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."