Capoeira

Capoeira (kä-puh-WA'-ruh) is a Brazilian martial art practiced by African slaves in Brazil starting in the 1500s. It has been argued that capoeira was created in Africa, and that it was originated by Nigerian or Angolan tribes where members fought with music and the

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winner won a partner, usually female. Participants form a roda (circle) and take turns playing instruments, singing, and sparring in pairs in the centre of the circle. The game is marked by fluid acrobatic play, feints, subterfuge, and extensive use of groundwork, as well as sweeps, kicks, and headbutts. Technique and strategy are the key elements to playing a good game. Capoeira has two main styles, known as "regional" and "Angola."

History

The slaves brought their cultural traditions and religions with them to the New World. The homogenization of the African people under the oppression of slavery was the catalyst for capoeira. Capoeira was developed by the slaves of Brazil as a way to resist their oppressors, secretly practice their art, transmit their culture, and lift their spirits. Some historians believe that the indigenous peoples of Brazil also played an important role in the development of capoeira. This form of Capoeira is best represented in Capoeira Angola (which continues to uphold the roots of capoeira) today.

Batuque and Maculelê are other fight-dances also developed by slave populations that are closely connected to capoeira. There are also engravings and writings that describe a now-lost fighting dance in Cuba, the baile del maní, with two Bantu men moving to the yuka drums.

After slavery was abolished in 1888, the slaves moved to the cities of Brazil and with no employment to be found, many joined or formed criminal gangs. They continued to practice capoeira, and it became associated with anti-government or criminal activities. As a result, capoeira was outlawed in Brazil in 1890. The punishment for practicing it was extreme (practitioners would have the tendons on the backs of their feet cut), and the police were vicious in their attempt to stamp out the art. Capoeira continued to be practiced, but it moved further underground. Rodas were often held in areas with plenty of escape routes, and a special rhythm called cavalaria was added to the music to warn players that the police were coming. Capoeira practitioners (capoeiristas) also adopted apelidos or nicknames to make it more difficult for police to discover their true identities. To this day, when a person is baptized into capoeira at the batizado ceremony, they may be given an apelido.

Persecution of the art petered out eventually, and was entirely gone by 1918.

Mestre Bimba and Mestre Pastinha are generally seen as the fathers of modern capoeira regional and capoeira Angola, respectively.

Mestre Bimba made a major contribution to the preservation of the art by opening the first academy for instruction in capoeira. This was a significant development because it eventually led to the legalization of the art in Brazil, and allowed capoeira to gain popularity at a time when the art could possibly have died out. A notable example of the influence of Meste Bimba's system of formal instruction took place in 1937, when he was invited to perform with his students at an event at which Getulio Vargas, the president of Brazil at that time, was present. Vargas was so impressed with the discipline and devotion of Mestre Bimba's students he declared capoeira the national sport of Brazil. Mestre Bimba also had a major impact on the practice and method of instruction of the art, and introduced changes that effect the practice of the art to this day. Because of these changes Mestre Bimba remains a controversial figure. Prior to the legalization of the art, the public associated the art of capoeira with the poor underclass, criminal activity, and negative stereotypical elements of the afro-brazilian population. In order to alter the image of the art in the eye of the public, Mestre Bimba removed many of the rituals and traditions of the art of capoeira for practice in his academy. Mestre Bimba's capoeira is now called Capoeira Regional, or simply Regional. Mestre Bimba's capoeira continued to gain popularity, but eventually an effort was made to prevent the art from losing it's traditions and rituals.

In 1942, Mestre Pastinha opened the first formal academy for instruction in the traditional form of the art, known as Capoeira Angola. Mestre Pastinha was dedicated to preserving the traditional form of the art, and his efforts prevented Capoeira Angola from being lost as newer, modernized forms of the art gained popularity.

This era was a milestone of a dramatic change in the mode of instruction of the art of Capoeira. Previously, Capoeira was passed on in secret, usually from a relative such as one's father or uncle, or in a small group setting where several young people in a particular community would receive guidance from elder practitioners from that community. During this era, the academy system became the predominant form of participation in the art. Presently, there are capoeira academies on almost every continent of the world.

Another significant change that occurred due to the proliferation of capoeira 'schools' is the participation of middle and upper class members of the population. Presently, some Mestres participate in seminars where they discuss the need to make the art available to poor blacks, who usually can not afford the cost of training in an academy. This is an issue of concern to practitioners who recognize the importance of making the art available to people who come from the culture that invented the art in the first place.

(Click on arrow at bottom left of screen to see a Capoiera demonstration.)

Etymology

• The Portuguese word "capoeira" derives from the word capão, which translates as capon, a castrated rooster. The sport's name may originate from this word since its moves resemble those of a rooster in a fight. "Capoeira" has several meanings, including any kind of pen where poultry is kept, a fowl similar to a partridge, and a basket worn on the head by soldiers defending a stronghold. "Capoeira" is also what people used to call a black inlander who mugged travelers.
• Afro-Brazilian scholar Carlos Eugenio has suggested that the sport took its name from a large round basket called a capa commonly worn on the head by urban slaves selling wares.
• The word could derive from two Tupi-Guarani words, [CAA] ("down, little") and [PUOÊRA] ("grass"), referring to an area of forest that has been cleared by burning or cutting down. [CAÃ][PUOERA] was also a place used by fugitive slaves to attack slave transports.
• Kongo scholar K. Kia Bunseki Fu-Kiau has posited that "capoeira" could be derived from the Kikongo word kipura, a term used to describe a rooster's movements in a fight and meaning to flutter, flit from place to place, struggle, fight, or flog.

Music

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There are three basic kinds of songs in capoeira. A ladainha (litany) is a narrative solo usually sung at the beginning of a roda, often by the Mestre (Master). These ladainhas will often be famous songs previously written by a Mestre, or they may be improvised on the spot. A ladainha is usually followed by a chula or louvação, following a call and response pattern that usually thanks God and one's teacher, among other things. Each call is usually repeated word-for-word by the responders. The ladainha and chula are often omitted in regional games. Finally, corridos are songs that are sung while a game is being played, again following the call and response pattern. The responses to each call do not simply repeat what was said, however, but change depending on the song. For the lyrics to many of the songs, see Capoeira songs.

The instruments are played in a row called the bateria. Three instruments are berimbaus, which look like an archer's bow using a steel string and a gourd for resonance. It is played by striking the string with a stick, and the pitch is regulated by a stone. Legend has it that, in the old times, knives or other sharp objects were attached to the top of the berimbau for protection and in case a large fight broke out. These three bows are the Berra boi (also called the bass or Gunga), Medio, Viola, and lead the rhythm. Other instruments in the bateria are: two pandeiros (tambourines), a Reco-Reco (rasp), and an Agogo (double gong bell). The Atabaque (conga-like drum), a common feature in most capoeira baterias, is considered an optional instrument, and is not required for a full bateria in some groups.

The capoeira roda

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The minimum roda size is usually a circle where the radius is about 3 metres (10 feet) in diameter. They are often larger, up to 10 metres in diameter (30 feet). The rhythm being played on the berimbau sets the pace of the game being played in the roda. Slow music limits the game to slow yet complex ground moves and handstands.

Hits usually aren't made but feigned or just shown. The players often turn away from each other's hits just to throw their own. Slow games are often seen as finesse games, less impressive for the casual viewer. Faster music allows for more circular momentum which is key to gaining "big air" in the roda.

For the participants, the roda is a microcosm of life and the world around them. Most often in the roda, the capoeirista's greatest opponent is himself. Philosophy plays a large part in capoeira and the best teachers strive to teach Respeito (Respect), Responsabilidade (Responsibility), Segurança (Safety/Security), Malicia (Cleverness/Street-smarts), and Liberdade (Liberty/Freedom).

Modern capoeira is often criticized by more traditional practitioners of capoeira as being in the process of losing its "playfulness" and dialogue, in the sense that many capoeiristas tend to focus more on impressive acrobatics or the martial elements than the playful interaction with the other player in the roda.

Capoeira is uniquely social. Networking with other groups and students from other teachers can teach a capoeirista more about the art and improve their skills.

The game

Attacks

Capoeira primarily attacks with kicks, sweeps, and head strikes. Some schools teach punches and hand strikes, but they are not as common. Some scholars have speculated that this is because the art was originally developed by handcuffed slaves fighting against their guards. Another possible explanation for the primary use of feet is the common West African belief that hands are for creation and feet for destruction. Elbow strikes are commonly used in place of hand strikes. Knee strikes are sometimes seen. Capoeira also uses acrobatic and athletic movements to maneuver around the opponent. Cartwheels called "aú" (a very common acrobatic movement), handstands (bananeira), headspins (piao de cabeca), hand-spins (piao de mao), hand-springs (gato), sitting movements, turns, jumps, flips, and large dodges are all very common in capoeira though vary greatly depending on the form and rhythm. Fakes are also an extremely important element in capoeira games and the setting of "traps" or illusory movements are very common.

Defenses

Capoeira defenses consists of evasive moves and rolls. A series of ducks called esquivas, which literally means "escape", are also staple of a capoeiristas' defensive vocabulary. There are typically different esquivas for every step of the Ginga, depending on the direction of the kick and intention of the defender. A common defense is the rolê, which is a rolling move that combines a duck and a low movement. This move allows the defensive player to quickly evade an attack and position themselves around the aggressor in order to lay up for an attack. It is this combination of attacks and defense which gives a game of capoeira its perceived 'fluidity' and choreography.

Other evasive moves such as rasteira, vingativa, tesoura de mão or queda allow the capoeirista to move away or dangerously close in an attempt to trip up the aggressor in the briefest moment of vulnerability (usually in a mid-kick).

Combinations

There are also styles of moves that combine both elements of attack and defense. An example is the au batido. The move begins as an evasive cartwheel which then turns into a blocking/kick, either as a reflexive response to a blocking move from the opposing player or when an opportunity to do so presents itself, eg. at an opponent's drop of guard. Two kicks called meia lua de frente and armada are usually combined to create a double spinning kick.

Chamada

The Chamada is a ritual that takes place within the game of Capoeira Angola. Chamada means 'call', and consists of one player 'calling' their opponent to participate in the ritual. There is an understood dialogue of gestures of the body that are used to call the opponent, and to signal the end of the ritual. The ritual consists of one player signalling, or calling the opponent, who then approaches the player and meets the player to walk side by side within the roda. The player who initiated the ritual then decides when to signal an end to the ritual, whereby the two players return to normal play. Some practitioners call the chamada "the game, within the game" reminiscent of Shakespeare's use of the dramatic tool of "plays within the play." The critical points of the chamada occur during the approach, and the chamada is considered a 'life lesson', communicating the fact that the approach is a dangerous situation. Approaching people, animals, or life situations is always a critical moment when one must be aware of the danger of the situation. The purpose of the chamada is to communicate this lesson, and to enhance the awareness of people participating in the ritual. During the ritual, after the opposing player has appropriately approached the caller of the chamada, the players walk side by side inside the circle in which the game is played. This is another critical situation, because both players are now very vulnerable due to the close proximity and potential for surprise attack. Experienced practitioners and masters of the art will sometimes test a student's awareness by suggesting strikes, head-butts, or trips during a chamada to demonstrate when the student left themselves open to attack. The end of a chamada is called by the player that initiated the ritual, and consists of a gesture inviting the player to return to normal play. This is another critical moment when both players are vulnerable to surprise attack. The chamada can result in a highly developed sense of awareness and helps practitioners learn the subtleties of anticipating another person's intentions. The chamada can be very simple, consisting solely of the basic elements, or the ritual can be quite elaborate including a competitive dialoge of trickery, or even theatric embellishments. For example, Mestre Curio can be seen in a famous documentary, calling one of his students to a chamada, then leading a woman from the crowd into the circle to dance with his opponent, which creates a distraction, so that Mestre Curio can knock him to the ground in a surprise attack. Such theatrics can often serve the purpose of creating comedy, a humourous diversion from the normal game. Sometimes the chamada canresult in a rather complicated dialogue of trickery, where one opponent leads the other into his/her trap, similar to a checkmate in chess.

Volta ao mundo

Volta ao mundo means 'walk around the world.'

The volta ao mundo takes place after an exchange of movements has reached a conclusion, or after there has been a disruption in the harmony of the game. In either of these situations, one player will begin walking around the perimeter of the circle, and the other player will join the 'walk around the world' before returning to the normal game.

Trickery

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As students master the basic moves, their game naturally acquires a more cunning slant as they begin to perfect the art of trickery, or malandragem. This involves a lot of improvisation and modifications of basic moves into a flurry of feints and fakes to trick the opponent into responding wrongly. These attempts can be blatant or subtle at discretion of the players. Effective malandragem lies in the development of sharp observation skills and a keen innate ability to anticipate the moves of the opponent and prepare an appropriate response. Some capoeiristas take this aspect of the art to heights akin to the guile of theatrics and drama. Games displaying elaborate performances and even staging skits reenacting historic cultural aspects of capoeira are commonly demonstrated amongst the most learned of the art.

Styles of capoeira

Capoeira Angola

Angola is considered to be the mother form of capoeira and is often characterized by deeply held traditions, slower, sneakier movements (ie: in the 1980's there were instances of the players concealing blades between the toes to injure the partner) played closer to the ground and with the players playing their games in closer proximity to each other than in regional or contemporanea. Capoeira Angola, in actuality, is played in a great range of speeds, ranging from Mestre Rene's school (with fast, highly acrobatic movements and frenetic high tempo music) to Mestre João Pequeno's school (with much slower, methodical movements to low tempo, hypnotic music). The father of modern capoeira Angola is considered to be Mestre Pastinha who lived in Salvador, Bahia. Today, most of the capoeira Angola media that is accessible in the United States comes from mestres in Pastinha's lineage, but this isn't to say that he was the only one or that he was the originator. Many others helped in the preservation and propagation of capoeira Angola, including Zeca do Uruguaio, Mestre Caiçara, Mestre Waldemar, Mestre Bobo, Mestre Noronho, Mestre No, Mestre Canjiquinha, Mestre Paulo dos Anjos, and Besouro Mangangá, etc. The Angola style, while emphasizing the traditions and history of capoeira remains a contemporaneous art in the vibrant street scene of Salvador, Bahia. There is a diversity of styles and players, all of the traditional form, playing or performing in a great range of speeds and testing each other in various academies and in the street.

Capoeira Regional

Regional is a newer and more martially-oriented game. Regional was developed by Mestre Bimba to make capoeira more mainstream and accessible to the public, and less associated with the criminal elements of Brazil. While capoeiristas can sometimes play Angola-like, slow games, the regional style is most often composed of fast and athletic play. On the contrary to what you might read elsewhere, Bimba's regional style contains almost none of acrobatic movements so often associated with capoeira. It is combat-oriented while maintaining the trickiness of capoeira Angola.

Later, so called modern regional came to be (see the next section about capoeira Contemporânea). Developed by other people from Bimba's regional, this type of game is characterized by high jumps, acrobatics, and spinning kicks. This regional should not be confused with the original style created by Mestre Bimba.

Regional ranks capoeiristas (capoeira players) by ability, denoting different skill with the use of a corda (colored rope, also known as cordel or cordão) worn as a belt. Angola does not use such a formal system of ranking, relying instead upon the discretion of a student's mestre. In both forms, though, recognition of advanced skill comes only after many years of constant practice.

Capoeira Contemporânea

Contemporanea is a term for groups that train Angola and Regional. Currently this is controversial because many modern practioners argue that Angola must be practiced alone, or vice versa. Other practitioners argue that a capoeirista should have a working knowledge of traditional and modern capoeira.

Capoeira in popular culture

Movies

"Only The Strong," a 1993 action film, is considered to be the only Hollywood film that showcases capoeira from beginning to end. While many capoeira fans appreciate the film out of a sense of irony, it is generally considered to be a poor quality and cheesy movie which has been rarely used to showcase the sport, probably due to almost completely out of reality impressions about Brazil. More recent and more widely seen movies such as 2004's successful Meet the Fockers and Ocean's Twelve both featured capoeira in several short, but memorable scenes. "Meet capoeira. "The Fockers" portrays capoeira as a useless but amusing joke martial art. A character of Tenjho Tenge, Bob, also practices capoeira. Additionally, ex-wrestler turned actor "The Rock" performed a fight scene with several capoeiristas in the film The Rundown. The movie "The Quest," starring Jean-Claude Van Damme, had a scene during the tournament of the Golden Dragon, where the Brazilian fighter did an exhibition of capoeira, before his fight. The 1989 movie Rooftops directed by the Academy award winner Robert Wise has also featured a number of capoeira scenes.

"Catwoman" displayed some capoeira moves during some fights scenes. Actress Halle Berry followed a thorough training with Mestre Boneco of Capoeira Brasil.

Actress Charlize Theron also trained in the Brazilian martial-art with Professor Xingu of capoeira Batuque for her role in "Æon Flux."

In the 2005 Thai action movie "Tom Yum Goong," there is a short fight sequence with the main character Tony Jaa fighting a capoeirista (Lateef Crowder), who was one of the three opponents he faced in the temple fight scene. The fight was presented with an interesting contrast considering Tony Jaa's athletic style vs Lateef Crowder's capoeira skills. Lateef Crowder was reported to have been injured during filming, which is why the fight was cut short in the film.

The 2006 film "Idlewild" featured a short but notable segment of capoeira choreography.

Carlos Saura has announced that he will be going to Brazil early 2007 to make a film about capoeira and other local rhythms.

Television

One of the BBC 'Rhythm & Movement' idents introduced to BBC One in 2002 shows a capoeira dance, which raised its profile in the United Kingdom. While the attention capoeira has received has caused a boom of interest in this martial art, more skeptical capoeiristas have argued that the way it is used in the media is misrepresentative of what capoeira truly is.

Capoeira formed the basis for the martial arts style of the Jaffa people in the Stargate SG-1 universe. The fighting style was highlighted in the fifth season episode The Warrior.

In the anime Tenjho Tenge, the character Bob Makihara uses this style.

Stargate SG-1 also used several capoeiristas from Grupo Axé Capoeira, namely Mestre Barrão, as well as several professores, instructors and students in many stunt choreographies, and conceptualized a race of alien beings practicing a martial art that is based solely on capoeira.

In the animated version of Fullmetal Alchemist, the homonculus Envy uses many Capoiera styled attacks in his fight scenes. Most notably he can be seen using it during his fight against the series protaganist in the penultimate episode, In the fourth season ending credits and during his fight with Greed in the series midpoint.

Music

Several pop and rock artists, such as Soulfly, Sepultura, Ben Harper, Leftfield and Gjallarhorn have published albums containing one or more tunes featuring the berimbau.

The automobile company Mazda uses a capoeira song, Zum Zum Zum, in their advertisements.

World famous pop sensation, Ricky Martin trained Capoeira under the group Capoeira Abolicao in Miami, Fl. He has showcased the art in many television interviews, worldwide.

The song "The Garden" on turntablist Cut Chemist's 2006 album "The Audience's Listening" is a remix of capoeira music, featuring a berembaum, singing in Portuguese and a traditional capoeira beat.

The 2006 music video of Mas Que Nada by Black-Eyed Peas and Sergio Mendes features, among various Brazilian dance forms, several scenes of capoeiristas fighting.

Basshunter's new video Vifta Med Handerna("Throw Your Hands Up") has clips of Capoeria Fighting

Dance

Breakdancing, developed in the 1970s, has many analogous moves. Indeed, many Brazilians had immigrated to the US, and particularly to New York, by that time, and would practice capoeira in the streets where it was able to influence this new dance form. However, the original breakdancers of the early 1970s based their style primarily on actors in Asian kung fu films, rather than capoeira.

The Southern California hardcore metal scene also uses capoeira as an evolution of the early 1980s "slam dancing". With many of the basic traditions of the "roda" and "volta-ao-mundo", the participants engage in capoeira at 144-180+ beats per minute. Notably the fans that follow bands such as "Bleeding Through" and "Audora", dance in this manner. This style is also known as "playing the clown," because the fans appear to look like clowns in relation to more legitimate and inventive forms of hardcore music and subculture.

Cantonese pop star Denise Ho hired Instrutor Berimbau of Grupo Axé Capoeira to teach her and choreograph a piece for a large show in Hong Kong.

Mestre Amen was also involved in many of Janet Jackson's videos from the Rhythm Nation album.

Video Games

Capoeira has found its way into a number of computer games, giving the sport introductory access to untold millions of teenagers and young adults.

• In the manga and anime One Piece, The Straw Hat Pirates' chef, Sanji, uses Red Leg, a fictional martial art in which one only attacks with the legs and feet. It draws heavily on capoeira.
• In the games King of Fighters: Maximum Impact and King of Fighters 2006, the character Soiree Meira uses capoeira as his fighting style.
• One of the earliest video games to make use of capoeira was the 1993 Sega Genesis 2D-fighting game "Eternal Champions". In this game, the Atlantian warrior Trident applied the technique in combination with several genre-typical supernatural attacks. As with all characters in the game, Trident's biography in the "Information" menu offered a brief description and history of the fighting style.
• Three capoeiristas, Eddy Gordo, Tiger Jackson and Christie Monteiro fight in the popular games Tekken 3, Tekken 4,Tekken 5 and Tekken 5: Dark Resurrection.
• Chris Bowman from the video game Urban Reign practices Capoiera.
• In the game The Bouncer, Volt's rival, Echidna, uses capoeira as her fighting style.
• Elena fights using capoeira in the game Street Fighter III.
• In the early Fatal Fury video games, the characters Richard Meyer and Bob Wilson used capoeira.
• The Neo-Geo game Rage of the Dragons features a Brazilian girl named Pupa, who practices capoeira regional.
• In the massively multiplayer RPG World of Warcraft, troll males perform capoeira moves as a non-combatitive dance emote.
• In addition to characters, several capoeira kicks have appeared in several wrestling games, including the WWE Smackdown! series.
• In the competitive dancing game Bust a Groove for the PlayStation, a pair of aliens named 'Capoeira' are featured as a boss, incorporating the dance into their routine.
• In the anime and upcoming videogame, Samurai Champloo, the character Mugen has a fighting style said to be inspired by In the video game The King of Fighters XI, a Japanese female fighter named Momoko uses capoeira combine with Psychic Powers. This is uncharacteristic because the Psycho Soldier team all practice Chinese Martial Arts.
• In the video game Legacy of Kain: Defiance, the male vampire hunters use capoeira for their fighting style.
• In bossaball, a ball sport related to volleyball on trampolines, elements of capoeira are fundamental to game play.
• The japanese name for the Pokémon Hitmontop is Kapoera, which fits perfectly its fighting style and moves.
• In 1999's The Matrix, the character Morpheus can be seen using capoeira moves, shortly after telling Neo to "stop trying to hit me, and hit me" during the Dojo training fight scene.
• In the wrestling game WWE SmackDown! Here Comes The Pain, in the Create-A-Superstar mode there are numerous capoeira attacks, taunts, and a capoeira fighting stance.
• Also, located on a website known as MoFunZone.com, there is a preview version of a game known as Capoeira Fighter 3. Whether the full game is available is unknown.

Special Events

Batizados and Trocas de Corda do not occur in capoeira Angola, which does not have a system of belts. However, some contemporary schools of capoeira have combined the study of both arts and may require their students to be learned in the ways of capoeira Angola before being awarded a higher belt.

Resources:

Information and resources on Capoeira can be found through the following links...

Capoeirista
Information and forums.

Capoeira Basics
Information on basic capoeira moves with illustrations and animations.

Capoeira-4-All
Information on capoeira history, mestres, moves, and more.

PlanetCapoeira
Website of the Planet Capoeira Magazine.

CapoeiraFighter3
Demonstration of capoeira, as a fighting game in Flash.

CapoeiraDMOZ Open Directory
Huge list of links to schools and other resource web sites.

Article source: Wikipedia - Capoeira. All text and photos available under the terms of the GNU free documentation license.