capoeira orlando

history of capoeira

Capoeira is a deceptive game, a warrior’s dance, a gymnastics exhibition, an acrobatics show, a martial arts system. For many practitioners, Capoeira is a lifestyle, an international family, a tradition, a philosophy and much more.

One of the fastest growing art forms in the world today, Capoeira is dynamic and fun. Unique in that it is “played” to music and song, its techniques vary from exciting aerial kicks and gymnastic (or acrobatic) movements to deceptive sleights of the hand and foot.

To grasp its energy, grace and power it is helpful to understand Capoeira’s inception.

Capoeira dates back hundreds of years to the slave trade period in Brazil. African slaves were brought to Brazil to work in the tobacco and sugar farms. They were brought in from many different parts of Africa and there began a melding of cultures. While their conditions looked bleak, the slaves kept their hopes of freedom alive by practicing their native traditions. Then, disguised as a cultural dance, the slaves began to practice Capoeira. Acrobatics, sweeps, kicks, ginga... Capoeira was born. But Capoeira gave slaves more than hope.

In Pernambuco, a group of forty slaves used Capoeira to rebel against their master and burned down the plantation house. They then set themselves free and headed for the mountains. Eventually they reached what they felt was a safe place and named it Palmares, because of the abundance of palm trees. In this place, an African community was born. It lasted nearly a century and grew to a population of more than twenty thousand.

In 1937 Mestre Bimba, one of the most renown masters of Capoeira, received an invitation from the president of Brazil to demonstrate his art in the nation's capital. After a successful performance, he went back to his Capoeira Orlando state of Bahia and, with the government's permission, opened the first Capoeira academy in Brazil. In 1974, Capoeira became a national sport in Brazil.

What was once a practice of slaves and outlaws is now a staple of Brazilian history and culture. Capoeira can now be found in academies all over the world and has grown to be one of the most sought-after art forms in the US. As time passes, more people are drawn to the culture, tradition and technique of this truly unique martial art.