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by rec-martial-arts on July 15th, 2003

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What should I know about Capoeira?

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  • by rec-martial-arts on July 15th, 2003

    rec-martial-arts

    (Contributors: Daniel C. Sobral - e8917523@linf.unb.br"Lagartixa" (Gecko) - nworthin@rohan.sdsu.edu )

    Intro:

    This is a very acrobatic, very energetic Brazilian martial art.

    Origin: Angola and BrazHistory:

    Capoeira is the common name for the group of African martial arts thacame out of west Africa and were modifed and mixed in Brazil. Thesorginal stlyes inculded weapons, grappling and striking as well aanimal forms that became incorpated into different components and sustyles of the popular art.

    In the 1500's, black slaves from Africa were used in Brazil to buihe empire of the sugar cane. These slaves lacked a form oself-defense, and in a way quite parallel to Karate, they developed martial-art with the things they had in hand, namely, sugar canknives and 3/4 staffs. Being slaves, they had to disguise the study othe art, and that is how the dance came into it.

    In the early 1800's Capoeira was outlawed in Brazil, especially in it"home state" of Bahia, where gangs utilized it as their personafighting style against police.

    Capoeira was born in the "senzalas", the places where the slaves werkept, and developed in the "quilombos", the places where they used trun to when they fled from their enslavers.

    Description:

    Capoeira consists of a stylized dance, practiced in a circle callethe "roda", with sound background provided by percussion instrumentslike the "agogo", the "atabaqui", etc. The "Berimbau" is percussion instrument that is always used on rodas.

    Capoeira relies heavily on kicks and leg sweeps for attacks and dodgefor defenses. Is not uncommon to not be taught any kind of hanstrike of parry, though arm positioning for blocks is taught.

    The "ginga" (meaning "swing"_, the footwork of Capoeira, consists ichanging the basic stance (body facing the adversary, front leg flexewith body weight over it, the other leg strechted back) from the righleg to the left leg again and again.

    Capoeira also puts a heavy emphasis on ground fighting, but nograppling and locks. Instead, it uses a ground stance (from the basistance, you just fall over your leg stretched back, flexing it, anleaving the front leg stretched ahead), from which you make feintsdodges, kicks, leg sweeps, acrobatics, etc.

    Hand positioning is important but it's used only to block attacks anensure balance, though street fighting "capoeiristas" use the handfor punches.

    When fighting, it is rare to stop in one stance, and in this case, yojust "follow" your opponent with your legs, preventing him frogetting close, or preparing a fast acrobatic move to take advantagwhen he attacks. The rest of the time, you just keep changing stancesfeinting, and doing the equivalent of boxing "jabs".

    Training:

    After a through warm-up, standing exercises are done, with emphasis othe "ginga", the footwork characteristic of the art, and on the basikicks: "bencao", a front-stomping kick, "martelo", a roundhouse kick, "chapa", a side-kick, "meia-lua de frente", a low turning kick, "armada"a high turning kick, "queixada", an outside-inside crescent kick. Thewalking sequences are done, with the introduction of sommersaultsbackflips and headstands, in couples and individual. Some mortechnical training follows, with couples beginning a basic and slo"jogo", and then the whole class forms and goes for "roda" game for aleast 30 minutes.

    Capoeira conditions and develops the muscles, especially the abdominamuscles.

    Sub-Styles:

    Regional: Capoeira in a more artistic, open form, giving more way tathletic prowess and training. The newer, faster, more popular stylcreated by mestre Bimba (the guy who was responsible for the legalizatioof capoeira and the founder of the first academy). Breakdancing evolvefrom this style, and 90% of all breakdancing moves come directly frocapoeira. This is a faster game, less a fight and more of a showing off. Flourishes, higkicks, and aerial, acrobatic maneuvers are the hallmarof the regional game, which is usually played to the beat of the berimbaknown as Sao Bento Grande.

    Angola: a more closed, harder style that is closest to the originaAfrican systems that came to Brazil. The "traditional" capoeira, the gamis accompanied by a specific beat of the berimbau by the same name. Angolgames are generally slow and low to the ground, and incorporate a lot of trickery, sweepand takedowns, and physically grueling movements tharequire great strength and balance.

    Iuna: Iuna is not really a style of capoeira. Rather, it refers to rhythm of the berimbau that is played when somebody dies or when mestre(masters) play alone. There is no singing when iuna is played, and onlmasters are allowed to play during iuna.

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