School Students Learn the Art of Afro-Brazilian Martial Arts

These about Hazelwood West Middle School learn the art of Afro-Brazilian Martial Arts.

Hazelwood West Middle School seventh-grade students were in for an exotic and enriching historical treat Wednesday when the Cordão de Ouro Capoeira troupe came to perform as part of the school’s Black History Month celebrations.

Capoeira is an Afro-Brazilian art form that combines music and dance with acrobatics and martial arts. Tebogo Schultz, director of the group, said he originally learned about capoeira a video game he played in the school. When he found out it was more than a game, said he decided to learn more. In 1998, Shultz went abroad to study in Brazil, where he learned from some of the Capoeira master.

“Every culture in the world has a martial art,” he said. “We tend to forget that Africa is a diverse place with a diverse culture, and that there are still martial arts there today.”

The performance started with the players introducing the students to their instruments, which included drums, tambourines and an African string instrument. Shultz gave students a history lesson about Capoeira. The group then played a bit of music and began to demonstrate some of the more intricate Capoeira moves, individually at first and then in pairs. Students were enthralled by the performances, clapping and cheering throughout.

After the initial demonstrations, the players invited several students to try Capoeira. Once the players had given them a quick tutorial, most of the volunteers were surprisingly adept Capoeiras and participated enthusiastically.

“This is my first time doing it,” said seventh-grade student Jacob Pickett, one of the student volunteers. “It was a lot of fun…it’s great.”

Another seventh-grade student who took a shot at Capoeira, Lee Russell, seemed to be a natural during his performance with one of the players.

“I think it’s easier to know how to do it if you’re already a dancer,” Lee said. “It was a lot of fun and I may try doing it again sometime.”

Stacey McMackin, HWMS’s library media specialist and the event’s organizer, said this is just one of the many ways the school has celebrated Black History Month.

“Today’s performance is a multicultural thing that I thought the students would enjoy as part of our month-long Black History celebration,” she said. “I thought the seventh graders might really be engaged in something having to do with martial arts, too.”

She said that since many students don’t get the chance to see live arts outside of the school, it’s especially important and a personal goal of hers, to bring these performances in.

The purpose of Black History Month is to celebrate the many accomplishments of black Americans throughout history. Throughout the years, this month of celebration has served to unify Americans through learning new history, and for Shultz, Capoeira “transcends sport” by not being about competition, but rather a unifying art form that brings people together.

“Capoeira is the art of making friends,” he said.

Learn Capoeira For Kids

Capoeira Angola for kids ages 2-5 and 6-14. Check this out.

Sing! Dance! Play! Experience in teaching capacity of Capoeira Angola, Afro-Brazilian dance-fight game.

Children love to sing, dance, play music and play. Capoeira Angola is an art form that is fun and interesting development of coordination, self-esteem, balance, strength, agility and more encouraged. Through the basic elements of cooperation, creativity and natural movements, support for children with each other and overcome their limitations.

Each class focuses on elements of achievement, leadership and community. Capoeira is by nature, a social art that is always played and practiced in a group. In these children enhance their musical, physical and social capacities through active and interactive participation.

More detail visit this website.

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Martial arts musical classes

These are about capoeira.

Martial arts are nothing new in China, but Brazil's capoeira (ca-po-ei-ra) is a recent introduction. The sport blends music, singing and dance to create an innovative form of self-defence.

Andre Cao, a former fitness instructor in charge of a capoeira program in Beijing, learned capoeira in Canada. Last year, he brought some practitioners to the capital, where they staged a show in Sanlitun.

"It was amazing. After the show, many people inquired about the sport and asked whether we had classes in China. That gave me the idea of starting the program," Cao says.

There are two styles: capoeira Angola and capoeira regional.

The former, a traditional style of capoeira, is performed with slow and smooth motions, close to the ground.

Capoeira regional has more acrobatic moves and is faster and more aggressive. It is often seen during performances because the jumping and spinning are eye-catching.

Cao says many people appreciate capoeira for its beauty, but are intimidated because it looks difficult. People don't have to excel at the sport to benefit, Cao says.

As a martial art, capoeira uses a ranking system that is expressed by the belts that are worn. The rankings are based on the colors of the Brazilian flag. The beginning level is student, followed by graduate, formed, then professor, and the top level is master.

Capoeira is beginning to catch on in China. When he first started the program, Cao had six students, most of whom were his friends. Now there are 35 students. They have only one Brazilian teacher at the moment, but are looking to add another by the end of the year.

What really sets capoeira apart from other martial arts is the use of music.

There are five main percussion instruments: berimbau, pandeiro, atabaque, agogo, and reco-reco. Different styles of capoeira use different instruments.

Classes normally end with a circle, in which the instructor plays instruments and students sing and clap.

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.