Capoeira : MA or Dance?

[monkeygirl]

Capoeira is something I would love to learn, maybe not much for the self-defense aspect but for the gymnastic/MA tricks aspect. From what I have seen of capoeira (which pretty much only was on tv and the net), it is actually more of a dance than a fighting method.

 

Is it really just a ...perhaps martial oriented dance or is it a complete martial art? Is there "combat capoeira"?

 

The reason that capoeira appears to be a dance is because of the way it had to originate. The dance portion was originally meant to disguise the fact that it was a martial art, because the people weren't supposed to learn how to defend themselves.

 

Sorry to be so vague, I don't know much about the historical background.

[Shane]

Monkeygirl pretty much said it, the combative aspects of it was hidden in the form of a dance mainly by slaves in Brazil, also from my readings the reason you dont see to many large hand movements is because usally the slaves learning to defend themselves were in hand restraints or there would be a good chance of being in hand restraints.

 

I have also watched a pretty good history video on the art, very interesting style, but I agree once you get past some of the more flashy techniques it could be a pretty brutal art

[Kreisi]

when capoeira is played with music it is like dancing and its like a game where you pretend the hits.

[Drunken Monkey]

the roda is the game of capoeria.

 

the roda is like fighting but isn't.

 

some of it is practice,

 

some of it is ritual,

 

some of it is drill,

 

some of it is competition,

 

and

 

some of it is purely a game.

 

sometimes, it is a combination of the above or it might flow from one to another.

 

but

 

do you really think, if the guy wants to hit you, he couldn't?

 

the large hand movements are something of a new thing.

 

if you look at angola, everything is more compact and tidy.

 

that said, some of the hand movements are there to aid in mobility

 

i.e give you balance and 'prepare' you for moving in any direction be it dropping into negativa or switching sides to au or role or any combinations thereof.

 

also, it's interesting to point out,

 

that if you look beyond what the hands are doing, you'll see that a lot of the time,

 

the arm movement is used to bring the elbow into a position,

 

relative to the direction of movement, to cover the head.

 

if you think capoeria is just about kicks:

 

galopante, godeme, cutevelada and a few more.....

[Maddwraph]

at my school we play different types of capoiera games. we play a little bit of angola, bengela, and son bento grande (im not sure on the spelling on these). son bento grande is the fast game that would probably be the most useful ina fight. its not always a good idea to go to the floor too long in a real fight situation. if you think capoiera isnt good as a fight, thats when of its strong points, its deceiving ways.

[MenteReligieuse]

I want to learn the deadly art of Tango

[SevenStar]

when capoeira is played with music it is like dancing and its like a game where you pretend the hits.

 

not true. it depennds on the venue. If it is among class mates, no, they won't hit eachother, just like in point fighting you aren't really hitting. In competition, they hit pretty hard, and the takedowns are full power.

[SevenStar]

Monkeygirl pretty much said it, the combative aspects of it was hidden in the form of a dance mainly by slaves in Brazil, also from my readings the reason you dont see to many large hand movements is because

 

usally the slaves learning to defend themselves were in hand restraints or there would be a good chance of being in hand restraints.

 

I don't think the hand restraint thing is true, unless the chains on their hands were fairly long. look at them - they balance on their hands. In defensive postures, like the negativa position, they are guarding their face with one hand. With hand restraints, most of this would be impossible. That means that either:

 

1. the history most people hear is incorrect, or

 

2. capoeira has changed some over the years.

 

They were slaves, and training was outlawed. It can be hard to hide a punch, but it was easy making the kicks, throws, elbows and knees fit with a dance theme. I think that's why you see such a lack of hand techniques. I'll ask my friend when I see him next week (he's a capoeira instructor)

I have also watched a pretty good history video on the art, very interesting style, but I agree once you get past some of the more flashy techniques it could be a pretty brutal art

 

yeah, it can be devastating.

[Drunken Monkey]

i don't buy the 'hidden in dance' story.

 

at the time, anything that could act as a device for identity for the slaves was banned, the various parties involved having decided that divide and conquer was better than giving them a reason to unite.

 

this meant that everything that came from their homelands was forbidden/repressed and this would include any dance of any sort.

 

it doesn't make sense to hide the fighting art in a dance.

 

another story i've read is that part of capoeria came from a type of ritual dance that was done and was absorbed into the ritual/practice of what was to become capoeria

 

but

 

from what i gather, there isn't much proof of this.

 

the actual origins/history of capoeria isn't very well documented.

 

what we know today as capoeria was only really developed in the past 100 years or so

 

(regional was devised/refined/developed in the 1930s by Mestre Bimba)