Capoeira good for self defense?

[elbows_and_knees]

\Works fine. For what I was taught it's pretty much the same, we don't really change much because we don't do anything especially impractical. (No jumping, no ballistic-commitment flips, no turning our back, all attacks at effective range)

you guys don't do Meia-lua, au and macaco? I know you don't turn your back in au, but still...

[JusticeZero]

We do all those. We do not jump, ballistically commit (eg. handspring where there's no 'outs') or turn our back for those. (Well, mea lua de compasso, in a way, 'turns it's back', but not in the way that a lot of showy movements do, and we're aware of it turning and how to protect it.) We're well aware of when and when not to do au, as we strongly encourage each other to slam each other out of the sky if we do au's and acrobatics when it's possible to disrupt it.

[battousai16]

in addition to what everybody else has said, in defense of the roda, it really gets you used to fighting in enclosed spaces and it gets rid of that nagging fear that comes when getting in real close... at least, the one i always got.

[Muaythaiboxer]

i still dont see how half of those kicks are any good and in my experience with capoeira you guys dont really do enough hand work or grapling

[JusticeZero]

We do more takedowns, sweeps, throws, and defenses to all the above than a lot of striking arts do. The hand stuff is simple enough but come on, this is the 21st century. We all have office jobs. We have to touch type, not pound our hands into clubs. I personally make sure to work hands with the people in my class on reasonably regular occasion.

As far as the kicks, mostly we drill the basic kicks or variants on the basic kicks, all of which hit pretty hard and effectively. We work pretzel twisty bizzarre kicks too, because it really helps the improvisational ability of being able to deliver fundamental attacks with changing targets and such out of some pretty odd situations that we find ourselves placed in, and develops structure. When you see a crazy angled kick don't think of it as a 'kick them off a horse" wacky direct attack, think of it as being like our equivalent of mixing an attack in with a breakfall.

[ovine king]

And most of what is trained in the more traditional muay thai isn't used in ring fights.

have you ever seen anyone step off the opponents knee to get a knee to their face?

have you ever seen the same step off a knee to get height to get a good kick to the head?

so if these things also aren't ever really going to be used then why do they still train in them in proper muay thai schools?

there is a big difference in training in the art and fighting with the art.

there is also a world of difference to playing a roda and fighting.

[elbows_and_knees]

And most of what is trained in the more traditional muay thai isn't used in ring fights.

have you ever seen anyone step off the opponents knee to get a knee to their face?

have you ever seen the same step off a knee to get height to get a good kick to the head?

so if these things also aren't ever really going to be used then why do they still train in them in proper muay thai schools?

there is a big difference in training in the art and fighting with the art.

there is also a world of difference to playing a roda and fighting.

actually, IME you won't find that in most muay thai schools. you will find them in muay boran schools - schools teaching the traditional muay. you will also learn various jumping attacks and spinning kicks.

[ovine king]

i have to say i've not seen any school actually making the differentiation between muay boran and muay thai. Instead, they tend to differentiate the thing that they do into "things for the ring" and "things in the art".

[elbows_and_knees]

yeah - muay thai is relatively new... it ws developed in the 1920's. prior to that, there were various muay - muay lon lon, muay kaad cheurk, muay chaiya, mae mai, etc. many of those traditional techniques have been lost for various reasons - the burning of the records, preference for muay thai, etc. What is known of thsese traditional muay is today lumped together and taught as muay boran.

[Goju_boi]

yeah - muay thai is relatively new... it ws developed in the 1920's. prior to that, there were various muay - muay lon lon, muay kaad cheurk, muay chaiya, mae mai, etc. many of those traditional techniques have been lost for various reasons - the burning of the records, preference for muay thai, etc. What is known of thsese traditional muay is today lumped together and taught as muay boran.

two questions:

1.does capoeira use any weapons?

2.can any body show me a website that has capoeira sparring videos to look at?