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Capoeira
From MartialWiki English
| NOTICE |
| The subject of this article may not be considered a martial art. However, justification for its inclusion on the MartialWiki can be seen at the talk page. |
| Capoeira | |
| Origin |  Brazil, c. 16th Century
|
| Primary focus | acrobatics, kicking, dance, music, rhythm, exhibition |
| Styles / variants | Angola Regional Contemporânea |
| Influenced by | traditional African rituals, dances or fighting systems? |
Blurring the lines between combat, dance and recreation, Capoeira is an art that developed amongst African slaves in colonial Brazil. It is characterized by its fluid acrobatic movement, creative kicks and focus on music and rhythm. Practitioners (sometimes called "players", "dancers" or "performers") are known as capoeiristas in Portuguese.
Contents |
[edit] Concept
The most integral part of capoeira is the music; it sets the rhythm, the style of play, and the energy of a game.
Capoeira does not focus on injuring the opponent. Rather, it emphasizes skill. Capoeiristas often prefer to show the movement without completing it, enforcing their superiority in the roda. If an opponent cannot dodge a slow attack, there is no reason to use a faster one. Each attack that comes in gives players a chance to practice an evasive technique.
[edit] Etymology
The derivation of the word "capoeira" is under dispute, as there are several possibile origins. The Portuguese word capão means "capon," or a castrated rooster. This etymology suggests that the style appears similar to two roosters fighting.
A similar root could be the Kikongo word kipura, which roughly translated means "to flutter", and is specifically used to describe the movements of a rooster in a fight.
Another popular theory is that the term is derived from the Tupi-Guarani words kaá (leaf, plant) and puéra (a word that indicates the past tense), together meaning "formerly a forest". This association may have developed due to capoeira being practised in glades or cleared forest areas by quilombolas (runaway slaves).
Afro-Brazilian scholar Carlos Eugenio, however, suggests that the art took its name from a large round basket called a capa commonly worn on the head by urban slaves selling wares.
[edit] Technique
A typical capoeira spar is marked by fluid acrobatic play, feints, and extensive use of groundwork, including sweeps, kicks, and headbutts. Less frequently used techniques include elbow-strikes, slaps, punches, and body throws.
[edit] History
[edit] Slavery and early development
Throughout the 16th―19h centuries, African slaves, primarily from Angola, Congo, the Gulf of Guinea and the Gold Coast, were brought to Brazil by Portuguese explorers to work on sugar plantations. These slaves were known to practise capoeira, both as a means of recreation and of expressing their reaction to oppression. Although there is no single accepted theory regarding capoeira's exact origins, most people agree that a great deal of its development took place in Brazil. Capoeira was a big aspect of the slave lifestyle; it provided a physical, recreational release from work and stress, and was a means of cultural and personal expression. Whilst some see it simply as a form of folk dancing, others suggest that it was essentially a disguised fighting system; as the slave-masters forbade any kind of martial art, capoeira was cloaked in the guise of an innocent-looking recreational dance. Capoeira, in its martial form, may have been a form of self-defense against the slave masters, or a way of settling disagreements between the slaves themselves.
[edit] Criminalization
In Brazil, as in the United States, the end of slavery in 1888 brought an extremely troubled time of transition. The abrubt change made it difficult for former slaves to find a place in society. Many slaves who could not find work settled into crime as a way of life, and those who were skilled in capoeira used it to advance themselves, becoming gang-leaders, enforcers, and ruffians.
As outlaws began to practice capoeira, the practice of capoeira was outlawed. In 1890, Brazilian president Marechal Deodoro da Fonseca signed an act that prohibited the practice of Capoeira nationwide, with severe punishment; caught capoeiristas would have their achilles tendons cut. It was nevertheless practiced by the poorer population on public holidays, during work-free hours, and on other similar occasions. Riots, mostly caused due to police interference, were common. Thus, capoeira went underground, and the custom of using an appelido (nickname) to hide a capoeirista's identity was born.
Capoeiristas gained fame not only amongst underground organizations, but also in the public eye. The archetypal criminal capoeirista was embodied in O Malandro, the rogue, a mythical figure who was characterized by grace, skill, and style. O Malandro embodied the ideal of malicia; he had a smooth tongue, quick wits, and commanded the respect and love even of his victims. The navalha, or barber's straight razor, became an iconic weapon for such a figure, hidden somewhere on his person to flash out unexpectedly and lethally. Notable capoeiristas who exemplify this image are Nascimento Grande, Manduca de Praia and Besouro Manganga.
Over time, under intense legal persecution, capoeira receded until it was alive and active in only three major cities: Recife, Rio de Janeiro, and Salvador. Slowly, capoeira was extinguished even in Recife and Rio de Janeiro, and became largely exclusive to Salvador, in the state of Bahía, a place that is even now very close to the heart of capoeira.
[edit] Lifting the ban
In spite of the art's association with crime, non-criminal capoeira also flourished during this period, and Mestre Bimba even developed a new style: Capoeira Regional (as opposed to the traditional Capoeira Angola of Mestre Pastinha). In the 1930s, Bimba was finally successful in convincing the authorities of the cultural value of capoeira, thus ending the official ban. With the ban lifted, Bimba founded the first official capoeira school in 1932, the Academia-escola de Capoeira Regional, at the Engenho de Brotas in Salvador-Bahia. In 1937, he earned the state board of education certificate, and in 1942, Mestre Bimba opened his second school at the Terreiro de Jesus - rua das Laranjeiras. The school is still running today and supervised by his pupil, known as "Vermelho-27".
[edit] Worldwide popularity
--(this section needs rewriting)--
Capoeira is growing worldwide. There have been comparisons drawn between the Afro-American art form of the blues and capoeira. Both were practiced and developed by Afro-American slaves, both retained distinctive African aesthetics and cultural qualities; both were shunned and looked-down upon by the larger Brazilian and North American societies within which they developed, and both fostered a deep sense of Afrocentric pride especially amongst poorer and darker-skinned Blacks. In the mid-1970s when masters of the art form -- mestre capoeiristas, began to emigrate and teach capoeira in the United States, it was still primarily practiced among the poorest and blackest of Brazilians. With its immigration to the U.S., however, much of the stigma with which it was historically associated in Brazil was shed. Today there are many capoeira schools all over the world (capoeira is gaining ground in Japan) and throughout the United States, and with its growing popularity in the U.S. it has attracted a broad spectrum of multicultural, multiracial students. Despite its Afrocentric history, the sport has gained popularity among non-Brazilian and non-African practitioners for the plasticity of its movements.
[edit] Culture
[edit] Music
Music is integral to capoeira. It sets the tempo and style of game that is to be played within the roda. The music is composed of instruments and song. The tempos differ from very slow, typical of Capoeira Angola, to the very fast São Bento Regional variety. Many of the songs are sung in a call and response format while others are in the form of a narrative. Capoeiristas sing about a wide variety of subjects. Some songs are about history or stories of famous capoeiristas. Other songs attempt to inspire players to perform better. Some songs are about what is going on within the roda. Sometimes the songs are about life or love lost. Others are lighthearted or even silly things, sung just for fun. Capoeiristas change their playing style significantly as the songs or rhythm from the berimbau commands. In this manner, it is truly the music that drives capoeira.
[edit] The roda
| A capoeira roda in action. |
The roda (pronounced hoh-dah) or more fully roda de capoeira is the circle of spectators within which a "game" or "match" of capoeira (jogo) takes place. The circular shape is maintained to keep focus on the players and musicians and retain the energy created by the jogo. The people who make up the roda are not simply bystanders, but are actively involved, clapping and singing along to the music being played by the musicians in the bateria (percussion band), increasing the atmosphere for the two partners engaged in the jogo. The "mouth" of the roda is located directly in front of the bateria; it is here that the players begin every game and generally where any new players must enter. In some capoeira schools an individual from the roda can "buy in" to engage one of the two players, beginning another game.
[edit] Initiation and ranking
In Capoeira Regional, batizados ("baptisms") are commonly held amongst groups, to initiate a new member into the art of capoeira. Members being "baptized" are normally given a corda (cord belt) and an apelido (capoeira nickname) if they haven't already earned one. Batizados are major events to which a number of groups and masters from near and far are normally invited. Sometimes a batizado is also held in conjunction with a troca de corda (lit. "change of belts", ranking), in which baptized students who have trained hard and been deemed worthy by their teachers are awarded higher-ranking belts as an acknowledgment of their efforts. Such ceremonies provide opportunities to see a variety of different capoeira styles, watch mestres perform, and see some of the best of the art. They are usually only attended by students of capoeira, but may sometimes be open to the public.
[edit] Capoeira in popular culture
As capoeira's popularity spreads throughout the world, so does its use in popular culture, and capoeiristas can now be seen in many different places in the media. Television programs, films, commercials, video games, music videos, comics and literature all have examples of characters that practice capoeira. It is perhaps most notably used in various fighting games, with Richard Meyer and Bob Wilson from the Fatal Fury series, Elena from Street Fighter III, and Eddy and Christie from the Tekken series all being practitioners of capoeira. This recent popularity in video games and other media has led to a significant amount of fresh interest in the art, noticably increasing the number of new students.
[edit] Genealogy
[edit] Influences
There is contentment amongst researchers as to capoeira's exact roots; some believe it was almost entirely developed by the Brazilian slaves, whilst others argue that it was already fully developed in Africa and that the slaves were simply continuing an old tradition when brought to Brazil.
This difference of opinion existed even amongst the most important mestres:
| “ | The negroes were African but capoeira is from Cachoeira, Santo Amaro, and Ilha de Maré [three cities in Bahia, Brazil]... | ” |
| “ | ...capoeira came from Africa, the Africans used it to fight. | ” |
The latter viewpoint is somewhat controversial as there are no indigenous west African martial arts styles on record or currently practiced in Africa. However, in support of the Africa theory, some point to N'golo, a form of ritual war-dance from southern Angola which imitates the movements of zebras fighting, as proof of capoeira's existence in martial form before reaching Brazil.<ref name="Chvaicer">Talmon-Chvaicer, Maya. The Hidden History of Capoeira: A Collision of Cultures in the Brazilian Battle Dance (2008). ISBN 978-0-292-71723-7.</ref> Although it is not universally accepted, this theory has gained significant popularity amongst practitioners of Capoeira Angola. Considerable academic discussion on the subject has occured, with several books written with relation to the origins of capoeira, discussing the N'golo theory as well as putting forward other ones.
Similar combat dances also developed in other parts of South America and the Caribbean, such as Danymé in Martinique and Mani in Cuba. All of them share some basic similarities with capoeira and with each other, suggesting common African roots. However, some of these arts are known only to a handful of ethnographers and none have taken root the way Capoeira has in Brazil.
[edit] Styles of capoeira
[edit] Angola
Capoeira Angola is the traditional form of capoeira. It is characterized by deeply held traditions, sneakier movements and with the players playing their games in closer proximity to each other than in Regional or Contemporânea. Angola is often thought of as being slower and lower to the ground than other major forms of capoeira, although in actual practice, the speed varies in accordance to the music. It is also sometimes considered to be the "dancier" form of capoeira, with more focus on fun and playfulness than proper combat. Capoeira Angola is also known for the chamada, a physical call-and-response used to challenge an opponent or to change the style in the roda.
Mestre Pastinha is considered by most to be the founder of modern Capoeira Angola. Although there existed a number of other Angola mestres during his time, Pastinha's school can be considered the most influential in shaping Capoeira Angola into what it is today and he is credited as bringing this style of capoeira into the modern setting of an academia. Such academias are now spread throughout the world, and most mestres of Capoeira Angola can trace their lineage back to Pastinha.
[edit] Regional
Regional is the more common form of capoeira in Brazil, but it is not as popular outside of Brazil. Capoeira Regional was developed by Mestre Bimba to make capoeira more effective and bring it closer to its fighting origins, and less associated with the criminal elements of Brazil. This style is often considered to consist of faster and more athletic play than the more traditional Capoeira Angola.
Regional ranks capoeiristas by ability, denoting different skill with the use of a corda (colored rope, also known as cordel or cordão) worn as a belt. Angola does not use such a formal system of ranking, relying instead upon the discretion of a student's mestre. In both forms, though, recognition of advanced skill comes only after many years of constant practice.
[edit] Contemporânea
Contemporânea is a broad term that could imply several different things. It is usually used for groups that train multiple styles of capoeira simultaneously, infusing elements of Regional and Angola as well as newer movements that would not fall under either of those styles. This may be controversial, as some capoeiristas believe that Angola or Regional should be studied on their own to reap their full benefits. However, other practitioners argue that a capoeirista should have a working knowledge of traditional and modern capoeira, and encourage training both forms simultaneously. This is an issue of some disagreement amongst capoeiristas.
Capoeira Contemporânea may also refer to the "modern Regional" style, developed from Bimba's Regional, but greatly differing from his original style. This type of game is characterized by high jumps, acrobatics, and spinning kicks and should not be confused with the original style created by Mestre Bimba.
The label Contemporânea may also apply to any groups who do not trace their lineage through Mestre Bimba or Mestre Pastinha and do not strongly associate with either tradition.
[edit] Notable practitioners
- Mestre Pastinha, founder of the first organized Angola academy
- Mestre Bimba, founder of the Regional style, and one of the foremost authorities on capoeira
- Ganga Zumba, the first recorded leader of Palmares
- Zumbi, another notable leader of Palmares
- Actor Wesley Snipes and is a highly skilled practitioner of Capoeira.
- Lateef Crowder of the ZeroGravity stunt team is also a highly skilled capoeira practitioner
[edit] In fiction
- Eddy Gordo and Christie Monteiro from the Tekken series of video games
- Chris Bowman and Kelly from "urban reign" series
[edit] Get involved
[edit] Footnotes & references
<references/>
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