Capoeira's African Origin

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CAPOEIRA'S AFRICAN ORIGIN

By BAKARI R. AKIL II
GLOBAL BLACK NEWS

By RUNOKO RASHIDI

Capoeira: An African Martial Art

Born out of an ever present need to protect themselves in a hostile environment, Africans enslaved in Brazil practiced a martial art now called Capoeira. Its methods were sneaky, the results often brutal and when needed, deadly.

Capoeira was and is composed of cat like movements where participants collapse to the ground, use cartwheels, flips, handstands and many other deceptive movements to avoid strikes and injury by opponents. Practitioners use kicks, sweeps, head butts, gouges and punches in order to strike their opponent. All of these actions are combined to compose a devastating form of martial art which protected its ancient participants from enslavers and at times each other.

Capoeira's origins are often disputed. There are many who disagree on whether it arrived with enslaved Africans or whether Africans created it once they reached Brazil. One theory suggest that it was a courtship dance in Angola used by suitors of young women. Another suggests that it was a fighting system that was refined and evolved by Africans to its deadly form in the Brazilian slavery era. Regardless, of the final outcome of these disagreements, the ultimate truth is that no one disputes that it is an African creation.

On the numerous plantations of the Brazilian countryside, enslaved Africans practiced and used these methods to combat the malicious behavior often meted out by overseers, their crews and the slave owners. Its practitioners were able to create such force through their movements and surprise tactics that it was not uncommon for victims to be knocked out suddenly or die from it's blows. Users of this martial art also placed razors between their toes or used knives to unmercifully deal with those who chose to cross their paths.

Brazilian Maroons, who were Africans who escaped slavery and formed alliances with "Native Americans", were notorious for using Capoeira against hunters, trackers and soldiers who were attempting to return them to a state of slavery. Survivors of ambushes with Maroons that involved hand-to-hand combat described scenes of mayhem, stating that the Maroons appeared from nowhere striking them with blows from angles that they could not fathom. It was not uncommon to hear of these enslavers turning tails to the wind in an attempt to escape these vicious attacks.

As a result of the deadly interactions that were occurring between Africans and the colonialists and at times injury from African participants against each other, Capoeira was banned by "slave owners" and other leading authorities. However, always creative, the community found ways to keep it alive. Capoeira was incorporated into dance movements in public and secret locations were arranged for its practice in private.

The actions of the Africans to practice their martial art whenever and however they could ensured the survival of Capoeira throughout Brazil's history of African enslavement. After the banning of slavery in 1888, Brazil continued to ban its practice and it was wildly viewed as a martial art practiced by "thugs" and "criminals". Fortunately, many African Brazilians and other Brazilians who realized its true value and history did not allow the criminalization of their martial art and continued to practice Capoeira.

Despite restrictions, the official ban of Capoeira could not last and the will of the people defeated the will of the state. And without such restrictions the martial art of Capoeira has evolved into the form which is practiced today. Elements of the dance and martial art have both survived to create an experience which is both mesmerizing as well as instructive.

Practitioners of Capoeira gather in a circle, called a roda, and those who surround the contestants sing, clap and play musical instruments such as the berimbau (string instrument) and drums. Then the contestants perform a movement called the Ginga (jinga), where they move around each other, almost like a dance, in order to disorient their opponent. After this point it is open season on both opponents, as contestants leap into an array of deceptive offensive and defensive movements against each other. As one contestants leaves the circle another immediately takes his place. This interaction between the group continues until the group decides to disband. I must admit that my descriptions of this ancient African art does not do it justice.

In conclusion, it is my intention that the role of Africans in Capoeira and in the evolution of martial arts should not be ignored, forgotten or denied. The bravery of its practitioners in the past to protect their freedom and in the present to maintain their traditions is a testament to the fact that true greatness can be suppressed but never destroyed.

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Origins

Capoeira is a martial art developed in Brazil by enslaved Africans.The true history of the art is unclear, but most people believe the following:

In the 1500's many Africans were taken from different areas of West Africa and brought to Brazil to be used as slaves by the Portuguese. They were taken from their land, but their culture and desire for freedom could not be taken away. With this need for freedom growing, these people began developing techniques for defending themselves and for escape.

Of course slaves could not be allowed to practice martial arts, so the development and practice of the art had to be disguised. The natural disguise for the art was as a dance being that in Africa dance and music are the most popular forms of expression. So these "slaves" developed a way of practicing different defensive and offensive techniques with music, singing, and dance.






A Seemingly Harmless Ritual

Although it appeared to be a harmless dance, the dancers or "Capoeiristas" were practicing deadly fighting techniques. That need to be disguised, and the trickery are part of what separates Capoeira from other martial arts. A lot of the kicks and some movemens done in Capoeira can be seen in other arts, but the difference is the delivery. There are many fakes and deceiving movements in Capoeira. Although a certain movement is done with grace and style, it can be very dangerous.

Capoeira is usually done inside a circle of people called a "roda", pronouced HO-DUH. The people in the circle are usually other capoeiristas waiting to "play", and observers. Player or not you are expected to give energy to the roda by clapping and singing in response to the person "in charge" of the roda.

There are several instruments used to make the music in the capoeira roda. The agogô (double cowbell), pandeiro (tambourine), Atabaque (conga type drum), and the Berimbau which is the most important.

Each instrument, when played correctly, contributes to the energy in the roda, but the Berimbau is the commanding instrument. It tells the players inside the roda how to play, fast or slowly, agressively or pretty with lots of acrobatics. The berimbau starts and stops the roda, and all the other instruments follow it's rhythm and tempo.






Capoeira Regional

At first, there was only one "style" of Capoeira - the original style used as a tool and expression of the African slaves far from their homeland. Within this original capoeira they sought beauty and freedom, movement and dance, and ultimately a weapon to protect themselves from the perils of a life in bondage.

When the slaves attained their freedom, capoeira accompanied them out of slavery and into society at large. Once removed from its cultural origins, capoeira began to degenerate from a celebration of freedom and liberty into a vicious and bloody form of street fight. The capoeirista was no longer revered as a freedom fighter and hero, but rather feared as a ruffian, thug and criminal. It was not long before the authorities declared capoeira illegal. Just having knowledge of the art became a punishable offense. Due to official oppression, its practice was either forgotten or fell into disuse in most of the Brazilian cities. Capoeira nearly became a lost art.

It was only in its native Bahia that capoeira kept alive, and it was from here that it would see its rebirth. In the early part of the twentieth century, capoeira was almost single-handedly rescued by one man: Mestre Bimba. After a group of foreign diplomats were impressed watching a capoeira demonstration by Bimba and his students, the Brazilian government finally decided to recognize capoeira as a unique native-born cultural art form deserving of protection.

Opening the first legal Capoeira academy in 1932, Mestre Bimba also sought to make Capoeira more "legitimate." He developed a new style of capoeira known as "Regional." This style brought structure and sound teaching methods to the art, but unfortunately downplayed the use of the music and the more playful movements of Capoeira.






Capoeira Angola

Practitioners of the older style of capoeira, commonly referred to as "Angola" style, felt an essential aspect of the art was being lost as the Regional style spread and flourished under Bimba and his students. To them, Capoeira was losing its roots and connections to the past by over - emphasizing the sport and exercise aspects of the practice. In contrast, they highlighted capoeira as an art form where the music and playful movements were a key to understanding the true nature and spirit of capoeira - an expression of a people in a struggle for freedom and self knowledge.






The Batizado

Once a year our group holds an important event. The batizado is a day of celebration. The students that are starting are presented to the senior students. They are iniciated and receive their nickname, and corda (rank).

During the batizado, the new learn of tradition, and tradition renews itself. You can see the happiness, and anxiety in teh students faces. In the Mestres you see the satisfaction of being able to understand, learn, and teach this art, in this way.