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African
slaves first began practicing capoeira over 400 years
ago in Brazil. Unlike other martial arts, capoeira blends
music, dance, acrobatics, and mischievous play into
an artform of beauty and finesse.
Once recognized, Capoeira
showed the world that it is an effective fighting artform.
Capoeira is more
than a martial art, but also a social event that is
rich in tradition and history. A truly powerful martial
art, capoeira resembles a collaboration of dance, music,
and exotic movements - and even a game.
The first thing one notices
when watching Capoeira is the music and weird instruments.
Capoeira is played to the sound of a long bow like instrument
called the beribau. This along with a tambourine and
conga-like drum comprise of the rhythm section of the
capoeira ensamble. The lyrics, music and tempo all effect
the way each capoeira game is played. For the players,
there are several different rhythms that call for different
styles of play. When watching the game played, viewers
are normally in awe from the movements. The jogo consists
of a circle, with the players in the middle and the
musicians at the foot of the circle.
Capoeristas begin the game
by kneeling at the foot of where the instruments are
being played, and then enter the circle with a cartwheel,
summersault or other acrobatic move. Once the game has
started, the two capoeristas try and trick or confuse
their opponent with a combination or feints, kicks and
counter attacks. It takes years of practice and hard
work to become great at the jogo, as it requires precision,
quick moves, and flawless application of the Capoeira
techniques.
From a defensive position,
Capoeira is unpredictable, very creative, and also very
useful, as the kicks seem to come out of nowhere and
can be very hard to defend against. The opponent or
attacker has no clue what to expect from the student.
The Capoeira student defends himself through the use
of dancing movements and acrobatic techniques, executing
a fluidity that up until Capoeira were only dreamt of.
Capoeira is really big
in Brazil, with thousands of students learning the martial
art. It isnt one of the most popular in the United States,
although it's popularity is growing rapidly. In South
America it is more of a lifestyle, with jogo games being
played in the streets. A lot of martial arts students
dont want to learn Capoeira for the simple fact that
the movements can be very hard to perfect. Once you
see how the style is performed, it can make you cringe
at any second.
In the last 30 years, the
art has grown a lot. Capoeira became the national sport
of Brazil in 1974, proving that just about everyone
in Brazil had accepted it. As time continues to pass,
you can count on more and more competitions and capoeira
studios to surface - introducing this martial art/dance
to newer generations.
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