The art of Capoiera.
A learner meditates on a special martial art
Photo credit: Nigel SB Photography
The Magic of the MArtial Art
Capoeira is an Afro-Brazilian martial art and game, or “jogo” in Portuguese, that includes music, combat, acrobatics, and spirituality. Consider it as a martial art form that’s disguised as a dance! When performing capoeira, there is a “roda,” a circle that is formed by the other players. The roda sings, claps, and plays instruments such as the berimbau, atabaque, and pandeiro to create a rhythm. Meanwhile, there are two players inside the roda that try to catch each other off-guard with self-defense movements.
The goal of capoiera isn’t necessarily to cause harm to the opponent. Rather, it is a means of expression-like a language through movement. Just as a song may have a call and response element, so too does the art form as the moves conducted are a series of sparked reactions from the opponents and the roda. The opponents are not enemies, but each other’s motivators to look within themselves and grow.
Photo credit: Pedro Miguel Aires
Art’s beauty from BROKENNESS
Though one can see the beauty of the art form, the origins of it are rather unfortunate. Capoeira’s development was a result of slavery as during the 17th-19th century, many countries, most notably those from the Western world, took Africans from their homelands and forced them into labor. In this case, it was the Portuguese that displaced Africans by transporting them to Brazil.
Since the enslaved were from different parts of Africa, they brought different cultures and customs with them overseas. These different cultures mixed and combined, a term known as syncretism, birthing the beginnings of capoeira. The capoeira was then used by the enslaved to resist their captors and escape oppression. However, in 1888, slavery was officially abolished in Brazil, along with capoeira. Practitioners of the martial art were socially ostracized as capoeira became illegal and stayed that way for more than 40 years. It wasn’t until Mestre Bimba, a capoeira master, brought the art form back and opened the first school for it in Bahia, Brazil in 1932.
Photo credit: Pedro Miguel Aires
Capoiera in current day
Capoeira aids those who practice it with confidence, discipline, and happiness as it gives people a way to address their fears and doubts. Just like its earliest practitioners who fought for freedom and autonomy, students of the martial art today use the capoeira as a way to turn their struggles into empowerment and joy. It not only fosters strength within the individual but connection within the community as well, emphasizing the importance of the diversity and inclusion the martial art was created from.
What is Capoiera Now?
Capoeira is a symbol of resistance, preservation, and spiritual empowerment for the enslaved Africans in Brazil,their descendants, indigenous Brazilians and Portuguese immigrants as well. Capoeria is an art, a conversation, a unifying language for all who watch and participate.
Diary of a new learner
When words were never enough, art was able to take their place. Words were limiting, unfortunately exclusionary- a barrier that could be the only separation between intellectuals. But fluidity-that was universal. Whether it be in movement or the spirit, art was the perfect translator to express such feelings, hopes and dreams. When I see capoiera performed, I want to say “I see you, I understand you,” but then I stop-because words were never enough. So I let the art speak for itself, just to find that I was heard through the silence of my spirit.