Practicality of Capoeira?

[NightOwl]

right, it can be applied in combat but it is a lot harder to do so than with many other styles. It is like, for instance, contemporary wushu: even though it is pretty much exclusively a performance art, it certainly could be applied in a fight...it would just be difficult to do. As a hard-core martial artist however, you could potentially adopt a more 'show' style and hard cross-train in it to be able to incorporate it in your actual fighting. However it would take MUCH more time to be able to use it than say, muay tai or other such styles.

[The BB of C]

right, it can be applied in combat but it is a lot harder to do so than with many other styles. It is like, for instance, contemporary wushu: even though it is pretty much exclusively a performance art, it certainly could be applied in a fight...it would just be difficult to do. As a hard-core martial artist however, you could potentially adopt a more 'show' style and hard cross-train in it to be able to incorporate it in your actual fighting. However it would take MUCH more time to be able to use it than say, muay tai or other such styles.

That's exactly what I think.

[battousai16]

the two biggest strengths that capoeira gives you as far as practical self defense goes are a) it gets you in great shape pretty fast and gives you a lot of endurance. it's a good way to gain a lot of strength, balance, and agility really quickly. and b) when you jump into the roda, you're not in a bunch of pads and you're forced into very close quarters, and you have to keep moving. it dosen't have any of that "start, tag, stop" stuff that a lot of other styles tend to train with. therefor, you get used to being in really close to somebody, not really being able to escape since you're in a circle, and continuously moving.

also, the fancy head spins and air kicks, although i suppose could be used in a real fight, are really more, as far as i can see, a way to taunt your sparring partner, and bring up energy. when you break it down it really is a lot of evasion and some basic kicks that, to the users advantage, haven't been seen as much as others before, so they seem to kind of come from nowhere.

[some0ne]

From my own experience, fighting in Muay Thai and Knockdown tournaments(Sabaki and Kyokushin IKO1 and 2) and having my own fighters under me I have more respect for an experienced capoeira practitioner than I do for JKD, Krav Maga, and Haganah being "martial arts". This, however, is my opinion..I view JKD as a philosophy and not a martial art. I have met, trained, and fought with some very talented capoeira practitioners from Brazil that kick very hard. You should see how quick they pick up other kicks from another martial art, it's insane. They're usually in better shape than the average karateka, too.

Most experienced capoeira practitioners crosstrain somewhat in BJJ, and BJJ does have some capoeira techniques in the art.

[bushido_man96]

From my own experience, fighting in Muay Thai and Knockdown tournaments(Sabaki and Kyokushin IKO1 and 2) and having my own fighters under me I have more respect for an experienced capoeira practitioner than I do for JKD, Krav Maga, and Haganah being "martial arts". This, however, is my opinion..I view JKD as a philosophy and not a martial art. I have met, trained, and fought with some very talented capoeira practitioners from Brazil that kick very hard. You should see how quick they pick up other kicks from another martial art, it's insane. They're usually in better shape than the average karateka, too.

Most experienced capoeira practitioners crosstrain somewhat in BJJ, and BJJ does have some capoeira techniques in the art.

That is cool. I think that most of the Capoeira artists are in very good shape, and can move very well. Imagine how well they can move with more simplified footwork? And the value of conditioning cannot be overlooked, especially when it comes to the time to defend yourself.

[some0ne]

I've seen capoeira practitioners fight in Vale Tudo matches in Brazil and they seem to fight in more of a modified "kickboxing" stance. They throw kicks similar to muay thai but without the pivot on the roundhouse, similar to how a lot of Dutch style Muay Thai/kickboxers throw the dtae/roundhouse. I have no idea why I haven't seen more capoeira people fight mma in the bigger shows because the ones I have seen that actually have around a decade or more of training can fight.

[bushido_man96]

Thanks for the information. That is interesting stuff. It is cool to hear about the little modifications that different regions come up with, in thier training and whatnot. I would think that those kicks would be powerful, even if modified.