Practicality of Capoeira?

[The BB of C]

I notice a lot that people talk a lot of trash about Capoeira saying that there is no way that anyone would ever be able to move like that and attack like Capoeira artists do in a real fight and that they would get knocked out (often put very colorfully and quite rude). I always dissagree because isn't this a style that prevented the native Brazillians from being sold as slaves for quite some time? There must be some level of applicability to it if it could do that.

Either way, I would like to know what you think.

[marie curie]

I could be mixing capoeira up with something else- but if I'm correct, I believe that it was a system of training- not particular tricks and techniques used against an opponent. I think that it is primarily evasion with one or two "strikes" finishing the fight.

Again, the people didn't develop it because it was the most effective, but because it was the most effective the could get away with practicing in public.

Although, I'm sure that it kept them in good shape, with fast reflexes and ready for any fighting that was necessary.

[Rateh]

As I heard it, a lot of the techniques were used because they could be performed with your hands cuffed behind your back. Thats why there are so many kicking techniques, and their takedowns etc are with legs only.

[bushido_man96]

I think that there are good points here. The dancing motions kept the art disguised, so that they could practice it together. The practitioners are even called "players." The style does includen elbow strikes, headbutts, along with various hand strikes, aside from the kicking and handstanding.

There are two derivations of Caporiea; Regional, which is supposed to be the more traditional of the two, and Angola, which is a bit more showy.

As with any fighting art, the practicality of its applications will apply more to the ability of the instructor as opposed to the make-up of the art itself. So, it really depends on how you train. As you have stated, I think that there is some practicality to the art, or it would not have survived as it did.

[lordtariel]

You have to remember too that the people that they were fighting against probably didn't have a lot of specialized unarmed combat training. Today in the US, you have people that study striking, grappling, kicking and throwing... Sometimes all at the same time.

I believe every style has it's strengths and weaknesses and a well rounded fighter will usually do better against a specialized fighter. I'm sure Caporiea has some useful stuff in it, but don't really know how well it would stand on it's own. I guess it comes down to the fighter, not the art.

[glockmeister]

Recently there was an instructor that came to our school and he began teaching it two times a week there. I havent taken it myself, but from what I can gather it's not really something that is a practical fighting art in itself, but rather as mentioned before it would go good with somethign else like BJJ. It is great for stamina and body mechanics but I can't see it as a practical self defense style.

[50inches]

All martial arts started off as self defense techniques. However, IMO with time many of them were just good for show, I feel that the same thing happend with capoeira. I mean if you really are in life and death situation, and have your hands cuffed behind your back, isnt it easier to do the simple kick to the groin, than all kinds of dancing and spinning kicks.

I dont know, but I have yet to hear from a person that has actually used it well in self defense.

Never the less, it is a cool art

[bushido_man96]

Now, I may be wrong here, but as the slaves were taken into custody, they may have had to use their skills against lightly amored opponents. I may be on the wrong track (thinking of something else), but if this was the case, the amount of power in their spinning kick movements would have enough momentum knock over some guys wearing more protection.

Just a thought, and it may be waaaay off.

[Elky]

Since the purpose of capoeira is to make you look cool and impress girls then it is very practical indeed! As far as I can tell, much like, say, aikido, it takes quite some time to be able to use it to its full potential though. It's less likely to make you look cool and impress the ladies when you're floudering on the floor and landing on your head.

[username8517]

This is just my impression of Capoeira so I may be completely off, but I believe Capoeira is more about a systems of feints and dodges to set up the strikes delivered and the dancing is an elaborate cover of said feints and dodges.

If you watch two skilled Capoeira practioners doing their thing you'll notice they tend to do their jinga (spelling?) for a few moments and then begin another rotation through it only to change mid stride to incorporate some kind of kick, dodge, or cartwheel.

As far as it's practicality, I'm sure it has some I don't think it's nearly as practical as other martial arts or fighting styles. This is based primarily off the level of physicallity required for good Capoeira. You don't see nearly as many people over the age of 40 practicing Capoeira as you do say karate or TKD (just to throw two examples out).