Capoeira can’t be compared to any other martial art. The mixture of fight, music and acrobatics make capoeira a unique and impressive sport. This short video will give you a good view of what capoeira contains:
Capoeira is a Brazilian martial art where acrobatics, self defence, percussion, expression and fun make one whole. Capoeira is played in pairs (we never use the words fighting or sparring) in a circle of people. This circle is called a “roda“. To the rhythm of the instruments two players enter the roda and start a game of capoeira. They both continuously execute movements towards eachother. These can be attacking, evasive or acrobatic. Through these movements the two players (called “capoeiristas“) build a dialogue between eachother. One person throws a kick and the other evades in a fluid manner: it is a game of question and response.
You never stand still in a capoeira game, you always keep moving to be able to easily execute (counter) attacks. You can lure your opponent in a trap using a feint, you can escape an attack with a small acrobatic move, … the possibilities are endless. During the game, new situations arise on which you have to act. Creativity and a quick response are of major importance. In a game (“jogo“) there isn’t a winner or loser and we don’t count points. Only a select number of schools in the world organize competitions. Capoeira is all about having fun, practicing your cunning and challenging eachother.
Do you want to learn more about capoeira ? Then continue reading on the website of G.I. Mundo Capoeira (in Dutch).
Why choose capoeira?
Capoeira is so diverse that all aspects of “being fit” are covered: you work on your fitness level, your strength, your reflexes and flexibility. On top of that you train about every muscle in your body. Thanks to the big diversity of movements in capoeira, many different muscle groups are activated and trained. A game can be both slow and fast paced. In some situations you’ll have to count on your flexibility and agility, while in other games you might need more strength and explosiveness. Each time you’ll let your body work in a different way, depending on the type of capoeira you are playing.
Capoeira is first and foremost a martial art. By intensively training combat techniques you as a capoeirista work on your self-confidence and resilience. When training capoeira, you will learn to defend yourself and your responsiveness will increase drastically. If you train on a regular basis, your general fitness level will increase quickly!
But capoeira is more than just a physical martial art. Music and rhythm make capoeira unique, that’s why we’ll teach you those aspects as well. Over time you learn to play the different percussion instruments and sing songs. Don’t worry, you don’t have to be the next Pavarotti to sing capoeira songs. The music in capoeira creates energy and a certain atmosphere in the roda, which motivates the players to bring out the best of themselves. So with music and singing you encourage the two players in the roda.
Even though we don’t do competitions in our group, we work with grades. In Eastern martial arts belts are used, in capoeira we call them cords or cordas. A corda can contain one or two colors which indicate the level of the player. Every year a big event takes place where students get the chance to earn a new corda. Because capoeira is so diverse, everyone can choose his own path and develop his own talents. Do you want to learn how to throw the fastest kicks? Or do you want to dive into the musical aspects? No problem, with capoeira anything is possible. Capoeira offers something for anyone, no matter your age or capabilities.
