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.
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