The Basics of Capoeira

Capoeira is a martial art that was created over 400 years ago by African slaves in Brazil. However, unlike other martial arts, Capoeira blend music, dance, mischievous play and acrobatics into a complete art form that is absolutely stunning.

Once Capoeira became recognised, the world soon learned that it can be quite an effective fighting style. Although, the style is a lot more than just a martial art as Capoeira combines fighting with dance and exotic movements. On top of this, Capoeira is practised as more of a game than a martial art.

Usually the first thing that one will notice when watching Capoeira being performed is the music. A round of Capoeira is played to the music of an instrument known as a beribau, a tambourine and a variety of drums. The tempo of the music dictates how fast a game of Capoeira is played. A capoerista (a player) will need to know a few different songs and rhythms in order to play a good game of Capoeira. A game of Capoeira is played in a circle known as a roda with the players in the middle and musicians at the edge of the circle.

A game of Capoeira is started once two capoeristas enter the roda. Once started, the two competitors will try and trick or confuse each other by using a combination of kicks, counter attacks and feints. It requires many years of practise to become efficient at capoeira and it requires a large amount of skill to become a master of the sport.

From a defensive point of view, Capoeira can be quite useful while looking rather imaginative. The kicks involved in capoeira often seem to appear from nowhere and are usually hard to defend against. Dancing type movements and other acrobatic techniques are what a capoerista will use to evade the attacks of their opponent and with time and practise these movements become extremely fluid.

In Brazil, Capoeira is huge and thousands of people are learning how to compete in the sport. It is quite popular in South America and many people play games of Capoeira in the streets. The style looks rather impressive although some of the movements can be risky which tends to turn a few people away.

The martial art of Capoeira continues to grow and will continue to do so over the coming decades. In 1974 Capoeira officially became the national sport of Brazil as the majority of the population accepted it. Capoeira studios or schools exist in many countries around the world today including Australia and the sport is being introduced to newer generations all the time.

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