Capoeira is a martial art developed by African slaves in Brazil around the year 1500's. Dance-like movements in capoeira and dotted heavily on kicks. The fight in capoeira is usually accompanied by music and called Jogo. Capoeira is often criticized because many people doubted its worth in real combat, compared to other martial arts such as karate or taekwondo.
Capoeira is a traditional martial system founded in Brazil by African slaves brought by the Portuguese to Brazil to work on large plantations. In ancient times they were put through exercises to the accompaniment of traditional musical instruments, such as the berimbau (a wooden arch with strings that has been hit with a small timber for menggetarkannya) and atabaque (large drum), and is also easier for them to hide the practice them in various activities such as pleasure in the feast made by the slaves at their residence named senzala. When an escaped slave he will be chased by a "hunter" named professional armed capitães-do-Mato (captain forest). Usually capoeira is the only martial arts used by slaves to defend themselves. The fight they usually occur in the field in the forest in Tupi-Guarani language (one of the indigenous languages in Brazil), called CAA-puêra - some historians argue that this is the origin of the name of the martial arts. Those who had fled villages gather in the fenced named quilombo, in places difficult to reach. Quilombo Palmares of the most important thing is that where the population never reached totaling ten thousand and last until approximately sixty years against the powers that want to invade them. Chairman of the their most popular named Zumbi. When the law to eliminate slavery emerged and Brazil began to import workers white workers from countries such as Portugal, Spain and Italy to work in agriculture, many negroes had to migrate to cities to live, and because many of those who do not have a job started to become criminals. Capoeira, which had become an urban and began to learn by white people, in cities like Rio de Janeiro, Salvador da Bahia and Recife, began to be viewed by the public as a game of criminals and street people, the law appears to prohibit Capoeira. It seems at this time that they start using a razor in a fight, this is the influence of capoeira player who comes from Portugal and sing the Fado (traditional Portuguese music that is similar to keroncong). At that time also some sectors of the elite Brazilian racist shouting against the influence of African culture in the country, and wanted to "whiten" their country. After about half a century in a clandestine, and people mepelajarinya hidden in the streets and in the pages behind the house, Manuel dos Reis Machado, the Master (Mestre) Bimba, held a show for the Getúlio Vargas, president of Brazil at the time it, and this is a new beginning for capoeira. Starting established academies, that the public can learn capoeira game. The names of the most important at that time was Vicente Ferreira Pastinha (The Teacher Pastinha), who teaches the school of "Angola", a very traditional, and Mestre Bimba, who founded the flow with some innovations that he called the "Regional".
Since that time until the present capoeira through a long journey. Today capoeira studied almost all over the world, from Portugal to Norway, the United States to Australia, from Indonesia to Japan. In Indonesia capoeira already known to many people, in addition to an existing group in Yogyakarta, also there are some groups in Jakarta. Many players who are interested in learning capoeira because the environment is so relaxed and happy, is not the same harsh discipline that is usually contained in the system of martial arts from the East. As once said by a great writer Jorge Amado of Brazil, this "battle of the most beautiful in the whole world, because this is also a dance." In capoeira basic movement techniques starting from "Ginga" and not from the stop position which is characteristic of karate, taekwondo, martial arts, wushu kung fu, etc ...; Ginga body movements are ongoing and aims to find the right time to attack or defend themselves, who are often shy away from attacks. In the wheel of capoeira players to test themselves, pass the game match, in the middle of the circle made by the players of music with African musical instruments and sing various songs, and other players clapped and sang the chorus. Lyrics to the songs of the history of arts, professor at the time of past and present, about life during slavery, and resistance to achieve independence. Style of playing music have different rhythms for a variety of games capoeira, there is a slow and some are fast.
Capoeira is not just become a culture, but also a national sport in Brazil, and the teachers from that country to make capoeira becomes continuously more international, teaching in student groups, a variety of fitness centers, small organizations, etc.. Their students learn to sing the songs of Capoeira with Portuguese language - "Capoeira é pre Homi, / mininu e mulhé ..." (Capoeira for men, / the children and women).
Some movement in Capoeira:
1. Ginga
2. Handstand
3. Backflip
4. Headspin
5. Whirling Handstand
Capoeira is a Brazilian martial art, most commonly described as a mixture between break dancing and kickboxing, coming to UMass Boston this fall.
Nim "Pontera" DePaz from Capoeira Brasil-Boston will be teaching classes at the Beacon Fitness Center. Capoeira Brasil is the second largest capoeira group in the world, with over 35,000 members in 10 different countries. Capoeira has been involved in the making of movies such as Cat Woman, Only the Strong, etc, and has been in video games like Street Fighter, and even in one of The Artist Formerly Known As Prince's music videos. Pontera is currently teaching classes in Brighton and Cambridge and his students only have great things to say about his teaching, style, and great sense of humor.
"It's a lot of things put together into one art that includes self defense, attack, history, ritual, language, music, and rhythm," Pontera says. "It is a family, a great way to get in shape as it is different from any other art...it is different arts combined into one." The most important aspect is that, "Capoeira Brasil is a family, everywhere you go, you will have somewhere to stay."
Anacleto Assis (a.k.a. "Caveira"), the leader of Capoeira Brasil Boston says, "Capoeira is everything. Capoeira is my life, everything the mouth eats, my drink, my food, my love, and my philosophy of life. I don't know what to do without Capoeira, I think I'll die."
Rodridgo Rangel a.k.a. "Maluco" added behind Caveira "Capoeira will resurrect me after I die." Caveira recommends Pontera as a teacher because not only was Pontera his first student in America more than six years ago and has trained in Brazil, but because "Pontera understands Capoeira, its fundamentals, its roots and physicality."
Maluco says not only is Pontera a nice guy but that he makes Capoeira look easy for anybody. All Capoeiristas get a nickname, this comes from a tradition of the art and the people involved in it being socially unacceptable; the nicknames confuse, disguise, and endear a person into the group. Pontera means panther. Caveira; skull. Maluco; crazy. Cutia; chipmunk.
Slavery was a means used all over the world for centuries. Americans used slaves; it was a lucrative institution that generations of families went through. What most Americans don't realize is Brazil received the majority of the slave trade. In America, slaves were valuable property, people were born slaves, lived as slaves, saw their grandchildren live as slaves, and died as slaves. The case is different in Brazil because since it is so close to the equator the weather is constantly warm and slaves worked year-round at neck-break speed harvesting, mainly rubber and sugar cane. The death rate was extremely high, which created a different sort of culture. Most of the slave population had known freedom and their roots as Africans. In this fertile soil and lush green, Capoeira was born-a fighting dance. Capoeira's tradition derives itself from a mixture of African culture, especially coming from the regions of Angola, and Brazilian slavery. But, as a master of the martial art once said, "culture is now"- as in between history, innovation, and collaboration, who knows precisely where it came from and where it will go in the future.
Pontera's aim is to invite you to be part of the first generation of Capoeira in America. To not only teach and share one of his greatest loves but to expand the group in order to "explore it more and help it evolve."
Pontera says, "Take advantage, if you don't like it, you get your money back!" It's free to all students.
