[Capoeira] How has Capoeira changed your life?

Discussion in 'Other Styles' started by Martial_Mathers, Jan 10, 2009.

  1. Martial_Mathers

    Martial_Mathers Capoeirista

    I've always been curious about how Capoeira has affected the lives of others (..for better or for worse), and thought I'd inquire within. :) How has Capoeira affected your lives? What do you feel is the most significant change experienced due to your involvement in this art? Lastly, what is the most positive (..and negative) thing/event that you have experienced as practitioner of Capoeira?
     
  2. Dehitay

    Dehitay Valued Member

    I'm not sure if it actually changed my life. I was just doing all the martial arts I could until I found the one that suited me best. Since it suited who I already was, I doubt I changed much. I guess I know slightly more Portuguese and I have a new appelido, but that hasn't been useful outside of capoeira.

    However, it has changed my fighting style. I now use a much lower stance than I previously did. And I have no problem jumping up, wrapping my legs around some one, and twisting them into the floor for a submission move. If I miss, then I can just land on my hands, fall to a ground position, and thanks to my capoeira training, I'm still as dangerous a striker as when I was on my feet. I jump around a hell of a lot more, have more balance, and the roda has taught me a good number of useful reflexes.
     
  3. Greamere

    Greamere Valued Member

    So many things have changed about me, and all of them for the better. The first one that comes to mind is the physical changes. I lost 35-45 pounds my first year, and have since gained back another 15 or so in muscle. My balance, coordination, flexibility, and agility have all increased a lot. Other then that though, I learned Portuguese, and now and working on an honors thesis about the language in Brasil. I have met hundreds of people I never would have before. Related to that, I grew up in an area of Iowa where there were not a lot of black people. Because of this, I never had a chance to interact with that culture. I was open minded, I just didn't have the chance to meet anybody. That's all changed. With Capoeira, I've not only learned patience,or maybe that's just being around more Brazilians :), and my motivation has increased. Of all of these things, I couldn't pick a best or favorite, nor could I find anything bad. Except for all the injuries. That might be a negative.
     
  4. 1998232v6

    1998232v6 Capoeira = Life

    Well it has changed the way I surf the internet for sure lol. I spend most of my time on the net looking up new movements. Also, it has led me to meet new people and i am now a much more diverse person. As far a physically changing me i used to only build my upper body, so i had chicken legs and a good sized upper body. Now my legs are in proper proportion to my upper body and i can run for miles
     
  5. Martial_Mathers

    Martial_Mathers Capoeirista

    +2

    ...I have never fallen the same since I began training Capoeira. I giggle to myself on occasion when something that would normally trip somebody up causes me to fall into a role' or negativa. :p




    ....Hmmm, I wonder where I fell on the list of black people that you've met within Capoeira. :) hehheeh.....estou brincando com vc. In all seriousness, that is awesome to hear how Capoeira has opened so many doors for you man.

    +1 on the injuries too. My shoulders and knees are killing me.




    ..Now ain't that the truth!??! If I'm not searching for car related information, I'm surfing for Capoeira related information.
     
    Last edited: Jan 12, 2009
  6. Greamere

    Greamere Valued Member

     
  7. Martial_Mathers

    Martial_Mathers Capoeirista

    Actually, I believe we met at Virgulino's 2007 event in New Mexico (..that is, unless I'm confusing you with somebody else). :confused: Now that I think back, I do have you confused with somebody else from Pedro's group. You go by Soneca, right?

    Like many of you, Capoeira has given me the opportunity to travel to places that I wouldn't have otherwise gone, and to meet people that I wouldn't have otherwise met. The latter is the most significant to me because there are some truly wonderful people in our community. We are much like a huge family (...mirroring both the good and the bad aspects of being family), and to some, Capoeira is their only family. I appreciate how Capoeira has allowed me to vent my frustrations/anger/anxiety in a constructive manner, ultimately keeping me out of trouble. Conversely, Capoeira has also allowed me to function more creatively, and to explore esoteric concepts. Lastly, aside from the obvious physical benefits of training, I have also grown culturally.
     
    Last edited: Jan 13, 2009
  8. dormindo

    dormindo Active Member Supporter

    I'd like to say that capoeira has afforded me many of the same opportunities mentioned by Martial Mathers above. I'd also like to add that it has made have to be increasingly with myself about a lot of topics (a process that is still ongoing)--it starts off with me questioning and then facing myself in terms of either my physical progress/inhibitions/weaknesses, my thoughts on capoeira history and history in general, the politics of capoeira in general or the hierarchy of capoeira (i.e., mestres, instructors and so forth and their place in my development, my dependence on them and need for independence from them, etc.) and just balloons out from there.

    In other words, thinking about capoeira often leads, for me, to considerations of the larger human condition--personal or general. Capoeira doesn't necessarily have to be the vehicle for this, but it is in my case in many instances. Things experienced in the body become considerations for the mind for me.

    Oh, and capoeira had gotten me away from this idea of the untouchable warrior that I think that I, and many other people, subconsciously hold thanks to movies. I never considered that I could be such, mind you, but there was initially, I think, the idea that a master who is untouchable or can do unearthly things that exists out there. This idea would never float for me in other areas of my life back when I first started capoeira, but it was unconsciously there in regards to martial arts. Capoeira definitely rooted that out.

    Capoeira gave me beautiful music as well.

    paz,

    dormindo
     
  9. Greamere

    Greamere Valued Member

    That's correct, I'm Soneca. If I remember correctly, you would have met Tanke in New Mexico. I think he and Ajudante were the only two who went that year. It's impressive you remembered though. :)
     
  10. Martial_Mathers

    Martial_Mathers Capoeirista

    Ahh...that's right. It was Tanke and Ajudante that I met. Both of them are cool individuals.


    ...Dor, thanks for the insight. It has given me reason to ponder.
     
  11. 1998232v6

    1998232v6 Capoeira = Life

    i seem to be on a permanent limp from week to week now that i practice capoeira...the limp is never the same because I'm always hurting something different lol
     
  12. Martial_Mathers

    Martial_Mathers Capoeirista

    LOL! I'm suffering from permanent sore hamstrings myself.
     
  13. 1998232v6

    1998232v6 Capoeira = Life

    lol, i used to have that. But for me the past month and a half for me have been horrible. I blew out my left knee doing a Au Sem Mao 1st, when that got better 2 weeks later i got a achilles injury in my left ankle/foot along with a ankle injury. Now last week as soon as i was feeling pretty good i hurt my collateral ligament in my right knee... i have to take it easy for class tom. which sets me back again:bang::bang::bang:
     
  14. fogo

    fogo Valued Member

    positive: i have a firmer butt

    negative: after you get kicked you instantly stop looking cool
     
  15. Rarny

    Rarny New Member

    Well a plus is I have a really toned stomach now! Capoeira is the highlight of my week, I almost burst into tears if I have to miss a class. It's also let me meet some awesome people, which is great for a 15-year-old girl if you catch my drift! I'm a fair bit more flexible now, but as a lot of you already experience, i'm almost always hurting nowadays :) Right now i have a pulled muscle in my thigh, a nice bruise on my elbow and a cut on my foot from someone who didn't cut their nails before my first batizado on the weekend... -_-
     
  16. Martial_Mathers

    Martial_Mathers Capoeirista

    Welcome to the forum, and congratulations on your batizado. Any pictures from your event?
     
  17. Rarny

    Rarny New Member

    Thank you very much! No pictures yet, if any do surface I'll be sure to post them :)
     
  18. N.B

    N.B Valued Member

    Whenever I've taken up a hobby I tend to get bored of it within a few months and give it up. Capoeira was the first thing I've ever done that I've not only stuck with, but I've grown to love more and more as time goes on. In fact when I started it up I didn't really enjoy it that much and struggled for a long time. It's also the first martial art I'd ever taken and so really opened my eyes to the MA world.

    Therefore it's had a huge part in my life, I'm now more muscled (although I'm still as skinny as a bean pole), quicker, and much more flexible. Mentally, I'm much more confident.

    Best Capoeira Moment:
    - Realising when I was hooked on the art

    - Finishing a performance at a local parade, a group of us jumped in a few cars, travelled down to a lovely pub restaurant and sat outside in the sun with a pint of cornish ale and a meal and just chilled out. Our group is very close and we always chill together, but something about that day in particular was just awesome. Maybe it was the spontainuity of it all.

    - Doing a performance with an Angola group in Exeter, having a roda in the street, heading with them to a pub restaurant (maybe that's the hallmark of our group!), having an amazing meal before both groups headed to a venue to do the performance. During this performance the energy got up to epic proportions, the (large) crowd watching were cheering and clapping along with us and both groups played amazing games with each other despite the style differences. We all drove back to Cornwall with huge smiles on our faces. In fact, big social events are always great, especially if other groups are invited. And especially the local cordao de ouro group, they're a great bunch of people. :)

    - My mestre making a few of us roast chicken, seriously, that was some good chicken!


    Bad Capoeira Moments:
    - Being a bit cocky after learning capoeira for a couple of months a trying to trip up most of my mates once I got back from uni, only to have one of them (who'd taken up jujitsu) throw me throught the air into a large pile of gravel.

    - Being kicked by a jerk from another group (not one of the lovely groups near us, I might add). He was talking to me and just randomly bencao'd me right in the stomach, just saying as he walked off "never trust anyone in the roda" seemingly oblivious to the fact that the roda had ended 10 minutes ago! :bang:
     
  19. 1998232v6

    1998232v6 Capoeira = Life

    It has changed my life in a few more ways now
    -I have met people from all over the world
    -I have traveled to go to batizados
    -learned that this martial art is not easy to practice
    -I know I'm not going to try to hurt my friends and they will not try t hurt me...but they will push me to help better myself in the Roda
     
  20. Adam J

    Adam J Masked Ninja

    Well, it has given me really bad vertigo for weeks on end, sickness, vomitting. One night after an all day workshop, I'd driven about 100 miles to the class and then the same back, I felt ok then. But I woke up in the night, couldn't sleep and all I could see was the motorway and I had the sensation of just doing Queixada, Armada, down the motorway, this went for what seemed like ages until I finally chundered!!!:confused:

    On the positive side, it has really improved my movement in my points sparring (Sport Karate) and it always makes me smile when I see my opponents look of confusion when in the middle of a Kickboxing fight I just switch into Ginga!
     

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