1orning t

http://twitter.com/Nordkommission
via IFTTT

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ornZTI3kJU&t=2s
​
hope you enjoy

Hello folks! So here I am to talk about capoeira. I got into it my first year in University and kept at it for 7 years after that. It's now been a while since I've practiced in a gym, but one of reasons I am "losing it" is to be able to go back to it.
Here's a bit of a sob story related to my weight loss, capoeira, friendship, and the precariousness of life. One of my best friends, whom I had met through capoeira, passed away about 1.5 years ago; cancer. He was 35. Aside from the overwhelming sadness of losing a young friend, it made me think about where I was when we practiced capoeira together. I was happier, healthier, better. It made me think about where I was headed health-wise with my 35th birthday coming up sooner than I had thought.
I know it's incredibly selfish to think this way, but this painful experience made me realize that my friend had lead a healthier life than I did, and yet there I was: alive, over 300 lbs, not taking care of myself in the slightest. Was it fair towards myself and the people who love me to willingly, yes, willingly, put my health at huge risk? I suddenly felt like I was wasting a precious gift, one fast food meal at the time. Don't get me wrong, this wasn't the only factor that made me decide to lose weight. I was already strongly considering it and halfheartedly attempting it. However, this was the proverbial straw that broke the camel's back. And here I am, 1.5 years later, 135 lbs lighter, still chasing my return to capoeira and a healthier, happier life.
What are my expectations? Honestly, just to be in the gym and practice at a beginner(ish) level. I used to do exhibitions and practicing was pretty much most of my life. I used to spend 3 hours practicing almost every single day. I don't want that type of commitment now. Nevertheless, I felt sad that I let such an important part of my life slip away, seemingly for no good reason. It will feel good to go back.
Well, story time is over, let's get down to bidness!
What is capoeira? Capoeira can probably best be described as a mix between a martial art and an acrobatic dance.
What are its origins and history? Capoeira as we know it today comes from Brazil by way of Angola and Congo. Slaves brought over from Africa by the Portuguese empire to help colonize Brazil started the practice of capoeira as a disguised means of self-defense and survival.
Oftentimes, groups of escaped slaves would found primitive settlements way out in the jungle called quilombos. Quilombos would often attract all manner of people escaping the brutality of colonialist rule. These included Brazilian natives and Europeans escaping the Christian law.
Hence, some quilombos grew into huge, multi-ethnic communities consisting of several villages. Life in the quilombos was always threatened by the looming shadow of the Portuguese colonial troops. In this setting, capoeira evolved into a martial arts which focused on combat. The prowess of quilombo capoeira fighters was even documented by the Portuguese troops. Famously, one of the provincial governors said that it was harder to defeat a quilombo than the Dutch.
Soon enough, capoeiristas from the quilombos also took to attacking plantations to free the slaves. However, with the end of slavery in 1888, a lot of slaves who had learned capoeira were suddenly "unemployed" and began using their skills in questionable ways. Some would get hired as soldiers or bodyguards by war lords, others turned to other criminal activity. This phenomenon got so bad that in 1890, the new Brazilian Republic banned capoeira in the whole country. The practice of capoeira went underground.
During the ban, capoeiristas would meet in remote areas, often at night, to keep the practice secret but alive. This is even reflected in some of the capoeira songs. The words "Galo já cantou, já raiou o dia" [roughly: the rooster already sang, the day has already dawned] are often found in these songs referring to the fact that it was dawn and it was time to disband.
As time went by, the laws restricting capoeira got a little more lax and a few masters took to “dressing up” capoeira as an exhibition for tourists. In the 1920s, a master referred to as Mestre Bimba (a.k.a. Manuel dos Reis Machado) began developing the first systematic training system for capoeira. He founded the first "capoeira" school in 1937. Capoeira was still illegal in name so he dubbed "his" fighting style "Luta Regional Baiana" (Regional Fighting Style from Bahia). Mestre Bimba's work was well received even by the upper ranks of Brazilian society and he even taught capoeira to the cultural elite of the city. This positive new perception of capoeira eventually led to its decriminalization in 1940.
Mestre Bimba's style, often referred to as Capoeira Regional, owes a bit of its roots to the tourist shows and exhibitions and this is perceivable in the highly choreographic "look and feel" of it. But Mestre Bimba wasn't the only one looking to develop capoeira in a systematic way. Mestre Pastinha (Vicente Ferreira Pastinha) founded the Centro Esportivo de Capoeira Angola (CECA) which focused more on the traditional capoeira, hence the reference to "Angola" and the African origins of this martial art. In fact, the traditional capoeira style eventually took the name of "Capoeira Angola" because of how important CECA was to its establishment and preservation.
Today, capoeira is vastly practiced in Brazil and around the world becoming a means of diffusing Brazilian culture. In this sense, I think it does a great job of representing the true mixture of different cultures and ethnicities that is Brazil and its fight against oppression. Capoira is often considered as Intangible cultural heritage (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intangible_cultural_heritage) of Brazil.
Techniques Capoeira focuses on agility and speed to deliver powerful strikes with the lower body (kicks) while using the upper body to help movement and deceive the opponent. Given its origin, the focus was to fight outnumbered or at a technological disadvantage. Fighting mounted and armed Portuguese cavalry was a rather common occurrence for quilombo capoeiristas.
I feel like the main difference between capoeira and a lot of popular martial arts is the fact there is no static stance. Your stance continuously shifts from left side to right side. You are also expected to know how to perform every single technique starting from your left guard or your right guard interchangeably. Many martial arts will instead favor a stance where your dominant hand or leg are behind the non-dominant.
Movement As my master used to say, “capoeira is the art of agility”. Movement is key to any capoeirista. Here are some of the most common movement techniques.

• Ginga (meaning to rock back and forth, to swing). This is your basic movement and guard stance. Every technique, or block of techniques, begins in ginga and ends in ginga. The ginga is pretty simple to learn but rather hard to master in the context of a capoeira game. It is absolutely key to understand how your ginga fits in with the other player in order to play successfully. This had two sides: most importantly is to avoid hurting a friend, and secondly to make sure you're not caught off-guard by an opponent. Having an “out of sync” ginga can mean incorrectly dodging right into an opponent's kick, which is a terrible idea. :P The ginga alone is actually quite the cardio workout if practiced at a good pace and for a sustained amount of time. It isn't atypical for beginner lessons to have blocks of 15-20 minutes where all you do is ginga, with a partner or just as a group facing a mirror. I spent a lot talking to you about the ginga because without it, there is no capoeira;
• Aú: it's a cartwheel! Yep, it's a cartwheel that's used to displace your body quickly and evade attacks while preparing to strike. Note: differently from a normal cartwheel you are NEVER supposed to look down while performing it. Your eyes should almost never leave your opponent/partner during a game of capoeira;
• Balanço: this is a feigning movement that can look strange to “outsiders”. In reality it is extremely useful for two purposes: throwing off an opponent and/or syncing your ginga. There are some techniques that are performed while mirroring your opponent's ginga, others that are performed while having the opposite ginga as your opponent. This is the easiest way to switch between the two types of syncs;
• Negativa: a low-to-the-ground movement used to travel while avoiding kicks and to prepare for strikes or takedowns. This is very characteristic of capoeira and you will probably recognize it if you've ever seen capoeira anywhere;
• Macaco: it's a sort of flip. It's not a beginner technique and requires a fair bit of strength and agility. It took me a very long time and a lot of practice to be able to perform a half-decent macaco;

Kicks The “meat and potatoes” of capoeira are kicks. There are many different kicking techniques. Here are some of the most popular with different levels of difficulty:

• Ponteira a very basic front kick;
• Martelo another rather basic kick;
• Bênção a front shove-kick used to distance an opponent or player who you feel is getting too close. In fights it is also performed by grabbing the opponent and the shoving them back. The funny part is that it means “blessing”;
• Armada: a form of roundhouse kick that's often the core of the most spectacular gameplay;
• Queixada: this is another kick that's at the core of fast paced gameplay and is very often stringed together with the armada;
• Meia lua de frente: basic side swiping kick;
• Meia lua de compasso: this is probably the most famous capoeira kick. It is performed with the help of the upper body to create rotation and momentum. Spoiler alert: this really hurts if it connects. It's a pretty dangerous technique;
• Parafuso (sorry, didn't find a good English video for this): this is a rotating jumping kick and it's one of my favorites. It's not a beginner technique;

Defensive Movements This is the other core part of the game: defense. They're mostly ways of dodging an opponent's or partner's strikes. As you can imagine, agility, reflexes, and speed are the most important attributes to perform good dodges.

• Esquiva (dodge): this is the most basic dodge and the one you absolutely need to master to play successfully. Most commonly it is either frontal, lateral, or “low”;
• Cocorinha: a very basic and effective defensive squat that allows you duck under a kick if timed correctly. It can also be performed laterally on frontally;
• Queda de tres and queda de quatro: you basically fall back on either one or two hands, usually to avoid a frontal kick such as the bênção or ponteira;

Takedowns Takedows are another core part of capoeira. It is often considered as “losing” a game if you're caught by a takedown, whether your opponent actually takes you down or only proves that he could have (for example by hooking your legs but not sweeping you off the ground completely). It is frowned upon to attempt takedowns on more experienced capoeiristas. A beginner should not attempt takedowns on intermediate or expert players. Takedowns are also considered aggressive behavior and are usually performed in a playful fashion within a group of people who know each other well. While playing with people you don't know, attempting takedowns is basically like saying “it's on” and has been known to result in full-contact fights, which I would strongly recommend against. You're basically starting shit…

• Vingativa: you use your hips to throw your opponent completely off balance. You can see why this is considered aggressive behavior and not always acceptable. Surprisingly, knowing how to perform a fast and accurate vingativa can come in handy in a real fight where you don't want to hurt someone;
• Negativa dearrubando: sadly, I wasn't able to find a video for this but starting from a normal negativa, you use your foot to hook the opponent's front foot and sweep it from under them;
• Rasteira: this is probably the most common and most effective takedown. It's a leg sweep and can be performed as a warning to an opponent/partner who keeps leaving themselves exposed to takedowns. It is important to avoid actually taking down a partner while doing this and knowing the “rules of engagement” if you decide to perform one. In layman's terms: don't start what you can't finish. My master always said that if a student even tried a rasteira on him, he'd punch them in the head. :D This is one of my favorite techniques and knowing how to perform it effectively will give you good insight into how the human body moves and balances itself, and which are its weak points in doing this;

Floreios (acrobatics, embellishments, style) This is the more spectacular part of capoeira and there are lots and lots of different techniques. I will mention some of the most iconic.

• Chute cum aú, Chute cum aú pulando, aú sem mão, giro antes do chute, folha seca: I apologize, but I couldn't find any good English tutorials for all of these. I guess because they're all rather advanced techniques. The most notable ones are probably the handless cartwheel and the “folha seca” which is the last one in the video;
• Pião de Mão: it's a handspin, much like the ones you see in breakdancing;
• Pião de Cabeça: it's a headspin, like the ones you see in breakdancing;
• Carpado: a.k.a. a back flip. Nothing complicated here, just athletic prowess;
• Mariposa: it's a sideways twist (I don't know the correct term). I believe similar techniques exist both in gymnastics and kung-fu;
• S-dobrado: fancy movement. :D Just watch it because I can't even explain it with words;
• Helicoptero: this is a modified cartwheel;
• Some modified aú movements (cartwheels): these are not designed to be effective, just to look awesome.

The Game A game of capoeira is usually referred to as a “roda” (wheel). The band with instruments and singers are part of the circle and players play in the middle. Music is an essential part of capoeira and any school worth its salt will teach them along with the techniques. To my knowledge it is not possible to progress in capoeira and acquire belts without also knowing at least the basics of every instrument and the most common songs.
The roda is where you get to use all the techniques you learned, compete and play with your friends, sing songs, play music, and express yourself. This is also where you usually get hurt if you're not careful and respectful.
The important part to remember is that you HAVE to play. There is no point in taking capoeira classes if you don't play. Your level is not important. No one will care if you mess up or are a beginner. They will, however, notice if you are not playing at all.
Here are some videos of rodas with players of different skill levels, nations, ethnicities, cultural backgrounds, and schools. This is one of the beauties of capoeira. It flattens social characteristics that are considered important or divisive elsewhere. In a roda, you are a capoeirista, period. I didn't pick particularly “good” exhibitions but rather some that looked like a good “average” of what's out there. We all know that masters are going to be insane but I feel like that's not the point of capoeira in the slightest.
Video 1, Video 2, Video 3.
To finish up, here's a silly National Geographic video comparing capoeira and some other more “effective” martial arts. From personal experience, I can tell you that even though they might not be directly effective, capoeira techniques teach you to deliver an insane amount of force by exploiting your body mass and momentum. On top of that, as with most martial artists, your reflexes, agility, and speed are well above a “normal” individual's.
CAPOEIRA FAQs 1) Is capoeira an effective martial art? Is it good for street fighting?

• No, I wouldn't say so. While capoeira will definitely be an advantage in a fight compared to no fighting training at all, there are probably better options out there if your desire is to beat people up.

2) It looks really difficult, how can anyone do this stuff?

• I know exactly how you feel and I can assure you that you can get there. You will start with very basic stuff and progressions isn't as steep as people perceive. When I started, I couldn't do a cartwheel to save my life. Six months later I was cartwheeling my ass back and forth across the whole gym with little to no effort.

3) Is there contact in capoeira?

• As a general rule, no. The vast majority of capoeira is practiced as non-contact. There are schools and groups, especially in Brazil, that do practice full-contact capoeira. It is extremely easy to get seriously injured while practicing contact capoeira. In fact, even in non-contact capoeira accidents happen and you will accidentally get kicked in the face from time to time.

4) Where does one start?

• I suggest looking for a local school or group. Most major cities in the US and Europe have capoeira classes nowadays. There are at least two or three schools in the Seattle area, for example.

5) Do I need any special equipment?

• Nope. There really isn't. Uniforms are usually not mandatory. The only thing is that wearing white is usually encouraged. Most gyms will also let you pick if you want to practice barefoot or with shoes. I think it's better to be "true to the spirit" and practice barefoot but you might get some nightmarish blisters at first.

6) Are there concerns in regards to age limits?

• Absolutely not. I have trained with children as young as 5 years old and men and women as old as 75. In fact, one of the best seminars I ever attended was taught by a 70-year-old mestre.