[Capoeira] Light on Capoeira

[Baqueta]

Alot of people have been asking some good questions here. I've been looking around without registering for a while and have finally decided to answer a few of those "good questions", or to comment on some misleading answers.

Is capoeira good for self-defense?

Like any martial art, capoeira has its strengths and weaknesses, how you use the art in the streets depends on you and you only. I've seen people kick some serious ass in the streets using pure capoeira techniques and pure capoeira philosophy (I'll get into that later). I've also seen some of my "camara" (comrades, friends) who are great in a roda and who have been sent to the hospital by street fights. It all depends on you the practitioner.

Isn't capoeira only all those breakdancing/gymnastics moves?

No way! Floreios (embellishments, the cool stuff you see) are merely for tricking your opponent into a trap. You can use them in the street, but that's your ass if you land wrong or the guy stabs you in the face with a knife. Actually, using floreios in the street would go against capoeira philosophy of being street smart and using the least effort with the greatest results (a statement used by so many other martial arts as well). Now, don't get me wrong, doing backflips and other acrobatic stuff is hella fun. I love it. But you only do that in a Iuna game, entering a roda, past critical distance of being hit, or if the other guy is attempting one. or in in a performance or demonstration.

So what's the purpose of the flashy stuff?

It's more mental than anything else. And it also makes your body strong, more balanced, gives you quicker reflexes, and so much more. and plus it's fun. But floreios shouldn't be the only thing focused on by capoeiristas.

So what should be focused on?

Everything. A good mestre is someone who has mastered (for the most part) all the physical aspects and the mental aspects of the art. They play all the instruments (the berimbaus-gunga, medio,viola-, atabaque, pandeiro, and anything else, like the agogo, and reco-reco), the are excellent acrobats when that part is needed, they can see what you're doing before you do it, their moves are automatic, they have great kamae (otherwise known as ki or chi), they can fight standing up or on the ground, they can improvise on movements, they always know what's going on in the roda (due to their malicia, or street smartness, malice, wariness, etc.), they play both Angola and Regional, and most of all they know themselves and what to do to become better. And they are always learning.
If you want to be a mestre, strive to be a great person, because once that happens everything else will follow.

How long does it take to get to your last cord in capoeira?

Like other martial arts, capoeira has a ranking system. But instead of using belts, we use cords. Cord rankings differ from group to froup, so I'll give you the cord ranking of my group, Grupo Capoeira Brasil. I'll also give the time to get each cord, generally. Sometimes, people get cords before or after the average time limit.

White cord

White-Yellow 1 year

Yellow 2 years

White-Orange 3 years

Orange 4 years

Blue-Red (Monitor) 5 years

Blue (Instrutor, a teacher or instructor) 8 years

Green (Instrutor) 11 years

Purple (Professor) 14 years

Brown (Contra-Mestre) 17 years

Black (Mestre) 20 years

Note: that the time limit is from the starting point of capoeira, not the last cord. Also note that you may have a black cord but not the characteristics or qualifications to become a mestre.

What's the difference between Angola and Regional?

Angola is the traditional capoeira which is very slow with no acroabtics and very low to the ground. The characteristics are less fight like and more game like. Angolan people's gain more malicia that regionais do, but at the expense of technical gameplay.
Regional is very fast and played more upright than Angola. It's what you usually see with capoeira and has acrobatics and fast, powerful kicks. I've seen many people get hurt in rodas, myself included.
In my experience of capoeira, I see one capoeira. Not Angola or Regional. Those are toques that dictate the style of capoeira to be played in the roda, not necessarily to different styles. But most people and teachers have been taught there are two styles of capoeira. I disagree.

And what are toques?

There are numerous toques in capoeira. a toque is what the berimbau plays and tells how a roda should be played in the roda.
Here are a few:
Regional: Very fast and upright, with acrobatics
Angola: Slow and to the ground, very tricky
Benguela: Moderate speed, made for beginners or whe there are sparks flying between two capoeristas.
Iuna: Very technical, for graduated (blue cord and above) players, only acrobatics are here.

There are many others, but these are the ones most heard.

What's up with this concept of play?

Play is a cornerstone for everyone. You don't fight in a roda. You go along with him and then catch him unexpected, always with a smile on your face. You try not to hit him, but he shouldn't be able to hit you, due to your malicia and evasion expertise (which you acquire). You play around, run around the other guy, poking him on the waist or grabbing his nose, to show that you could have messed him up but that you chose to give off good, positive, vibes.

Why don't you block or punch or even hit the guy?

No one ever said don't block. You can if you want to, but that'd disrupt the rhythym. Do it only when you can't evade. A reason I think capoeira evades more than blocks because it's easier to block than evade. But that's my theory.
And we do punch. Just not to completion (sometimes, in street rodas, or just plain out tough games, sometimes you're meant to fight and fight only). Actually one of my characteristics in the roda is my punching abilities. A capoerista should be well rounded.
And why don't we hit the other guy? BEcause we don't wear pads for one reason, and that would be a negative thing in a positive world. Usually the game of capoerabecomes more physical the more experienced you are and when the game speeds up. Also, again with my theory that it's easier to not hit a person than to hit a person.

What's malicia?

You can kick ass in a roda, but when you're out in the street and the guy comes beind you and shoots you through your heart, it won't matter. Malicia is being, in a word, street smart. You are very weary, and even in a roda, you shouldn't trust anyone, as they shouldn't trust you. Because someday you'll be playing and the guy comes out with a straight razor and if you trust him, you'll be down in a heartbeat.
And also this philosophy goes back to the Slavery period in Brazil. Why should you trust the guy who preaches about goodness and trustworthiness at church only to go rape your little sister at night? And what happens when you have escaped and you decide that one of your friends should be a guy named Joao, who you don't know is out to kill you ordered by your previous slave owner who you ran away from. You shouldn't trust anyone, not even your friends. They can steal from you, or do worse things. This doesn't mean to be unfriendly. hell, all the capoeristas I know are some of the most friendly, cool guys ever, but they have a sense of weariness and won't easily sign a co-payment on your new car, for example.

So that's it. If you have more questions, you can come ask me. Also, if you want more insight into the things I've talked about, read Nestor Capoeira's The Little Capoeira Book and then after that read Capoeira: Roots of the Dance-Fight game, also by Nestor Capoeira.

Maybe someday I'll tell you about the history of this complex art.

[zun]

They started capoeria at my local gym. Looks like fun and will be joining sometime later in the new year.

Thanks for a very informative read Baqueta.

Looking forward to hearing more from you.

Welcome to MAP

[Shaolin Dragon]

Great post

[Baqueta]

Hey, thx guys. I actually have a lot more to say, but my fingers got tired.

[domidude]

i am 38, is it too late too start (little bear belly and everything, although i can run 5km-s in 25 minutes...)? just because i got classes close to where i live in Hungary...
thanks for any advice

[Aravi]

Why not just go along and give it a try?

[butterfly_knf]

Hi baqueta, I think I receive your feelings--

The truth is, since my very beginnings in learning MA, I've seek an interest to a 'free' style. And since I was raised in a family with high nationalism- in order of the tradition I studied Pencak Silat.

These style have a similarity:
Both of them are a 'dance'
And the movement, the music.. it has no 'stop'

It is great news to me that I finally be able to learn Capoeira and since this is my very first month. I hope I'd do well. ^_^
The footwork is similar to the 'triangle' concept. In Silat we use that too. (And since there are many styles even in one MA- I don't think many would agree to how I expand my knowledge through comparison)

I'm not 'choosy' when it comes to learning.
Honestly, I don;t care of how other people would raised their arm against me- Cos' I seek for reality and it's not an easy task.

But somehow, through experiencing Capoeira-- I felt-- 'content'
It's like coming home in a different way...
Truly, I felt such kindness as I did as when I learn Silat...
Maybe I;m in love with it. this IS a joy.

I hope you won't mind my eagerness in knowing more.

Thank you.

[Baqueta]

Yeah, I felt the same thing you did when I first joined. I had studied martial arts a bit before joining but I always had an anarchist, if you will, point of view in all of them of having fun while being disciplined and things that my teachers, who most were very strict, shook their heads at. So when I finally joined capoeira I fit right in because the "vibe" the small informal class had, but also the friendly energy that I felt from all the players, something I only seldomly experienced with most of the other martial arts I had been in. I remember the old classes back when I first started, they were so informal, especially when compared to how class is now. They were simply a few guys going to a gymnastics gym and one of them teaching the other guys capoeira. Now we have our own school and alot more people. But I remember the feeling I got from the original days, the anti-kickassitude... just the overall good feeling. And even though I am one of the youngest in the class age wise, I am one of my instructors first students (as well as one of his gymnastics guys team members, which is a different story altogether), so people look up to me in a way and I still want to transfer that good energy I first experienced to the newer students.

And I didn't notice the similarity that silat had with capoeira until you pointed that out. I had never been in a silat class, mainly cause there are none in my area. Maybe next time I'm in the bay area I'll go see for myself.

[David]

Thx for a good thread, bagueta

Just so happens I may join up with the uni club in the new year because I like the brand of fitness and agility of the style. I have the Little Book of Capoeira but I can't learn from that without going to a class.

Rgds,
David

[wayofthedragon]

Yes, this is indeed a good thread and very informative. Good to see another capoeira fan Looking forward to hearing more

[Chase]

Hi, I practice TCC & Kali from a wheelchair & just wanted to say how much I admire the graceful mobility of this art.

Chase

[Baqueta]

alrighty then...

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