Hey guys I wanted to know about ABADA-capoeira, I was really attracted to its flashy and cool moves. So things I want to know are: -What is the difference between it and other capoeira styles? -Is it effective for real fighting? - is it simple to learn? -What is its advantages and disadvantages?( mentally and physically) -how is it different from other martial art styles? And Sense it requires flexibility, strength and great energy What age do you recommend a person should start it? And if you have any other thoughts about it please tell me Thanks
I'm with a CDO group, I don't really know much about ABADA. I think there's quite a bit of difference between Angola, regional and Contemporânea, but very little differences between the groups in each style. I think the different groups are more to do with the usual reasons why martial arts groups split and form new groups (i.e. politics and money). http://capoeira-connection.com/capoeira/2011/10/what-are-the-different-styles-of-capoeira/ I can't really write about ABADA specifically, but capoeira generally... Whether capoeira is effective will depend on you, how you train, your instructor and your club. Some groups train capoeira for MMA or self defence and others, purely for preserving Brazilian culture. But I'll be honest, as much as I love capoeira, if I was looking at learning how to fight or self-defence, I would pick a different system. Very few capoeira groups are interested in fighting or self defence...they are there to train a martial art. But then again, how many martial arts schools really do teach fighting and self defence, but that's another story. But there is a lot of benefits that come with capoeira. Flexibility, strength, balance, agility etc etc. I have heard people say training capo, and developing these attributes, helped with their other martial arts. It gave them a better sense of their body, movement and made them more aware of distance, space and timing. Is it simple to learn, again, will depend on you. I don't find capoeira simple at all. It's one of the reasons why I started it, I find it quite a challenge. Like any thing in life, it's better to start young. I started at 37. I was a hater and got hooked after a workshop I went to, I wish I hadn't been so negative earlier on. My ex did it years ago and I always enjoyed watching her group train, but I was doing MMA at the time and laughed at the idea of training it myself. I'm probably way too old to ever learn how to backflip but I'm gonna have a lot of fun trying. Capoeira is a lot of fun. As well as the martial art, there's a lot of interesting history, music, folk songs and a lot of cultural aspects to the art. It could be said that it is a very "big" martial art, you might be learning to kick and headbutt one minute, handstand the next, then learn how to play an instrument after that....then go home and read some books about Brazilian history! So basically, if you want a fun art, that will give you coordination, balance, agility etc...go for it...You'll also be surrounded by good looking people (hah!) If you are looking for something to ruck with, either find a capo group that trains that element or, honestly speaking, find another art. Hope that's some help. My PC and laptop are bust and I'm struggling to use this damn MacBook (in a foreign language).
Thanks It is really helpful And if I am going to do it. It is mainly because it looks like great fun like you said. And it contains cool and impressive which are fun to learn This Is the place if I might train in http://abadacapoeira.com.au
Thanks, I'll check the site out tomorrow. Like with any art, the best thing to do is go along and see what you think. And it might be worth checking out other groups/styles in the area. Capoeira isn't for everyone (what art is?), there is a performance aspect to the art and it is a lot to do with self expression, which I think can be intimidating for a lot of people. I wish I could help you more regarding the actual ABADA group. It seems pretty hard to find info about capoeira groups and how they differ from other ones. I'd like to know a little more about the various groups myself. I've just had a quick scan of some ABADA videos on YouTube. The only difference I can see is that they seem to play a slightly lower and slower game than we do (Cordão de Ouro / CDO). If anything, it looks a little more like Capoeira Angola. I'm no expert though. But good luck and let us know how you get on. I'm sure you'll be backflipping and doing quadruple kicks in the air in no time!!
I would like to hear what you think of the site I will check after 40 days and I hope I have the power to backflip and do other cool moves
Have to head out this morning, but I'll give my two cents this afternoon, though Boris is fairly spot on.
Ah, good! Dormindo can help you more than I can. The site is easy to navigate, quite professionally done, with clear photos. Thank you! :evil: The group seems quite big and professional (again). So I am sure the instruction is of a decent enough level. I couldn't find any info about price or fees. I don't know how it works in Australia, but check that out before you sign up for anything. I'd also try and find out about the class sizes and make sure there's enough instructors if the class is very large. Maybe go and watch a class or two. Large classes might be the sign of a successful group, but you might not be getting the instructor's attention as much as you need. I'm often a bit wary of big, slick looking martial arts schools as they often don't have the personal feel that I like. But of course, quality of instruction is the deciding factor. That's just me though. I quite like the way there was three classes a week. Two general training ones and one floreio (Acrobatics) class. That might be good if the classes is held in a gym with crash mats or similar. Separate beginner's classes is always good. But seriously, if you are interested in capoeira, get a list of the schools you can visit. Pester them for a free intro lesson, or the chance to pay for a few lessons, check out as many groups as you can and see what suits you. No idea how old you are, I doubt your 79, but you have plenty of time to find a group and instructor that you feel good with and suits you. Or just throw yourself into the group and cross bridges when you come to them.
Well, I got a little time on my hands unexpectedly this morning, so... As for the differences between ABADA and other schools of regional/contemporanea, you might get a better answer from those familiar with ABADA and who have a history of training regional/comtemporanea. I am an angoleiro and have never trained regional/comtemporanea, though I've played a fair few contemporaneas and there are at least four groups in my town. That being said, what little ABADA I've seen in person does seem to be played a bit lower, with fewer aerial acrobatics than I tend to see from other styles of regional/contemporanea. They also seem more aggressive (in a positive way) about their attacks. Take this all with a grain of salt. As for the difference between that and capoeira angola, well...Angola (at least as I have learned and continue to learn it) has more emphasis on low and floor movements (you do occasionally see an angoleiro go briefly airborne). Most of the aerial kicks seen in contemporanea aren't going to be trained in an angola academy. Even some of the movements shared between the two styles are often done a bit differently, with angoleiros showing a decided preference for closed aus (crumpled, closed in cartwheels) as opposed to the very wide, open, straight-legged aus/cartwheels emblematic of contemporanea (generally speaking, of course). Angola is often trained at a slow pace (though it is played at a variety of paces from achingly slow to quite fast). If you do train ABADA, do be sure to get out and play some angoleiros when you're proficient enough to play in the roda. It's good to get out and expand your horizons. Like any MA, it'll be as effective as how you train it. Some schools focus more than others on the martial aspects. But, if you train your kicks, sweeps, headbutts, etc. well, against resistance and open yourself up to noncapoeira experiences (i.e., sparring--eventually--some friends/acquaintances who practice other MAs), then you'd gather the experience to know what aspects of capoeira could work for you in a pressure situation. This, of course, does not cover the legal and awareness aspects of self defense, which many MAs don't seem to cover to any appreciable depth and this may need separate training. Also note that while capoeira has a number of sweeps and takedowns, it is not a grappling art and therefore you'll have to decide what, if anything, you'll do to cover that range. I think that its fairly simple to learn. Of course, that doesn't mean that its always EASY (physically or mentally) to learn. Great fun, nevertheless. This seems a broad question to answer, but I'll take a brief stab at it. I think that the flow of attack/defense/counter/misdirection is an advantage. It is not unique to capoeira, but capoeira takes an interesting approach to it. The unusual angles of attack are interesting and can be an advantage. The training itself can be quite good for one's conditioning and flexibility. Capoeira is a very social MA and there is the opportunity to meet a lot of people and have a good time. Again, none of the above is unique to capoeira, but the art is quite noted for those things. On the other side of things, sometimes the flow in capoeira becomes a crutch that makes some quite predictable. Capoeira doesn't fully cover all ranges (but not many MAs do). There are sometimes loads of politics in capoeira (as in almost any human endeavor). Academys can vary widely not only in quality but in focus (some may not focus much on the martial aspects that you seek). These are just a few off the top of my head. I think I covered some of that in the answers above, but I'd also say that ginga, inverted movements like handstands and a lack of emphasis on handstrikes (though there are handstrikes in capoeira) would make it different from most MAs. The roda as a format for 'sparring/pressure testing' is a bit different, too, to my eyes. The level of contact there can vary widely from none to quite heavy depending on the group, players, etc. You'll learn more as you train. You can start at any age. A number of the aerial acobatics are not required of everyone. Just train wisely. I think Boris covered everything else quite nicely. Oh, I will suggest that you search the forum using 'capoeira' as your search term and go through some of the old threads, as there is some good information there. Other than that, shop around and try out the groups in your area.
Thanks boris and dormindo I would like to learn the aerial acrobatics. I am 17 And the only capoeira dojo I found is this one
Then go try it out and see if you like it. Oh and most capoeira schools are called academies not dojos (word to the wise )
Excellent posts Dormindo. The Artist. There seems to he quite a few groups in Sydney. Just google. There's 2 others near the ABADA place. But if you have your heart set....
