About Capoeira

Capoeira is a martial art form that encompasses (among many other things) self defence, dance, music, acrobatics, ritual and self-expression. It was first developed over 400 years ago by African slaves who were brought to Brazil by the Portuguese, as a means to develop fighting skills, preserve their culture and as a recreational pastime.

Capoeira jogos [games] take place between two capoeiristas inside a roda [circle/wheel] of people. Games can be fast or slow, competitive or friendly, acrobatic or close to the ground, violent (relatively rarely these days) or peaceful, depending on the group of players and the situation at hand.

Two main genres of capoeira are distinguishable today; the slower, lower, ’sneakier’ Capoeira Angola preserved by Mestre Pastinha, and the more aggressive, faster, acrobatic Capoeira Regional developed by Mestre Bimba. Maculele is a dance with wooden sticks or machetes that is often practised in conjunction with capoeira.

The following is a very brief history.

Capoeira originated among the slaves kidnapped in Africa and brought to Brazil in the 1500s. The exact nature of its origins are unclear, but it is likely it developed from a need to fight against the slave owners and the fusion of different elements of African culture. It is thought that the musical, acrobatic and dance-like nature of capoeira arose as a means of disguising the practise of a fighting technique, and also as a means of preserving the slaves’ culture and allowing them to enjoy and express themselves. The prevalence of kicks over punches is thought by some to be as a result of the slaves often having to fight with chained hands, but others attribute it to African Kongo traditions of using the hands to build and the feet to destroy.

When the slaves (aided by their proficiency in capoeira and the Dutch invasion) attained their legal freedom in 1888, there was a large influx of Africans from the plantations to the port cities. They encountered difficult conditions in trying to establish themselves in a racist system, and poverty was rife. At this time capoeira was practised largely by criminals who organised themselves in gangs. Their bloody street battles led to the capoeirista being typically considered an undesirable scourge of society .

Many aspects of Afro-Brazilian culture were actively suppressed at this time, attempts were made to eradicate the practise of capoeira and it was criminalized in the 1890’s until the 1930’s. It’s thought that during this period (or perhaps earlier) the tradition of capoeira nicknames arose, to disguise practitioners’ identities from the police. This practise is still common today, with one’s capoeira name usually meant to reflect their personality in the roda. Capoeira was kept alive and made more acceptable to society in these times by disguising it once again as a “folk-dance”, though it was very often utilised in violent situations. Cut-throat razors were sometimes used, held in the hands or toes.

In 1937 Manoel ‘Dos Reis’ Machado, also known as Mestre Bimba was invited by the Brazilian president to give a demonstration of capoeira. He was then given government permission to run the first official capoeira academia in Brazil (though it had been operating since 1932). Bimba was a longshoreman, carpenter, and a formidable fighter. He developed a form of capoeira that emphasized the fighting aspects of the art, adding some sweeps and acrobatic movements. This style was called ”the regional fight from Bahia”, and it was to become known as the Capoeira Regional that is practised worldwide today.
Bimba was reportedly undefeated in his lifetime, issuing and accepting challenges from other martial-artists and capoeiristas. He earned the nickname ‘Tres Pancadas’ [three hits], as that is the number of blows from him anyone was known to have withstood. The creation of a number of berimbau toques [rhythms] are also attributed to Bimba. In 1953 he was invited to the presidential palace by President Vargas, who declared capoeira to be Brazil’s national sport and pastime.

Though some angoleiros criticised Bimba for an alleged disregard for tradition and his more regimental teaching method, today he is revered in capoeira songs and stories as an almost legendary figure.

The other main figure in capoeira history this century is Mestre Pastinha (Vincente Ferreira Pastinha). He preserved Capoeira Angola, with its rich tradition, folklore, ritual and cunning. Pastinha opened his school in Salvador, Bahia in 1941, and is widely respected as having been not only a capoeirista par excellence, but also a wise and exceptional man. He used to say that capoeira was for everyone, man woman or child, to enjoy. Two of his most famous students are Mestres Joao Grande and Joao Pequeno, who now teach in New York and Salvador respectively.

These days, capoeira is one of the world’s fastest growing pastimes, and there is even (controversial) talk of making it an Olympic sport. In Brazil it is played everywhere, from Universities to beaches to military academies. Mestre Accordeon (Bira Almeida) opened the first school in the United States in the 70s. There is concern among some of the older mestres that the acrobatic and offensive aspects of the art are being over-emphasised at the expense of the musical, ritualistic and folkloric aspects. However, the large number and diversity of mestres teaching in Brazil and elsewhere should ensure that capoeira continues to spread and evolve.

Music is an absolutely fundamental aspect of capoeira. The berimbau, a one stringed African instrument, is chief. It determines the tempo and rhythm of the music. There are three types of berimbau, (gunga, medio and viola) which differ in pitch. Other instruments used are the pandeiro [tambourine], atabaque [drum], and agogo [bell]. The capoeiristas move to the rhythm of the music and its speed dictates that of the jogo. The energy generated by the music and singing in a roda is essential to the flow of the game, and its importance in capoeira cannot be overstated.

Capoeira songs, sung in Portuguese, usually relate to either the action or players in the roda, philosophy, Nature, or capoeira folklore. The participants in the roda clap hands in time with the music and respond to the main vocalist’s verses.

Several different toques [rhythms] are commonly heard in capoeira rodas. Each dictates a different style or mood of game. Toque de Angola (or Sao Bento Grande de Angola), the slowest, is played for a game of Angola, while Sao Bento Grande de Regional is for faster games of Capoeria Regional. Somewhere between these two extremes of tempo are Banguela and Sao Bento Pequeno. Cavalaria is a rhythm that imitates a horse’s gallop, its purpose used to be to warn capoeiristas of approaching police. Other common toques are Iuna (for graduated students), Muidinho, Santa Maria, and Amazonas.