Chapter IV :

Capoeira – More Art Than Martial

1.1. About Capoeira

“A circle of people playing drums and singing, and in the middle of the circle there are
people dancing softly but swiftly. The first impression of the Brazilian capoeira is that it must
be a ritual of some sort. And in fact that is not far from the truth. But behind those soft
movements, which look like peaceful ritual dancing, lies a lethal form of martial art.”

“Mention Brazil and many would think of football and samba. But now, the country's
martial art called "Capoeira" is fast gaining popularity as it makes fighting more like a "song
and dance".”

Capoeira Angola was the cultural weapon used to break the chains of enslavement in
Brazil. Music was played during capoeira sessions to teach the rhythmic heart of the art and
to mask its power. In front of the enslavers it looked like playfulness, acrobatic dancing, and
joking around. Eventually the enslavers realized its power and outlawed Capoeira Angola.
Death was the penalty paid if you were caught during the slavery years. For almost 400 years
Capoeira Angola was taught and practiced in secret. Only in the 1930’s did this African
martial art become legal to teach and practice. Grand Mestre Pastinha opened the first
Capoeira Angola School, one of two remaining Angoleros who were taught by the legendary
Grand Mestre Pastinha. He travels around the world to teach what he has been taught by
Grande Mestre. His students learn to play the music and sing the songs, along with mastering
its movements and philosophy.

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Mestre Joao Grande teaches Capoeira Angola in the traditional African way, as a way of life,
just as his teacher before him did.

Capoeira, a ritualised, stylized, combat-dance, having its own music, and practiced
primarily in the city of Salvador, Bahia, is a characteristically Brazilian expression of both
dance and martial arts. It evolved from a fighting style that originated in Angola. The art-form
started up in Brazil during the 16th Century, in the early slave days, when there were constant
fights between the blacks (both the native slave Indians in Brazil and slaves brought from
Africa), and when the owner caught them at it, he had both sides punished. The slaves
considered this unfair and developed a smoke screen of music and song to cover up actual
fighting. Over the years this was refined into a highly athletic sport in which two contestants
try to deliver blows using only their legs, feet, heels, and heads - hands are not allowed.

Participants form a roda (circle) and take turns playing instruments, singing, and
sparring in pairs in the center of the circle. The game is marked by fluid acrobatic play, feints,
and extensive use of groundwork, as well as sweeps, kicks, and headbutts. Less frequently-
used techniques include elbow-strikes, slaps, punches, and body-throws.

Music is integral to capoeira. It sets the tempo and style of game that is to be played
within the roda. The music is composed of instruments and song. The tempos differ from
very slow (Angola) to very fast (são bento regional). Many of the songs are sung in a call and
response format while others are in the form of a narrative. Capoeiristas sing about a wide
variety of subjects. Some songs are about history or stories of famous capoeiristas. Other
songs attempt to inspire players to play better. Some songs are about what is going on within
the roda. Sometimes the songs are about life, or love lost. Others are lighthearted or even silly
things, sung just for fun. Capoeiristas change their playing style significantly as the songs or
rhythm from the berimbau commands. In this manner, it is truly the music that drives
capoeira.

The combatants move in a series of swift cartwheels and whirling handstands on the
floor. The musical ensemble that accompanies capoeira includes the berimbau, a bow-shaped
piece of wood with a metal wire running from one end to the other.

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A painted gourd which acts like a sounding box is attached at the bottom of the berimbau. The
player shakes the bow. While the seeds in the gourd rattle he strikes the taut wire with a
copper coin which gives off a unique, moaning sound.

There are three basic kinds of songs in capoeira. A ladainha (litany) is a narrative solo
usually sung at the beginning of a roda, often by the mestre (master). These ladainhas will
often be famous songs previously written by a mestre, or they may be improvised on the spot.
A ladainha is usually followed by a chula or louvação, following a call and response pattern
that usually thanks God and one's teacher, among other things. Each call is usually repeated
word-for-word by the responders. The ladainha and chula are often omitted in regional games.
Finally, corridos are songs that are sung while a game is being played, again following the
call and response pattern. The responses to each call do not simply repeat what was said,
however, but change depending on the song.

The instruments are played in a row called the bateria. Three instruments are
berimbaus, which look like an archer's bow using a steel string and a gourd for resonance. It is
played by striking the string with a stick, and the pitch is regulated by a stone.

Legend has it that, in the old times, knives or other sharp objects were attached to the top of
the berimbau for protection and in case a large fight broke out. In 'the little book of capoeira' -
'Nestor Capoeira, It is said Mestre Pastinha would tell of a small sickle sharpened on both
edges which he would keep in his pocket. He was fond of saying "If it had a third edge I
would sharpen that one too, for those who wish to do me harm." Pastinha also spoke of how
this blade could be attached to the end of a berimbau. These three bows are the Berra boi (also
called the bass or Gunga), Medio, Viola, and lead the rhythm. Other instruments in the bateria
are: two pandeiros (tambourines), a reco-reco (rasp), and an agogo (double gong bell). The
atabaque (conga-like drum), a common feature in most capoeira baterias, is considered an
optional instrument, and is not required for a full bateria in some groups.

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 1.2. The Jogo

Capoeira does not focus on injuring the opponent. Rather, it emphasizes skill.
Capoeiristas often prefer to show the movement without completing it, enforcing their
superiority in the roda. If an opponent cannot dodge a slow attack, there is no reason to use a
faster one. Each attack that comes in gives players a chance to practice an evasive technique.

Capoeira has two main classifications: traditional and modern. Angola refers to the
traditional form of the game. This is the oldest form, approximately 500 years old, with roots
in African traditions that are even older, and is the root form from which all other forms of
capoeira are based. Modern forms of capoeira can be classified as Regional and
Contemporanea.

Mestre Beiçola is the founder, artistic director and principal instructor of BRAZIL
CULTURE & ARTS. A native of Rio de Janeiro, he is the son of a musician and capoeirista,
and has devoted his life to keeping the rich traditions of African-Brazilian culture alive and
thriving throughout the world.

Mestre Beiçola is a 22-year master of Capoeira. He is also a choreographer and

songwriter, having mastered a litany of Brazilian instruments and dances as well - knowledge
he shares with audiences and students in his San Francisco Bay Area base and beyond.

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 Mestre Beiçola's work has included theatrical performances and master workshops in
Spain, France, Germany, Guam, Saipan, as well as a national tour of Broadway, Hollywood
and Las Vegas with the international samba extravaganza, "Oba Oba." A warm and dynamic
instructor, Mestre Beiçola currently teaches Capoeira, dance and percussion and directs a
performing company and samba school. His students represent the rich array of California's
residents: high-tech engineers, homeless families, inner-city school children, and university
students.

Classes are held at Stanford University, California State University-Hayward, the

University of California, Berkeley's University Village Community Center and the City of
Palo Alto, as well asperiodic courses in San Jose, Redwood City and other surrounding cities.
Mestre Beiçola's lighthearted, yet motivational teaching style allows students at various levels
of athletic ability and musical background to thrive.

Committed to affording opportunity to even those who can't pay for classes, he has run special
programs for senior citizens, the disabled and juvenile offenders.

In Brazil, Mestre Beiçola's students continue to thrive in a strong Capoeira network he

created. Under the title "Capoeira Besouro," hundreds of Brazilians in two states - Rio de
Janeiro and Espirito Santos - study under the tutelage of his graduated students, five of whom
have also earned the degree of Mestre.

“This is capoeira — a 400-year-old martial art disguised as dance, born in the holds of
slave ships and on the plantations around Salvador da Bahia, Brazil's first capital.”

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