The History Of Capoeira

Capoeira is a martial sport, developed by African slaves in Brazil around the year 1500's. Movement in dance and capoeira resembles the heavy dotted on the kick. The fight in capoeira is usually accompanied by music and called Jogo. Capoeira is often criticized because many people doubt the efficacy of a real battle, compared to other martial arts such as karate or taekwondo.
Capoeira is a traditional martial system founded in Brazil by African slaves brought by the Portuguese to Brazil to work on large plantations. In ancient times they were put through exercises to the accompaniment of musical instruments in the traditional, such as the berimbau (a wooden arch with strings struck with a small timber for agitated) and atabaque (large drum), and is also easier for them to hide the practice them in a variety of activities such as fun at the party made by the slaves in their homes called senzala. When an escaped slave he would be chased by a "hunter" named professional armed capitães-do-mato (captain forest). Usually capoeira is the only martial arts used by slaves to defend themselves. The fight they usually occur in the field in the forest in Tupi-Guarani language (one of Brazil's indigenous languages) is called CAA-puêra - some historians argue that this is the origin of the name of the martial arts. Those who could run away together in villages that bordered named quilombo, in places difficult to achieve. Quilombo the most important is that Palmares where residents have until numbered ten thousand, lasting for about sixty years against the powers that want to invade them. Chairman of the their most popular named Zumbi. While the law appears to eliminate slavery and Brazil began to import white laborers workers from countries such as Portugal, Spain and Italy to work in agriculture, many blacks had to move home to the cities, and because many of those who do not have a job began to become criminals.
Capoeira, which had become urban, and began to learn by white men, in cities like Rio de Janeiro, Salvador da Bahia and Recife, come to be seen by the public as criminals and game people on the streets, then the law appears to prohibit Capoeira. It seems that when they started using a razor blade in a fight, this is the influence of capoeira players from Portugal and sang Fado (traditional Portuguese music similar to keroncong). At that time, too few sectors of the elite racist shouting against Brazil in the cultural influence of African countries, and wanted to "whiten" their country. After about half a century in a clandestine, and mepelajarinya people in the streets and hidden in the back pages of the house, Manuel dos Reis Machado, the Master (Mestre) Bimba, held a show for the Getúlio Vargas, president of Brazil at the time it, and this is a new beginning for capoeira. Began to set up the academies, so that the public can learn the game of capoeira. The names of the most important at that time was Vicente Ferreira Pastinha (Pastinha Teacher), who teaches school "Angola", a very traditional, and Mestre Bimba, who founded the school with several innovations that he named "Regional".
Since that time until the present capoeira through a long journey. We have studied capoeira in almost all the world, from Portugal to Norway, the United States to Australia, from Indonesia to Japan. In Indonesia capoeira already known to many people, in addition to an existing group in Yogyakarta, also there are some groups in Jakarta. Many players who are interested in learning capoeira because the environment is relaxed and happy, is not the same with hard discipline that are usually present in self-defense system of the East. As once said by a great writer Jorge Amado of Brazil, this "battle of the most beautiful in the whole world, because this is also a dance".
In capoeira basic movement techniques starting from "Ginga" and not from a position which is a characteristic stop from karate, taekwondo, martial art, wushu kung fu, etc ...; Ginga is the body movements are continuous and aims to find the right time to strike or defend themselves, which are often shy away from attacks. In the wheel test capoeira players themselves, through game play, in the middle of the circle made by the musicians with musical instruments and sing African variety of songs, and other players clapped and sang the chorus. Lyrics of the songs are about art history, professor at the past and present, about life during slavery, and the struggle for independence. Musical styles have different rhythms for different capoeira game, there is a slow and some fast.
Capoeira is not just become a culture, but also a Brazilian national sport, and the teachers from these countries to make capoeira becomes continuously more international, teaching groups of students, a variety of fitness centers, small organizations, etc.. Their students learn to sing songs in Portuguese language Capoeira - "Capoeira é homi pre, / mininu e mulhé ..." (Capoeira for men, / the children and women).