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Capoeira is a dance, a game, an expression of feelings, idleness, emotions, sensations, a state of mind, a religion, a vice, a way of life... Capoeira is freedom! Or if you prefer, like it is modernly known, capoeira is a Brasilian martial art developed by the african slaves that were taken to Brasil to work for the portuguese at the plantations, since the native Indians rather die than live like slaves.
It is refered in history that capoeira was born in the XVII century, By that time, the african slaves developed this martial art to protect them from the atrocities practiced by their 'owners'. They mixed the african rituals, costumes and religious beliefs, and they practiced dancing so that the landlords wouldn't realize what they were really doing.
After many disputes, killings, burnings, sabotage and other atrocities, the capoeiras, subjugated by the white supremacy, were considered criminals, even though they were only fighting for justice and freedom.
The threat increased so much that when the Portuguese king D.João VI went to Brazil he decided to create, in the 13th of May 1809, the Royal Guard of Police, directed by Major Miguel Nunes Vidigal. Some stories and songs tell us about Major Vidigal who was considered the terror of the capoeiras.
"Avistei o Vidigal
Cai no lodo
Se não fosse ligeiro
Me sujava todo"
Ironically, Major Vidigal, as some registries say, was himself a capoeira.
But things only got worse, so by 1890, the decree 487 of October of the same year, in the XIII Chapter, Art. 402, capoeira was officially forbidden in Brazil.
Thanks
to Mestre Bimba and due to the declaration of the New State in Brazil in 1937,
capoeira was allowed officially, and the first academy of capoeira was born,
under the guidance of Mestre Bimba.
Manoel dos Reis Machado was born in November the 23rd 1899 in Salvador. His father, Luís Cândido Machado was a famous player of "batuque", an ancient northern fight of afro-brazilian origins, but , Mestre Bimba learned capoeira at the age of 12 with an african sailor Bentinho.
When Mestre Bimba was born, his mother, Maria Martinha do Bonfim had a bet with the midwife that it was a girl, but when he was born, she said: "look at his 'bimbinha'!" That's how he got the name Bimba.
Mestre Bimba was a famous capoeira, considered at the time as the king of capoeira. By the time he went to Rio de Janeiro to show off his skills, he learned some tricks of Jiu Jitsu and Box, which impressed him very much, and caused him to change the ways of traditional capoeira. When he got back home, he started to develop a new style of capoeira. The so-called Capoeira Regional.
He died in February the 5th 1974 in Goiâna and his death is considered a great lost for capoeira.
Vicente
Joaquim Ferreira Pastinha, born on April the 5th 1889 in Salvador. His father
was a spanish man named José Senor Pastinha and his mother was a black
baiana Eugênia Maria de Carvalho. In his times, he was considered the most
perfect capoeira fighter of angola in bahia.
Mestre Pastinha started to learn capoeira with Mestre Benedito, an old african, that saw Pastinha being beaten by a bigger and older boy. Fate brought Mestre Pastinha to capoeira. Quickly he learned all his teacher had to give, and more...
Mestre Pastinha spread capoeira as much as he could, passing his legacy and teaching his ways. He tough Capoeira Angola in Salvador for many years. In fact, he devoted his whole life to capoeira. Even when he was blind he never sttoped teaching capoeira. His talent as a capoeira thinker allied to his skills immortalized this great Angoleiro.
Mestre Pastinha died in 1981
There are two major types of capoeira today. They can be describe in the following ways:
Angola |
Regional |
| Original | Descharacterized |
| Traditional | Modern |
| Low movements with hands on the floor | High movements with lots of leg throws |
| Slow | Fast |
| Recreative and malicious | Aggressive and without idleness |
| Full of mysticism and religion | Exempted of religion |
| Integrated to black culture | Expression of white supremacy |
| Practiced by marginalized social levels | Practiced by average and high social levels |
It's a low game, played with hands on the floor, where the capoeiristas show off strength and balance; it's a loose game of idleness. This is the origin of capoeira.
Style of alert that might play at any time in order to warn every capoeiristas from the cavalry's arrival; loose game of legs with no hands on the floor. When the play begins, all weapons are hidden.
Played for mestres and graduating students; loose game full of thecnic without contact and full of idleness. It's played with both flor game and leg throws.
It's the moment when the roda of capoeira becomes a roda of samba; this style was introduced in capoeira more to atract women into capoeira.
It's the play that annunciates the knife game; the capoeiristas hold a knife blade in their feet and play a slow and idle capoeira. Feinted game, inverted and full of "crocodilagens".
Style created by Mestre Bimba. It's played in stand up games, loose and technical. The capoeiristas must show off a fast games full of leg throws and jumps.
It's a normal São Bento Grande style, with it's own characteristic, invented by Mestre Canjiquinha.
Play of improved capoeirista. Like Mestre Bimba used to say: "The regional is the angola improved and adapted to the necessities of Brazil". Fast and unpredictable game both on the floor or standing up.
It's the intermediate rhythm between angola and São Bento Grande; it's a complex game, played very close to one another, full of idleness. All capoeiristas must have agility, know how to engage the opponent's moves, balance and have great resistance.
Some academies have even more styles like: Iuna Macho, Iuna Fêmea, Idalina, Amazonas, Banguela, Banguela Dobrada, etc... but I don't know much about them. If you do, please let me know.
