Capoeira

Many can be forgiven for thinking that Capoeira is just a dance, since the practice of the activity includes music, song and many repetitive dance like movements, such as the "Ginga", which were intentionally added to help disguise Capoeira's true meaning. The slaves that had been transported from Africa to Brazil were disguising Capoeira with dance and music to trick slave owners into thinking that slaves were gathered simply for the pleasure of some harmless fun in dance and music, rather than the practising of a deadly martial art.

So whilst the group of "Capoeiristas" (players) are practising the martial art in the circular roda, a "Bateria" of musicians play acoustic musical instruments, typically; three berimbaus, three atabaques, two pandeiros, one ganzásuch and one agogô. The members of the bateria and the rest of the roda will sing a song along with the music. Outside the roda at least 1 or 2 other members of the group would station themselves within calling distance. These sentries would keep their eyes and ears peeled for any sign of danger to the group. If any soldiers or slave owners were spotted the sentries would make a secret warning call to the roda. On hearing the warning, the musicians would smoothly slip into another song, letting the sparring capoeiristas know they should change their movements to be more like a dance.

This strategy obviously worked very well for the slaves, who managed to pass off their excursions to the forest clearings, as an innocent form of entertainment through play and dance. Even today many people across the world are confused by Capoeira, believing it to be some sort of acrobatic dance, with no inclination that it could be a martial art at all.

Capoeira has evolved since the times of slavery and has manifested itself into the 2 distinct styles we see today; "Angola" and "Regional". There are also other styles that diverge from these two principal styles, which are often referred to as "Contemporânea", which incorporate other non-capoeira movements.

I found, in Bahia at least, that the two principal styles not only produce two very different styles of martial art, but also two markedly distinct attitudes in the participants' personalities.

Capoeiristas from Angola style groups have developed playful and devious approach to their daily life as in the martial art, whereas capoeiristas of Regional style are more formal and bold in their approach to the martial art and their day to day activities.

Angola Style

The original Capoeira is generally considered to have grown into the style and moves found in the Capoeira Angola style, which tends to be slower, more controlled, encourages sneaky moves, trickery and playfulness.

The Angola style was born amongst slaves who needed to keep the activity a secret from slave owners, and the capoeiristas would shroud their own ability from each other as part of a strategy to overcome opponents, resulting in a secretive and devious martial art.

Those who practice Angola Style are to some extent paying homage to, or actively attempting to uphold an ancient tradition where "malícia" (malice), "malandragem" (trickery) are highly respected attitudes which help capoeiristas prevail over their opponents.

I witnessed or practised in Angola classes and rodas with Mestre Janja of Grupo Nzinga, and Mestre Sapoti of Grupo Tupinambá. From this experience I found the most intriguing aspect of the Angola style were the devious strategies that the capoeiristas developed to overcome their opponents; feigning direction of movement, combining moves in unorthodox sequences, breaking patterns when least expected, beguiling opponents and exploiting their tells. Overall the capoeiristas are attempting to be as unpredictable as possible to throw their opponents off guard to gain the upper hand.

The trickery runs deep into daily life, such that capoeiristas will seldom make a display of all they know, keeping moves and tactics hidden until the moment they need to be unleashed. In Bahia, I felt that an Angola style capoeirista's constant need to keep changing tactics would seep into their day to day approach to life and social interactions that served to make a more playful, adaptive and somewhat devious personality.

However, I often found that many Regional style capoeiristas, especially the "mestres" (masters), were well practised in both Angola and Regional styles, advanced in both forms, and seemed to hold a combined wisdom from both the personality attitudes of the two approaches to the martial art.

All the mestres I met would cite respect for the great Mestre Pastinha, who is generally considered responsible for the popularisation and acceptance of the Angola style into Brazilian society, where for many decades after the abolition of slavery, the practice of Capoeira was still outlawed.

Regional Style

Mestra Bimba was responsible for the development, popularisation and acceptance of the Capoeria Regional style. In the 1920's Bimba and other formidable capoeiristas felt Capoeira had been diluted from its martial art origins into something more akin with a game. Bimba set out the first systematic training methods for Capoeira, introducing grades and other techniques often associated with Asiatic martial arts. However, rather than mimic other martial arts, Bimba was keen to retrieve the movements and strengths of Capoeira itself.

Bimba's Regional style was one with higher tempo, speed, and force applied to all movements. Due to its more formal practice, Regional was more easily replicated and taught across the country and later the world. Most people who have witnessed Capoeira have been watching the Regional style.

My first experience of practising Capoeira in Salvador was with Mestre Marinheiro, who taught our class the Regional style and educated us about the rich history surrounding Capoeira. Whilst the movements we learnt were very different from Asiatic martial arts, the military like repetition of the instruction immediately reminded me of my training in Chin Woo Kung Fu many years ago.

Later when I met Mestre Cascudo and Contra-Mestre Coquinho of Grupo Esquiva, in Lençóis, I saw that the regimen of the Regional style was very strong here, but capoeiristas also practised Angola style, just not as often.

The overall open and direct attitude found in Regional style, lends itself well to being adopted in the modern age. There is less emphasis on secrecy because there are no slaves or slave owners to be wary of, nor does there appear to be a culture of devious strategy involved. The capoeiristas of Regional seem to be more energised and bold in their approach to life than those of Angola style. Yet the capoeiristas following Regional are not lost on their history and are very much aware of the roots of the martial art.

Capoeira contains many certified movements and occasionally new movements are introduced. The moves fall into the following categories, Movement, Defensive, Kicks, Hand/Arm Strikes, Headbutts, Takedowns, Floreios.

Many of the movements appear to be unique to Capoeira, though there are similarities found in other martial arts, but what really sets Capoeira apart from most other martial arts is the continual flow of these wide ranging movements. The principle aim of keeping an opponent off guard with continuous unpredicatable motion is key to successfully overcoming a contender. The speed that a capoerista can then react and respond to any attack or vulnerable opening during this continual motion, is the mark of a seasoned player.

Another key difference in Capoeira to other forms of martial arts, is the amount of time that combatants spend with their hands on the floor and upside down. One might attest that this puts a combatant at a tactical disadvantage, but actually it makes the capoeirista more adaptive to any given circumstance since they have their hands to stand on as well as their feet opening up more avenues of evasion, defence and attack. Also having so may moves with a low centre of gravity gives the combatants a more stable grounding from which to protect themselves or launch attacks.

Whilst I did not study long enough to practice all the movements I did bare witness to many in Bahia:

Queda de rins

Queda de rins (fallback on the kidneys) has a special cultural significance. The position is said to pay homage to the suffering of slaves that would often crouch into such a position for the submission to physical abuse from their slave masters.

The move is more practically considered an esquiva (evasive) movement or a point from which to launch another technique. A capoeirista places their head on the floor, supporting their torso with the inside elbow and the head, with the knees often close together resting on the supporting elbow, resulting with the body pointing upward at an odd 45° angle. The legs may be tucked in or split depending on the position.

Rabo de Arraia

Rabo de Arrica (Stingray's Tail), otherwise known as Meia Lua de Compasso (Compass Half Moon), combines an evasive manoeuver, swinging the head away from an opponent, simultaneously responding with a spinning kick attack in a single spin.

Such a move epitomises the spirit of Capoeira's fast paced receipt and respond rapport.

As the capoeirista swings and twists the upper body away from an opponent, s/he slams their hands into the ground behind, spinning on one leg and raising the other leg as a kick to the head or upper body is made.

In Angola style the kick is often much lower and speed somewhat slower, but is still a surprisingly powerful.

This kick is considered by many to be one of the most dangerous that Capoeira has to offer and is continually perfected as it is often used as a gauge to mark the overall ability of a Capoeirista.

In the photo below, yours truly in a purple t-shirt, performs a very low Rabo de Arria, particularly useful when attacking an opponent in a Negativa position.

Negativa

A Negativa is a defensive move use to negate an opponents attack. The capoeirista drops their one side of their body to the ground, lower the better, along the ground but not lying on the ground. The leg closest to the ground is tucked to the chest, the other leg is extended but still kept very low to the ground. One hand is used to support and keep the body just off the ground, while the other arm is used to protect the face, again keeping as low a profile as possible.

A capoeirista must practice slipping in and out of this particular position exhaustively, since it is often the most effective method of gaining a safe defensive position in a wide variety of attacks.

In the photo above, the capoeirista in a white t-shirt demonstrates how well he can defend himself from even the lowest form of attack with his Negativa.

Tesoura Angola

Tesoura Angola is another one of the surprising moves that appears to put the Capoeirista in a prone position, but is actually deceitful in being a form of takedown attack.

The capoeirista moves into a prone position with hands down on the floor, toes pointed down touching the floor, sliding their legs down behind them scissored out, hips twisted to protect the groin, and pushing the legs towards the opponent by pushing along by the hands. From here the Capoeirista maybe able to use their legs to trap the opponent by scissor closing the legs and making a takedown with the right twist of the body.

In the image below the capoeirista in white, is performing the Tesoura Angola while the opponent is attempting to make a contra Tesoura Angola, slipping in under the other player.

Macaco em Pé

Macaco em Pé (Standing Monkey) sometimes refered to as Macaco Aú (Cartwheel Monkey), is another classic move that embodies the essence of Capoeira's daring yet crafty movements with double meaning where what appears to be a retreat is simultaneously an attack.

In what appears to be an evasive move, as the capoeirista moves backwards away from an opponents attack, one hand is thrown back commencing a backward cartwheel. As the hand lands on the ground, the legs following kicking up and over, which will catch any fool hardy the opponent that continues with their attack or attempts to follow on with futher attacks.

Some skilled capoeiristas are able to feign the completion of a Macaco em Pé and reverse the movement in mid air, turning their retreating kick into an advancing kick.

Aú Malandro

The Aú Malandro (Trickster Cartwheel) or Aú Batido (Broken Cartwheel) is yet another classic capoeira trick move, evading and attacking in a single movement. The capoeirista drops to a handstand, usually on one hand, twisting the hips and dropping one leg into a forward kick over the capoeirista's head. The other hand is used to protect the head.

Queixada

The Queixada is one of the most commonly used kicks in contemporary Regional style Capoeira, and hardly ever seen in Angola style Capoeira. It is the type of kick common to many other martial arts in a typically upright forward facing position.

Whilst commonly used, this kick is perhaps one of the least representative of the overall style of Capoeira, since this move has such blatant intention without any form of deception.

A capoeirista begins this kick from a mid-ginga movement, with the one leg back and the other forward, the rear leg is brought in front of the other, twisting the body to follow, immediately the other foot hops forward to take all the weight of the body as the front leg is kept straight and raised up above the head in a sweeping outward ark landing back behind the other leg, back into the mid-ginga movement. Throughout the move the capoeirista guards the face with the forearms.

The religion, dance and music of Capoeira are all intertwined. Really you could say all aspects of Capoeira are all speaking at the same time, all moving fluidly around each other, calling and answering back to one another.

Candomblé

Candomblé is the religion created by enslaved Africans brought to Brazil. Candomblé embodies many of the gods and spirits found in the originating central west African religions, but also incorporates some aspects of Catholicism and Brazil's indigenous people's beliefs too. Candomblé is still present in Capoeira today, but is not perhaps as strongly represented or understood in the modern day practice. The most evident influence of Candomblé in Capoeira is the music of Samba de Roda and the "chamada" movements.

Samba de Roda

Samba de Roda is the music and dance typically played after a Candomblé gathering to consummate a religious meeting with a celebratory dance.

If you have ever been to Nigeria, Cameroon or Angola, as I have, you will prick up your ears when you here the music of Samba de Roda, as you instantly recognise it to be something you heard from those African countries. In particular the berimbau instrument, which is a direct descendent of the single stringed gourd bow instruments of Africa, with it's distinctive bouncing twang, is central to the sound of Samba de Roda music.

Since slaves would continue to practice Candomblé as a way to retain a connection with their African roots, it was perhaps an obvious choice of music to bring to the roda of Capoeira. As a consequence the Capoeiristas are also laying claim to their African heritage through this music and would also introduce some of the Candomblé conventions to Capoeira.

For example a game of Capoeira is initiated and regularly interrupted with the "chamada" (call). As in the Samba de Roda during Candomblé, the chamada is also used in the roda of Capoeira to call another player. The call is much like a request to dance or move in a particular way, to which the opponent must respond in the expected form of movement for that particular call. Each chamada requires that the participants move together in this prescribed pattern, like a couple's dance, but must be on guard since a capoeirista may break the union at any point to make a new attack.

The chamada is yet another test of a player's skill at reacting to the devious nature of their opponent. Candomblé like the religions of central west Africa, also respect and encourage devious and malicious notions since they are very much a part of human nature, not frowned upon but celebrated.

As mentioned earlier in the article the whole reason for adding dance and music to Capoeira was to help obfuscate the slaves' intention to practice a forbidden martial art activity. The skill in disguising their activity was very much a part of this devious culture found in Candomblé, such that the entire activity becomes a holistic answer to training for battle and hiding the practice for a deadly and malicious surprise.

Whilst Capoeira is a martial art, the practice, training or sparring that we most often witness is not a full contact fight. What we most often see in public viewings is the game of Capoeira and most often capoeiristas refer to these displays as exactly that a "jogo de capoeira". All punches, kicks, takedowns and other potentially physically harming movement is carefully tamed to simulate but not follow through with the full deadly force of the fight.

Again this is very much in keeping with the whole notion of a devious approach to the martial art. Never fully revealing to opponents and spectators what a capoeirista is capable of, always holding back some ability to keep in store for the day that such force is truly required.

For this reason the game of capoeira differs greatly to what might happen in a real combat of capoeira.

Play is the perfect mechanism for which to learn all about the movements of Capoeira without ever really hurting someone or getting hurt yourself. Most capoeiristas may never actually enter a real combat situation, since they are perhaps more interested in perfecting their skills, playing the instruments, singing the songs and learning about all the culture.

There are many games within the game of Capoeira too. For example, as told to me by contra mestre Coquinho, there is the game of "pega laranja no chão tico-tico" (catch the orange from the ground rufous-collared sparrow), where players would attempt to pick up a coin from the floor with their mouth whilst legs are above them in the air.

One particularly beautiful game that slaves played through the necessity of practising at night in their senzalas (slave quarters), would be to play Capoeira by candle light where a candle would be placed in the centre of the roda such that players must daringly contend with their opponent whilst simultaneously dodging the fire of the candle and taking care not to topple their source of light.