Capoeira

Capoeira Class with Estagiária Boquinha
Hickey Karate Center
4540 Stow Road
Stow, Ohio 44224

What is Capoeira?

Capoeira is originally from Brazil—the dynamic Brazilian art form and self defense system that blends elements of dance, gymnastics and martial arts, music and power.

Capoeira is within anyone’s reach, no matter what your fitness level.

Experience the benefits such as improving flexibility, aerobic movements and self defense skills. You will learn the basic movements for Capoeira such as ginga, esquiva lateral and martelo.

Is Capoeira an International Popular Culture?

By Renata Rado

Capoeira¹ is the biggest Brazilian cultural phenomenon in it is acknowledged in six of seven continents of the world. There are schools of Capoeira diffused around the world. The sociologist Renato Ortiz perfectly defined this as an international popular culture phenomenon.

Capoeira is the “Brazilian Gymnastics” according to Mestre Bimba², the creator of Capoeira Regional. He used to tell his students that Capoeira will disperse to the world. At the time, everyone thought Mestre Bimba was crazy. But in 70’s, the phenomenon of Capoeira started because the capoeiristas³ immigration out of Brazil, with the objectives to attract new business. Today it has more than 2,000 Capoeira schools dispersed in more than 90 countries.

Capoeira is the original expression of the vicarious and hard working people, but above everything, joyful and courageous. Capoeira was the form of resistance to achieve the freedom that the slaves wish for. However, the expression Afro-Brazilian born the Capoeira. It was discriminated by the upper class and prohibited the manifestation on the street, but it was recreated for Mestre Bimba.  It was proclaimed by the President Getúlio Vargas the “National Sport” in 1953. Even so, the negative imagery that Capoeira caused in society made it stereotype the capoeiristas such as criminals, disorder or hustler. But Capoeira always alive, and it would be responsible for the appreciation of the Afro-Brazilian culture. The vision and the potential for the importance of Mestre Bimba in the Afro-Brazilian culture is important to recognize various parts of government conjoined to sports and education. Further to incorporate rules, values, “batizado”⁴ and hierarchy in Capoeira, Mestre Bimba was considered the first professional of Physical Education in Brazil.

Today, Capoeira growth is evident and expansive, according to Campos, he refers to the achievement of Capoeira about the topic:

Capoeira moved out of ghettos and joins the streets, parks, clubs, theaters, schools and universities and joins the Brazilian society and, actually, it is diffused around the world. Mestre Suassuna⁵ in 1987 in 1st Workshop of Capoeira of UFBa, such as said “…Capoeira does not apply to Bahia, it apply to Brazil and the world.” Campos (2001, p.36)

Capoeira is responsible for divulging and creating appreciation for Afro-Brazilian culture with building positive imagery in the world. Further to confirm the national identity, was the big patrimony through the music, the individual body language and also the comprehension of the Brazilian reality and social inequality. Capoeira is responsible for divulging the Portuguese language around the world through the music, the game, the names of attacks and defenses, contributing to the values such as popular culture. Learning Capoeira does not simply mean a martial art. Learning Capoeira understands the history of the people combated with courage and determination to have freedom and influenced in a positive way the history of Brazilian culture. And it is the reality and expression of the Brazilian way that expands the world for the wish to be free. Every day, Capoeira builds and fortifies the biggest Brazilian culture around the world.

August 2007

Notes______________________________________________________
1. Capoeira is a Brazilian martial art dance and game created from African slaves during the 19th Century in Brazil, such as a form to resistant the enslavement.
2. Mestre Bimba is the creator of Capoeira Regional. He is the mainly image Afro-Brazilian in the development of Brazilian culture.
3. Who play Capoeira.
4. Batizado is an event for a Capoeira group which new members will receive their first cords and other members will change their cords to advance level.
5. Mestre Suassana was responsible to show Capoeira in Săo Paulo in the 60’s as a folklore and as a sport. Today, he has international recognition.