Capoeira

History - Practising - Benefits

Practising capoeira

Capoeira is an Afro-Brazilian art that is practiced on the rhythm of music. The berimbau, the principal instrument of capoeira, indicates the rhythm. Capoeira contains different rhuthms and each rhythm has it's own characteristics. Some rhythms ask for a more objective game while others encourage showing more playfullness and bodydomination. A central aspect of capoeira is creating a game with another person where you can chllenge the other with creativity. This can be in areas like martial-arts, acrobatics, music etc. Capoeira is a combination of many things together. In is a martial-art which is not soley objective, for capoeira is played and not only fought. Within capoeira there is room for a hard game within certain rhythms. This also depends on the lineage within capoeira, who differ and off course the taste and personality of the practisioner.
A comparison can be made with a master of eastern martial arts. If he would spar against a beginner, he often toys with that person and doesn't go in full-force all the time, thus encouraging the beginner to try harder, giving him or her opportunities to do so. This principle is present within capoeira from the beginning and is not restricting amongst the relationship between teacher and student, but also amongst the students themselves. People develop themselves within capoeira where they during the game estimate if they will attack, defend, attrack, fool or take a more neutral position. Ofter time their strategic insight grows and the body adapts itself to the many movements that capoeira contains.
Besides these aspects, capoeira also has elements of dance and acrobatics. Also the energy you recieve as a person and contribute to capoeira are an important aspect. In a roda (capoeira circle) where good music is played, people will often be more inspired to demonstrate a game in which they display effort with grace. For people who are attentive to music usually tend to move best on music they judge as beeing good.

A well know capoeira master: Mestre Pastinha has said that capoeira has a beginning but no end. What he wanted to say with this was that capoeira is so huge in terms of movements and possibilities the it's hardly containable in one life. If people also want to be able to master the knowledge about the history, the music and different styles of capoeira, it's something that can easily fill a life.
Next to this capoeira is also a fun excersize where people in a good atmosfere work on their condition, insight and body capacities like kicks and flips.

Practising capoeira you how to adapt to your surroundings to your own benefit without loosing a lot of your own identity. This is something what can be used as a beneficial capacity in life. Because sommersaults are not a must to maintain certain graduations, it's possible for al kinds of people to start and grow within capoeira through their own path, within our teaching method. Next to teaching the basics, the ethics, the music and other techniques, we especially try to stimulate persons to develops themselves. This last aspect works differently for everyone because the demands and possibilities for each individual often differ. This way capoeira brings together all kinds of cultures and ages who work together towards growth within their own lives not in the least place, by helping and getting help from others.