What is Capoeira ?
Date Birth: XIV century
Location: Brazil
Invented by: African Slaves
Samples: Nascimento Grande, Manduca da Praia, Mestre Bimba (Manuel dos Reis Machado), Master Pastina (Vicente Ferreira Pastinha), Mestre Waldemar , Mestre Eziquiel
game, fight, dance, music, ritual: the capoeira is one of the highest artistic expressions of Afro-Brazilian culture, as well as being one of the most exciting. Founded as a defense of African slaves against the Portuguese in Brazil and developed as a street art in recent years has become a sport for all purposes.
mysterious origins
The origins of capoeira are still obscure and controversial and are a fascinating subject of study for ethnographers, history, myth and folklore are intertwined, often without distinction. It is known that Mucupe, an ancient people of Angola, had among their initiation rites that dell'N'golo (or "dance of the zebras," is still practiced), a fight between men to win a wife. Another theory defines the capoeira as a mixture of dance, music and struggles from different African cultures. Supporters of origin Brazilian capoeira associate instead of a dance performed by slaves, whose purpose was to imitate the movements of the proud capueira Spix, a kind of partridge.
But most likely the true origin is twofold. In the sixteenth century the Portuguese transferred power to 4 million Africans from Congo, Angola, Mozambique and Guinea to Brazil, to exploit them as slaves on the plantations of coffee and sugar. Over the years, some groups managed to escape and set up of independent communities. It is in this context that was born around 1770 the kingdom of Quilombo dos Palmares, the most impregnable village of ex-slaves: the governors of the Portuguese troops, many armed with muskets, were regularly driven away by the incredible technique of unarmed combat practiced opponents, precisely the capoeira. Legend has it that
to invent movements was the village leader, Zumbi, inspired by ancient African arts. The word "capoeira" is safe instead of Brazilian origin: meaning "grass" and pointed to the fields where the slaves hid.
symbol of freedom
Precisely because of the victories of the slaves, the art of capoeira was banned by the Portuguese settlers. He thus became the symbol of freedom of ex-African populations, the practice of hiding in the plantations, introducing dance music to mask it. Over the years the practice was spread even among the bodyguards of the powerful and one of the worst offenders of Brazilian cities. In the second half of the government hired a group of capoeira to fight the militia of the neighboring countries that threatened the coast of Brazil: their successes were echoed throughout the country, which proclaimed them heroes, until the abolition of slavery in 1888.
Capoeira, more and more popular even in cities, however, remained banned, cloaked in an aura of criminality and death. The security forces ruthlessly persecuted capoeiristas in order to eradicate the practice, but without success, partly because a good expert in capoeira could stand up to four armed policemen.
Dissemination
In 1937, President Vargas bade a demonstration Mestre Bimba, the most important teacher of the time: a performance so impressed the president that the ban was lifted. Mestre Bimba capoeira codified the rules of the modern form by introducing the "regional" (faster and more acrobatic than the original, the 'Angola') giving rise to the spread of the practice. In 1941 Mestre Pastina, nicknamed the "Philosopher of Capoeira", opened a school of Capoeira Angola seguitissima for the first time he taught art with a method. Girls and Pastina defined the sequence of figures of modern capoeira, still observed the practitioners.
The success was such that in 1974 the defense technique invented by African slaves was recognized as a national sport in Brazil and has since been taught in grade schools, universities and military academies, is considered a martial art from educational value, cultural and artistic heritage. Singers such as Gilberto Gil and Caetano Veloso and writers like Amado Joege have celebrated grace.
Since the late eighties, the Brazilian dance-fighting began to spread throughout the world, with the opening of schools and associations, to become a cultural phenomenon. At a competitive level capoeira is still in its infancy: only occasional meetings are held between nations for demonstration purposes.
Capoeira in Italy In Italy
capoeira came to the early '90s, with performances on the streets of the city Brazilian groups. Thanks to the initiative of some teachers in Brazil, within a decade, schools have been created offering different versions of the ancient and spectacular martial art.
Rules: The aim of the game
Capoeira is a means of defense and attack by the extraordinary rapidity of the movements. Physical contact is strictly forbidden: the aim is not to land the opponent, but get close to him understand that, if you wish, you could hit. By definition Capoeira does not fight or dance, but you play. The capoeiristas considers the other an enemy combatant and a friend at the same time.
The roda
you have a group of capoeira in a circle (roda) and start playing with the rhythm of the song and traditional musical instruments: berimbau (a bow on a string), pandeiro (small drum), atabaque (percussion instrument), agogo (bell). Two athletes entering the circle and begin to address virtually the movements of the warrior dance, slowly at first, then, following the increasing pace of the music, faster and faster. Jumps, kicks, stunts and destabilizing movements continue until the end of the rate decided by the teacher, to enabling the contenders to put into practice the most spectacular figures. Besides the gift of self-elasticity is required to avoid accidentally hit your opponent with deadly blows.
shots
Capoeira uses a fairly large number of hits. The basic position is called the ginga (swing), which allows, through graceful movements and models, to distract the opponent. A key figure is made by Austria (star), which includes movements such as the disorienting rasteira (a form of tripping) and traumatizing as the cabeçada (tested).
Capoeira Angola, the oldest form martial art, is characterized by slowness of movement and the proximity of the combatants on the ground (angoleiros). Often movements are practiced on the hands and brush her with the legs. Capoeira Regional, the most recent codification, providing for the standing of the protagonists and a number of other much more dynamic and fast, includes sequences much more dangerous and spectacular dell'angolana. There is also a version performed with a knife.
Nicknames
When in Brazil, capoeira was still illegal for the police was very difficult to control the former slaves. In addition to unbeatable in the fight, the Brazilian capoeiristas out of control office: were in fact known only to their nicknames and no one knew the true identity. Also had two or three different pet names, which confused even more law enforcement. Even today all the great capoeiristas have maintained the habit of the nickname.
They said
"Capoeira taught me discipline, intelligence, friendship and respect for people. All the movements that I learned helped me to behave in life. Capoeira is a philosophy of life. "
Mestre No (Norival Morreira de Oliveira), a master of capoeira
Source: Encyclopedia omnia2004
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