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WHAT IS CAPOEIRA

Capoeira is defined as a game (jogo) where two players enter a circle (the roda) and exchange movements of attack and defence. The speed of the game is controlled by the musical instruments (3 berimbaus, 1 pandeiro and 1 atabaque).

One does not block a kick in capoeira; rather, one goes along with the kick, avoiding the blow and then counterattacking if possible. A capoeirista doe not confront another face to face but tricks the other, pretends to be a coward and then attacks when his guard is down. Capoeira today comes in two different forms. The first and more traditional of the two is called capoeira angola, a slower, more ritualistic form. The second is called capoeira regional, a faster, more acrobatic form, which has only developed within the past 50 years. Capoeira regional is the main focus of Equipe Jo Capoeira however, we continue to teach the traditional form of Angola in many of our schools.

Capoeira was created in Brazil some time in the 18th or 19th century, by African slaves brought over to Brazil. It was a result of cultural fusion between the different African tribes that were brought over. There are many different theories as to how capoeira came about. One theory is that capoeira was a fight disguised as a dance so that it could be practised unbeknownst to the white slave-owners. Another theory is that it comes from an african dance style called N'golo (the dance of the zebras). In any case, the culture and traditions which accompany capoeira stem from Africa, and capoeira was outlawed in Brazil until the 1940s due to its links at the time with crime and poverty.