Capoeira is a form of martial arts that does not only incorporate combat but ritual, music, and dance as well. Its movements consists mostly of kicks, evasions, and fluid acrobatic movements [which was the feature that caught my interest most]. And since it is considered a game, it is "played' rather than fought.
Capoeira
is a Brazilian martial art that has its origin tied with african culture.
During the 1500s, the Portuguese imported slaves from Africa as workers for
their plantations and as time passes, these slaves managed to escape and form
communities (quilombos). Inside the safety of these communities, Capoeira
developed as a means of self defense against slave hunters. Another theory says
that Capoeira is a result of the determination of the African slaves to
maintain their culture. (Almeida, 2007)
When
slavery was abolished in Brazil, poor slaves that knew Capoeira began to form
criminal gangs, while others work for politicians and terrorize others with Capoeira. Because of this, the government created a special force against Capoeira, eventually leading to it being illegal to practice. So during this
time, Capoeira continued in secret. Players used nicknames to avoid being caught
and warning signals were created to alert incoming police. An example is the
berimbau torque called calvalaria, which was played to signal players to dance
the samba instead when police were around.
Mestre
Bimba (Manuel dos Reis Machado) eventually reorganized Capoeira in his regional style and, in 1932, he
managed to open the first legal school for Capoeira. The Academia-escola de Cultura Regional. He established rules to
attract the middle and higher class people to practice the Brazilian martial
art. Such as the use of white uniforms and certain philosophies. This was
proven successful and Capoeira eventually began to flourish not only in Brazil
but worldwide as well. (Rivera, n.d.)
Capoeira is played in a circle called the "roda" wherein music is played while the audience sing along as the players perform their respective movements. Kind of like how a break or hip hop dancer is surrounded by an audience while he or she does a freestyle on the dance floor.
It also emphasizes the use of skill rather than aggressive combat to overwhelm the opponent. When one is down, the other waits for their recovery before continuing. Between two high skilled Capoeiristas, however, the game can get more aggressive and even dangerous.
Another unique feature of Capoeira is the use of instruments. The instruments are arranged in a line up called bateria. It is usually formed with Berimbau, Panderio, Atabaque, Agogo, and Reco-Reco.
Berimbau
The Berimbau is the skeletal instrument in Capoeira, meaning it is the backbone of the melody. It sets the pace and the rhythm of a game. The rhythm it plays also dictates the style of movement of each player. It practically commands them on how to move.
Pandeiro
The Pandeiro is the next key instrument in Capoeira and is the second one played after the Berimbau. It sets the beat and the base of the music.
Atabaque
The Atabaque is another key instrument played in Capoeira. It supports the rhythm made by the Berimbau.
Agogo
The Agogo is a single or multiple bell. It compliments the rhythm and follows a pattern similar to the Pandeiro and Atabaque. However, compared to the other instruments, it stands out more in the music with its higher tone.
Reco-Reco
The Reco-Reco is a section of bamboo with notches cut on the side and is played by scraping the grooves back and forth with a stick. It can also be tapped or played with other improvisations. It is a recently added instrument in Capoeira and has the tendency to get lost in the music due to the sounds of the other instruments. However, a large Reco-Reco can make a bigger impact on the music.
In the past, the music in Capoeira was used to disguise the fight taking place since these instruments are also used in the samba, thus making it look like the players are just dancing rather than practicing combat. There are different styles in the use of the instruments. In the Regional style, one Berimbau and two Pandeiro are used while in the Angola style, three Berimbaus are used. The music is also a medium that passes down the tradition and history of Capoeira to future Capoeiristas. (Rivera, n.d.)
I honestly never practiced Capoeira before. I would not even know it existed if it weren't for my habit of streaming channels in the television whenever I'm bored. I just happened to see it shown in National Geographic and it left me astounded. The movements and techniques are a lot different from the martial arts that I know of and it amazes me on how dangerous it is despite the beauty of the fluid movements executed.
The principle of this art also caught my attention. I have never seen a martial art before that does not prioritize beating your opponent in a fight. Instead (as mentioned earlier) it focuses more on the use of techniques and the interaction of each players with one another. Each player should not only be aware of how well they kick but also how well their opponent evade. If they cannot dodge, don't attack. Kinda weird for a combat art but it adds to its uniqueness. However, it does not mean that one should let their guard down and just flow through the music. Trickery is also present in Capoeira and experts never breaks eye contact with their opponents since a friendly gesture (such as a simple handshake) can be an attack in disguise.
At first, Capoeira may look like simple fun and games [at least for me] but it posses a rich heritage that was passed down many generations as an effort to always be aware of their (Afro-Brazilians) African origin. It is a complex martial art that incorporates not only the principle of combat, but of music, ritual, and dance as well. It is also currently the most beautiful martial art that I have seen.
Sources:
Almeida, P. (2007). Capoeira. Australia: New Holland Publishers.
Rivera, B. (n.d.). Start Playing Capoeira. Retreived January 19, 2013 from http://www.start-playing-capoeira.com/ [<<This guy seems to be really experienced in Capoeira. He shows great insight in providing all forms of information on modern day Capoeira.]
Pictures from:
http://www.rio.com/practical-rio/capoeira-classes
http://maculeleatlanta.com/capoeira/mestre-bimba
Video from:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6H0D8VaIli0
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