WHAT IS CAPOEIRA?
Is it an acrobatic dance? A martial art? Musical performance? A fight for freedom? To break capoeira into pieces and call it capoeira, that’s not fair. Actually, capoeira is a blend of all the above and much more. Capoeira gives a lot, but also requires commitment. Capoeira training will challenge you in ways you never imagined before. In addition to developing your physical fitness, unlike the gym, capoeira will also teach you about music and percussion, Afro-Brazilian culture and history.
Capoeira brings together fighting techniques, acrobatics, take-downs, percussion, and songs, in a rhythmic dialogue of body, mind, and spirit. It is a communal game in which two opponents play each other inside a roda (circle), formed by other players, who establish a rhythm for the game by clapping, singing and playing traditional instruments. Capoeiristas use fintas (fakes) to fool their opponents and catch them off guard.
WHERE DOES CAPOEIRA COME FROM?
The history of capoeira is unclear. Even the word capoeira has multiple meanings and etymologists link it to Tupi-Guarani, Portuguese and African languages. Its origins are definitely from Africa and it was formalized in Brazil. Since the 1500s, many Africans were taken from different areas of West Africa and brought to Brazil to be kept as slaves by the Portuguese. At its very core capoeira preserved African slaves’ passion for freedom, tradition and culture, representing resistance, escape and self-defense. Music was introduced by capoeiristas to conceal the practice of the deadly martial art, prohibited by the Portuguese, and show capoeira as an acrobatic dance. Over time, the culture of enslaved Africans, the Brazilian indigenous peoples and Brazilians of Portuguese and European ascent all contributed to the art of Capoeira. The contemporary martial art reflects the cultural and social integration of diverse peoples.
After the abolition of slavery in Brazil in 1888, Capoeira became illegal for over forty years. The art was lost in many cities in Brazil, and capoeiristas were deemed ruffians and thugs, rather than the freedom fighters of the past. Again Capoeiristas were persecuted. In fact, practising capoeiristas were given nicknames (apelidos) to disguise their true identity. This tradition is kept by many schools today. Outnumbered and without modern weapons, capoeiristas had to be incredibly efficient with their movements. As such, capoeira bolsters itself with some of the strongest kicks recorded in martial arts.
You need to develop your knowledge of the music, develop a connection with Brazil, be a martial artist, be a dancer, know the history. It’s required that you be as complete as possible in your education, that you try to learn as much as you can, because you need to be able to pass that on to others. Otherwise we will lose the tradition.Mestra Marciá Cigarra
ARE THERE DIFFERENT TYPES OF
CAPOEIRA?
The first official capoeira school was opened in Bahia, Brazil in 1932, by the legendary Mestre Bimba, Manuel dos Reis Machado. After a group of foreign diplomats was awed by a Capoeira demonstration by Bimba and his students, the Brazilian government finally decided to recognize Capoeira as a unique native-born cultural art form, deserving of protection. Mestre Bimba’s school practiced a style known as Regional, focusing on strong teaching and training methods, but somehow downplaying the importance of music and playfulness.
At similar times, another style was formalized. Capoeira Angola is accredited to Mestre Pastinha, Vicente Ferreira Pastinha, who opened his school in 1941. Capoeira Angola highlighted the art form, where music and playful movements were a key to understanding the true nature and spirit of Capoeira – an expression of the people struggling for freedom and self-knowledge.
WHAT ABOUT CAPOEIRA TODAY?
Today capoeira is a global phenomenon, with various schools and styles spanning all continents and hundreds of countries in the world. Capoeira helps people to approach conflict, fear, and uncertainty with greater confidence, determination, and humor. Ultimately, Capoeira is a celebration of the joys of movement, music, physical expression, and strategy. Today’s students, like the earliest practitioners of Capoeira, learn to translate struggles into celebrations, to believe in their abilities, and to understand the richness of sharing with others.