. That’s why I decided to take this review one little step further and give a glimpse on this topic, Capoeira and Social Engagement. So, better late than never, here’s the review:

Men and women trying to learn Capoeira

Above about Capoeira.

Men and women loped around trying to learn the dance-like Brazilian martial art called capoeira. Moms-to-be were given the basics on prenatal care. And a 5-year-old boy showed people of all ages how to weave a scarf using a technique called hand-knitting.

Those were just a sampling of Skillshare Austin's workshops presented Saturday in East Austin at the Space 12 event center.

"We're all about relying on ourselves and each other instead of outside groups or companies," Skillshare organizer Virginia Jensen said.

The group, which has been active in Austin for about two years, holds monthly workshops on sustainable and creative living. This is their second free, weekend-long showcase. About 60 people attended the event Saturday. It will continue today from noon to 5:45 p.m. at the Space 12 venue, 3121 E. 12th Street.

"We're here to help people realize how we're all teachers and we're all learners," said Charity Ridpath, another organizer.

Jensen and Ridpath stood next to a table where participants had just finished making digital television antennas using a wood block and wire hangers.

Evelyn Nelson, who led the demonstration, said her idea for a workshop sprang from her inability to get stations on her television. Having attended Skillshare events in the past, she said she realized that she might develop a useful skill she could share at this event.

"The collaboration between people was just magical," she said after the demonstration.

Today, the group will make and raffle off a movable chicken coop, demonstrate how to do an oil change and share information on anarchist baby care: a how-to on applying "anti-capitalist and anti-authoritarian" principles to childcare.

Cory Skuldt, another event organizer and mother of 5-year-old Finn, said she was working on the event when her son asked her if he could be a teacher. The pair came up with hand-knitting as a useful skill he could show to others.

"That's kind of what I hope happens with everybody here," she said.

Shaun Gladwell's Central

Here's about Shaun Gladwell's Central

The first things you notice when you enter Shaun Gladwell’s central Sydney studio are the dozens of brightly painted skateboards stacked against the wall and a tangle of mountain bikes—there were nine on the day he invited The Art Newspaper into his studio, shortly before his departure for Venice, where he will occupy the Australian Pavilion.

“Venice must be the worst place in the world for a skateboarder,” says Gladwell. “But I love it.”

He has no idea how many skateboards are in the stack—there must be more than 100 of them—although he quickly locates three particular boards kept in plastic to preserve their pristine condition, too precious ever to ride: one by Liam Gillick, who is set to occupy the German pavilion at the Venice Biennale this year, and two by Jeff Koons. “I like having the collection near me,” he says. “I just look at them and they collect dust.”

And the mountain bikes? “Yeah, I have a bike fetish too, I love them. But they have to be black, to have dual suspension, and to be made by a firm called Specialized.”

Skateboarding is central to Gladwell’s idea of himself as well as to his practice as an artist. It links the 37-year-old artist—in early mid-career, as Doug Hall, commissioner of the Australian Pavilion put it—with his teenage years in a Sydney urban subculture, that links in turn with urban cultures from Tokyo to London, New York to Seoul. Skateboarding also provided him with the two defining video pieces he made in 2000, which still inform his work: Double Line Walk, in which he uses a handicam to video the tip of his board as he skates around Sydney—Gladwell’s take on Paul Klee’s dictum that drawing is “taking a line for a walk”—and Storm Sequence, in which he performs freestyle tricks on a board while a storm rolls in from the ocean behind him on Bondi Beach. Storm Sequence has become an important Australian work of art, and drew accolades at the 2007 Venice Biennale.

Other performances chronicled by Gladwell have included a stunt cyclist riding on one wheel through a McDonald’s, unnoticed by the eaters; a breakdancer doing headspins, again with the image inverted; two breakdancers locked in a frozen position for as long as their bodies can manage at a Tokyo underground station; and a Capoeira dancer performing exercises in a deserted 24-hour petrol station. “I like to think of the spaces and dynamics before the work, almost as if the space inspires the work,” he says.

He also explores these formal ideas in the least formal of settings, deploying what he terms “post-pop logic” and offering multiple entry points into the work. “I try to use the debris of the collision between pop and high art,” he explains, citing the human skull, a graphic image in youth culture but also the memento mori of art history. He’s interested in how skateboarders, for instance, will get something very different from his work to art world insiders—“I like things to be open-ended, to allow multiple interpretations.” This openness extends to allowing chance to introduce elements of broad humour or absurdity, such as a pigeon that wanders through the shot in the McDonald’s sequence, and a bright blue municipal garbage truck that chunters up behind the Capoeira dancer.

Learn Capoeira moves

Above about Capoeira moves.

-Ginga: The standard movement from which all Capoeira moves are performed. (See Capoeira Corner for an animation)
-Queda de Rins: A stance positioning your legs over your body, elbows and head supporting the weight

-Queda de Tres: Angola position with both hands on the ground, one leg straight. This position is used to land into to escape a banda or other attack and go into an evasive move.

-Queda de Quatro: Angola Position with legs straight in front on the ground and weight on your hands. You use this to escape or back away from an opponent. It's also a position you fall back onto to escape takedowns like the queda de tres

-Esquiva Baixa: A low dodge with one leg back, one hand blocking your head and one supporting your weight.
-Esquiva Lateral: Like Esquiva Baixa but to the side, and one arm is overhead

-Cocorinha: A crouching position.
-Ponte: Backbend or low backbend (arms and legs bent but back isn't touching the ground)
-Resistencia: Like cocorinha, but one leg can be forward, you lean back as you escape. You use reistencia to go to a low ponte, rolé or rasteira to the side.
-Entrada: A sidestep dodge, also a step forward. The entrada step is also what leads into spinning moves like the Armada, Mei Lua de Compasso, and Meia Lua Solta
-Balanço: An evasive maneuver to the side with legs spread, you use the momentum to bounce back into other moves.
-Rolé: A way of moving low to the ground, legs sweeping short in front of you.

-Escala: Defensive move where you fall back onto one leg. From here usually you spring forward to attack, a sweep or Chapeu de Couro

-Reverse Planche (left) and Manna (right): These strength holds are sometimes seen in the roda by very strong capoeiristas. Just thought I'd throw them in.

-Vingativa: A counter that uses your weight and leverage to topple an opponent.
-Cruz: A counter that ‘uproots’ the opponent.
-Boca de Calca: A simple takedown where you grab the opponent's ankles and yank.
-Arrastão: Takedown where you move in close, shoulder to the opponent's chest, grab their thighs and heave their skull to the ground.
-Acoite de Braco: A body slam or throw or takedown. Grab one arm, put your other arm between his legs, heave him up onto and over your shoulders and plunk him on the ground.
-Cintura Desprezada: A series of 4 acrobatic partner exercises developed by Mestre Bimba to teach students how to land on their feet. This training helped students learn moves like backflips, forward flips & au sem mao. I don't know what these are and I've never done them before, so don't bother asking.
-Arpão: Spinning handslaps.
-Giro: To spin on your heels, like faking a kick
-Asfixiante: Forward punch.
-Godeme: A backhand elbow, backhand or overhead strike.
-Galopante: A swinging palm strike.
-Cutelo: Any hit with the outer edge of your stiff hand, like a chop
-Dedeira: Eye gouge
-Telefone: Smacking both sides of the head with your hands
-Cutevelada: Any elbow strike.

-Banda: A standing sweep, used to place the foot for one of the following takedowns

-Banda de Costa: Takedown where you move in, put one leg behind his and push him over.
-Banda por Dentro: Takedown where you sweep the inside leg rather than the outer leg.
-Aú: A cartwheel. There are many variations, i.e. legs tucked, aù into hand/headstand, one-handed, legs together, etc.
-Aú Agulha: A cartwheel, but in the middle you hop off your hands into the landing.
-Aú Leg Switch: A cartwheel but the legs switch position midway through and you land on the opposite foot.

-Aú Cortado, aka Slanted Aú: A cartwheel slanted with the legs coming down over head rather than sideways.

Ladainha music in capoiera

This is about ladainha music capoeira.

In capoeira, music sets the rhythm, the style of play, and the energy of a game. In its most traditional setting, there are three main styles of song that weave together the structure of the capoeira Angola roda. The Angola roda represents the most strict and traditional format for capoeira and is ideally suited for an introduction and discussion of the music.

The roda commences with the ladainha (littany), a solo often sung by the most senior member present, usually the one playing gunga. These songs may be improvised on the spot, but are most often chosen from a canon of extant ladainhas. The ladainha varies in from as little as two lines, to 20 or more. Topics for this song type include moral lessons, stories, history, mythology, can be topical for a particular occasion as well as pure poetry, and almost always metaphorical. The song is loosely strophic and the melody is pretty much the same throughout the entire ladainha repertoire, with some variations here and there. The ladainha uses quatrain form as a template, with the first line almost always repeated.

Iê...ê
Eu já vivo enjoado
Eu já vivo enjoado
de viver aqui na terra
amanhã eu vou pra lua
falei com minha mulher
ela então me respondeu
que nos vamos se deus quiser
Vamos fazer um ranchinho
todo feito de sapé
amanhã as sete horas
nos vamos tomar café
e o que eu nunca acreditei,
o que não posso me conformar
que a lua vem à terra
e a terra vem à lua
todo isso é conversa
pra comer sem trabalhar
o senhor, amigo meu, colega velho
escute bem ao meu cantar
quem é dono não ciuma
e quem não é vai ciumar
camaradinho

Ieeeee
I am sick
of living here on Earth
Tomorrow I'll go to the Moon
I said to my wife
And she responded
Then we'll go, God willing
We'll have a little ranch
All made of straw
Tomorrow morning at seven
We'll have some coffee
What I never believed
Nor could I ever confirm
The moon would come to Earth
And the Earth to the Moon
This is just talk
to eat without working
Sir, good friend, old colleague
Listen well to my song
He who is the master of his land doesn't envy
And he who isn't certainly will
Camaradinho

An interpretation of this song could be: Nothing comes easy without hard work. The person who sings the ladainha cries out "Ieeeeeeee" (pronounced YaaaaaaaaY) to call to order the attendees of the roda, that the roda is starting. The ladainha ends with "Camará", "Camaradinho" (fits better rhythmically), or conversely, "É hora, hora" (It's the hour). This tagline marks the end of the ladainha and the beginning of the chula, or more properly louvação (praise).

Add kicks to defenses in capoeira

Here are the tips.

1. Step 1

   Set yourself in an opening stance. Place your legs shoulder-width apart with one in front of the other.

2. Step 2

   Perform an Armada or standard kick. Quickly spin your body around 360 degrees while lifting your back leg and extending it for the kick. Shift your weight as you turn. Keep your front foot on the floor. Continue the rotation and then place your back foot on the floor. You land sideways with your feet shoulder-width apart.

3. Step 3

   Use the Meia Lua de Frente as a defensive attack. Lift your back leg waist-high. Swing it around 180 degrees. Hold your arms out to balance yourself during the move. Pull your leg back in to get into position.

4. Step 4

   Do a straight kick or Bênção. Bend your knees and lift your front leg waist-high. Lean forward with both hands and grab the opponent. Straighten your lifted leg out slowly and firmly kick the opponent.

5. Step 5

   Utilize the Meia Lua de Compasso or Rabo de Arraia in a defensive attack. Start in a basic stance. Step back with one foot. Bend forward and place your hands on the floor. Push off with your back leg. Kick that leg to waist-height. Spin your body around with the kick and land on your back foot.

6. Step 6

   Perform the Negativa or takedown. Allow your partner to kick low. Lift your knee up to your waist. Extend your lifted leg. When your partner kicks, defend yourself with a kick to her chest. This knocks her down and gives you the advantage.

Basic Capoeira Moves

Here the basic moves of capoeira.

This is by no means a teaching method, but rather a reference. Anyone seriously interested in learning capoeira should do his or her best to seek out a mestre to learn how capoeira is really played.

There are a limitless amount of capoeira moves, some with the different names according to style, region and teacher.

Ginga: The swinging back and forth rhythm that characterizes capoeira, giving the capoerista an ever changing base and elusive quality.

Cocorinha: Low crouching evasive move.

Queda de Rins: Low defensive move where you balance your body on your elbow and head.

Capoeira self-defence

Above about capoeira self-defense.

"CAPOEIRA IS A GAME," SAID JELON VIEIRA, A MASTER of the Brazilian dancelike martial art. He spoke at his favorite New York cafe in SoHo. "It's a fight like a dance, a dance like a fight," he said. "It's not about winning or losing,,but who plays smarter."

The 48-year-old Mestre (master) Jelon, as he is known to his students, was a long way from his hometown in Brazil's northeast state of Bahia, home to the majority of the country's Afro-Brazilian population. Wearing a black turtleneck with jeans and occasionally holding a cell phone up to his closely cropped graying hair, he doesn't look like he grew up in a world far, far away from the speed-injected Manhattan lifestyle.

As the founder and choreographer of DanceBrazil, a troupe that incorporates capoeira, samba, and modern dance, Vieira splits his time between New York and Bahia and seems to be on a mission to bring these two worlds together. It all started in 1975 when he came to the United States, speaking no English and knowing no one. Like most immigrants, he left a country marked by poverty and political instability in search of a better life.

Two years later, Vieira founded DanceBrazil, and the rhythmic and lively dance-martial art form was thus catapulted into American culture. The company was soon traveling throughout Europe and Asia and performing in such prestigious venues as the John F. Kennedy and Lincoln Centers. Capoeira has skyrocketed in popularity, and its movements can now be seen in many modern and hip-hop dance performances. Dozens of capoeira teachers have also come from Brazil, including some of Vieira's former students, offering classes in New York, Florida, Missouri, Texas, and California (see sidebar on page 123).

Capoeira hasn't prompted migration only northward. Many Americans, some also inspired by Vieira, have headed south across the equator hoping to gain a deeper understanding of the art form's essence. Last February, I was one of them. Although anyone who is flexible, strong, and balanced can learn the circular kicks, one-handed handstands, and cartwheels of capoeira, its subtleties can only be absorbed along the coast of Baia de Todos os Santos (All Saints Bay). It is there that the discipline's history and culture begin. Until I visited this mystical place myself, I was unsure of all this meant.

I had been studying capoeira in New York for only a few months when I arrived in Bahia with just the basic moves under my white (meaning very beginning) belt. Vieira, who holds a black cord indicating his master status, invited me to his family's home a short walk from the beach in Salvador, the capital city. His mother, with her warm smile that welcomed the gentle comings and goings of visitors all day long, served a delicious lunch of salad with mango, rice and beans, chicken lasagna, and watermelon.

I had arrived from an island off the coast of Salvador, where I practiced capoeira with some boys who play on the beach each evening when the burning sun begins to set. (February is the height of summer in Brazil.) I approached them humbly one night to ask if I could participate in their roda (pronounced hoda), or circle, that surrounds the capoeiristas as they play two at a time. They invited me in and began to demonstrate not only the physical moves but the philosophy behind them. "Keep your head up and your eyes open," I was told. "Always be aware."

As I looked into their eyes, aware of my burnt skin and the salty sea air, I began to sense the evolution of this art form as it had been practiced over hundreds of years. Though I understood only about half of what they were saying in Portuguese and nearly collapsed from lack of stamina, I realized that what was a source of exercise and fun for me in New York was a way of life for many in Bahia.

As Vieira had told me that day in Manhattan, "Capoeira is a language. It's a dialogue. It's about camaraderie and bringing people together. It teaches self-respect, self-control, discipline, and respect for life."

Vieira does not allow his eighty students, who range in age from 7 to 24, to drink, smoke, or use drugs, and encourages them to do well in school. They admire and respect him, so they comply with any request or demand. Given the poverty and violence that pervade that region in Brazil, it is easy to see how capoeira has been a source of self-confidence and hope for Vieira and his students.

THE FORM IS THOUGHT TO HAVE developed as a means of self-defense in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries by slaves brought to Brazil by the Portuguese. Forbidden to practice, the slaves disguised the form as a dance, and "played" the round, fluid, low-to-the-ground movements to pulsating musical beats that remain part of capoeira. (No capoeira circle is without someone playing a birimbau, a tall, slender instrument made from a wooden stick, string, and a gourd. Drums and tambourines may also accompany the call-and-response songs, which tell old stories of slavery and new tales of life and love in Bahia.) Some say the moves--in which only head, hands, and feet touch the ground--were developed to avoid dirtying the white religious clothes worn by the slaves.

Capoeira is energy, humble, friendship and strength

Talks about Capoeira.

MEXICO CITY — The sounds of Africa, Brazil and Arabia echoed through the tiny studio, bringing 25 students together in a circle to sing what sounded like an African-American spiritual.

Two fighters jumped into the middle of the circle, their movements so fluid and connected to the music that, at first glance, it looked like a choreographed dance. Yet the movements mimicked the martial arts in the blend of dancing, fighting, music and acrobatics that is capoeira.

"There are many dimensions to capoeira," said Adolfo Flores, a capoeira (pronounced cah-poh-AY-rah) master who teaches at a studio in Mexico City's Roma neighborhood. "A person needs to be a musician to learn capoeira; a person needs to be a dancer to practice capoeira; a person needs to be involved with martial arts, because at the very end, capoeira is martial arts."

The look and sound of the mysterious art form have become increasingly popular in Mexico in the last five years.

Every Saturday at around 4 p.m., the streets in one of Mexico City's southern neighborhoods transform into a stage for the Roda de Capoeira, the Circle of Capoeira, where the performances take place.

Jingling tambourines offset the low beat of the atabaque, a conga-like drum from Africa. Flores directs the capoeira ceremony with the berimbaus, a bow-shaped instrument with metal strings, as he glides a wooden stick across it while shaking a rattle in his other hand.

"Capoeira is exactly what you see," said Flores, who's been a teacher for the past seven years. Putting it into words is difficult, even for a capoeira master such as Flores.

Though it may look like a choreographed dance to the uninformed, it's much more than that, he said. Capoeira enables a follower to become a fighter and a singer, he said.

Its traditions are deeply rooted in African and Brazilian culture, and it has some Arabian musical influences, as well.

Its origins and even its name are widely disputed. Is it strictly a Brazilian form of dance integrated with African fighting techniques, or an African form of fighting with influences of Brazilian dance?

The most accepted explanation is that capoeira was born in the 16th century when slaves from Angola were taken to Brazil.

"In Brazil, particularly, the black people survived through capoeira," said Angel Rivero, a 25-year-old Venezuelan who moved to Mexico City to get his master's degree. "It was just a way of rebelling against the oppression, the slavery."

Capoeira became a way for the African slaves to defend themselves against their Brazilian masters. The movements within capoeira are acrobatic, mixing back flips and cartwheels with kicks and karate chops.

According to Princeton University's capoeira Web site, the dancelike appearance of capoeira was a way for Africans to disguise its practice from their Brazilian masters. Its lack of physical, direct contact and aggression was yet another way to disguise its purpose as a form of self-defense.

Although it once was banned in Brazil, capoeira has continued to grow since the 16th century, and it's become popular all over the world. It's played throughout Mexico, Australia, Brazil, Venezuela, Europe and the United States.

In Mexico City, the Roda de Capoeira is played as street fighting among teams like the one at Flores' studio.

"You know, being inside a circle of capoeira in which every single person is involved, something happens during that time that every single person is so committed to what is happening at that moment. That's wonderful," Flores said.

Capoeira's recognition in Mexico has grown over the last five years because of its portrayal in posters, magazines and TV, Flores said. It's most popular with youths ages 15 to 25, but it's practiced among people from ages 3 to 55.

"We believe there are no physical limits for capoeira. I truly believe that anybody can learn it," he said. "I have a person that weighs over 120 kilos" — 264 pounds — "and also I have seen people with Down's syndrome who practice capoeira. There was one guy who was armless, a couple of deaf people."

It's not limited to men, either, said 33-year-old Nora Flores, who's been practicing for a few years and who's no relation to Adolfo Flores.

"You know, women have to look for a place in whatever they like to do," she said. "Though the number of men is (larger) than the women, women are involved in the same way men are involved in capoeira."

The master and the students said that capoeira tested and strengthened them physically and mentally. The changes and challenges that each player faces are different, and the experience of capoeira is unique to each person.

"First of all, capoeira is life," Rivero said of his own experience. "Second, it is energy, it is humble, it is friendship and it is strength."

Capoeira as a dance

Capoeira is nice martial art.

The Afro-Brazilian martial art that can be considered or confused as a dance, whoever you're talking to. Some people think it's stupid. Some people think it's wonderful. Whatever they feel, it's rather big, and at the same time, it's not. The interesting about Capoeira is that, to me, it's everywhere, but a lot of my friends really don't know what it is, or even never heard of it. I see giant roda's, small roda's, containing people of different walks of life that practice it. It had its origins in Africa and/or Brazil and then, somehow, into todays world, made its way to Japan, Israel, the US, Canada, and different parts of Europe. You name it, Capoeira is probably there, SOMEWHERE.

Even in a town like Rochester.

It's been a great past 3 weeks for me and capoeira. Coming from 2 quarters of an endless barrage of work, I was so out of practice when I started practicing again a couple of weeks before the ImagineRIT event, and then a week after, the Batizado. I hated it. I hated not being able to play and I hated being so out of practice. Work takes priority, does it not?

Nevertheless, playing week after week in the last couple of weeks have been great. It has reinvigorated my willingness to improve, especially when the Batizado came along. It was my first all day event, and it was the first time in a while since I've played someone from outside of the club. Trying new things was refreshing. Playing new people made me wonder how my game can improve. In small steps? Leaps and bounds? We'll see.

Capoeira unique martial art

It's about capoeira.

Capoeira. The Dance of War. From its humble beginnings in South America, this unique martial art has spread around the world. From Brazil to the United States and everywhere in between, fighters are stepping into the traditional circle to see who is the greatest martial arts fighter of them all. Do you have what it takes to be the best? Find out this summer when Destineer and developer Twelve Games release “The Circle: Martial Arts Fighter” exclusively for Wii™.

“The Circle: Martial Arts Fighter is an exciting addition to Destineer’s catalogue,” said Paul Rinde, CEO of Destineer. “With its fast-paced combat and intuitive controls, The Circle is sure to please both casual gamers and the Wii’s growing ‘hardcore’ audience.”

Features:

• Intuitive Gameplay: Master the fast-paced martial art of Capoeira with a unique control scheme that fluidly melds depth with simplicity.

• The Best of the Best: Choose from 12 fighters from around the world, each with a unique style and move set. Battle in 13 arenas from across the globe, from Capoeira’s homeland of Brazil to Japan and everywhere in between.

• World Warrior: Challenge yourself with Training Mode, Story Mode, Versus Mode, and more. Tackle three different difficulty settings to see how powerful your martial arts skills really are!

• Bulk Up: Customize your fighter by earning skill points to increase your strength, constitution, speed, and other skills!

Capoeira impressive health benefits

Here's some capoeira health benefits.

Capoeira is at once a widely communal and a deeply individual experience. Once you become a capoeirista, you form an instant bond with thousands of people across the globe who share your passion. At the same time, you will gain the ability to do things that most of the general public could never dream of doing, and in doing so you will discover a true sense of uniqueness.

If you want to start capoeira, or if you’ve ever seen capoeira and were curious about it, you’ve come to the right place.

If it wasn’t clear from the superhero-like bodies that some capoeiristas have, capoeira has some impressive health benefits, such as:

• Strength: Capoeiristas are always moving around on their hands in handstands, rolls, poses, etc. that can make a drastic improvement on upper body strength. They also perform many jumping kicks and movements that definitely improve leg strength.
• Flexibility: Some capoeiristas are on par with yoga practitioners in terms of their flexibility.
• Cardio and Stamina: Intense capoeira games can require enormous amounts of energy. This, combined with constant repetition of movements and techniques, makes capoeira a valuable cardio exercise.
• Overall Fitness: Capoeira will improve your strength, flexibility, and stamina, thus improving your overall fitness. It may take a while to become fit, but once you start to take capoeira seriously you can become the picture of health.

In addition to the numerous health benefits that capoeira offers, it can also improve your social life:

• Meet new people: When you join a capoeira group, you become part of a family. You will meet people from all over the world, and you will definitely make new friends along the way.
• Learn a new language: You may not become fluent (though that’s always a possibility), but there is no doubt that you will come to understand and perhaps speak a bit of Brazilian Portuguese.
• Learn about a new culture: Capoeira is deeply connected to Brazil. In a time when many martial arts are reduced to aerobic workouts and cookie cutter dojos, capoeira maintains all of its roots and traditions. Maybe you’ll even develop a taste for Brazilian food!
• Gain confidence: If nothing else, capoeira is perfect for instilling a sense of pride and confidence in anyone who plays. Not only will you feel stronger and more courageous once you become comfortable in the jogo, you’ll find confidence in knowing that you are unique among your (non-capoeira) peers because you can do things they couldn’t imagine doing.

When you decide to start taking capoeira, you may be faced with a choice to go down the path of capoeira angola or capoeira regional. I’ll give you a quick primer to each:

• Angola: Angola is the more “traditional” style of capoeira. The angola game focuses more on a slower (not always), controlled game played closer to the ground. There is a lot more emphasis on sneakiness and trickery (malicia).
• Regional: Regional keeps all of the traditions of capoeira, but focuses more on the martial and “flashy” aspects. In general, this is where you will find the fast, upright style of play characterized by high kicks and backflips.

In my opinion, there is nothing wrong with being a “capoeira chameleon” and learning both styles. Even if you have a preference for one over the other, it never hurts to know a little about both. And, as always, there is room for exception: not all regional is played the same, nor is all angola. A lot depends on the group you join, and even the song played by the berimbau (it dictates the game). One group may focus more on florieo (fancy tricks), while another focuses more on combat.

The best thing to do is research and try both, because it’s up to you to decide what best suits your tastes.

In the end, the decision to embark on the capoeira journey is one that only you can make for yourself. I can give you reasons why capoeira is awesome, but only you can choose to listen to me. One might say that these reasons can apply to any martial art or dance, which is somewhat true. But there is so much more to capoeira that makes it special, it could never be covered in a simple blog post.

Capoeira isn’t for everybody, but if you catch the capoeira bug you will know almost instantly if capoeira is for you.

Defenses of Capoeira

Here's is about Capoeira defenses.

Capoeira defenses consists of evasive moves and rolls. A series of ducks called esquivas, which literally means "escape", are also staple of a capoeiristas' defensive vocabulary. There are typically different esquivas for every step of the Ginga, depending on the direction of the kick and intention of the defender. A common defense is the rolê, which is a rolling move that combines a duck and a low movement. This move allows the defensive players to quickly evade an attack and position themselves around the aggressor in order to lay up for an attack. It is this combination of attacks and defense which gives a game of capoeira its perceived 'fluidity' and choreography.

Other evasive moves such as rasteira, vingativa, tesoura de mão or queda allow the capoeirista to move away or dangerously close in an attempt to trip up the aggressor in the briefest moment of vulnerability (usually in a mid-kick.)

Capoeira primarily attack

Capoeira is common to use feet.

Capoeira primarily attacks with kicks, sweeps, and head strikes. Some schools teach punches and hand strikes, but they are not as common. A possible explanation for the primary use of feet is the common West African belief that hands are for creation and feet for destruction^{[citation needed]}. Another common explanation is that slaves in Brazil were commonly shackled at the wrists, restricting them from using their hands. Lastly, striking with the hands is often seen as unelegant and disruptive to the flow of the game. Elbow strikes are commonly used in place of hand strikes. "Cabeçadas" or headbutts are as common as they are in many of the fighting arts of the African Diaspora^{[citation needed]}. Knee strikes are sometimes seen. Capoeira also uses acrobatic and athletic movements to maneuver around the opponent. Cartwheels called "aú" (a very common acrobatic movement), handstands (bananeira), headspins (pião de cabeça), hand-spins (pião de mão), handsprings (gato), sitting movements, turns, jumps, flips (mortal), and large dodges are all very common in capoeira though vary greatly depending on the form and rhythm. Fakes and feints are also an extremely important element in capoeira games and the setting of traps or illusory movements are very common.