Dance the martial arts way

A circle forms. The music starts and a fight ensues. No blood is spilled. No limbs are crushed. But someone is going to emerge the winner. And then, the music starts again and a match begins anew.

Capoeira (pronounced kapwera) must not have been like this back in the olden times. At present though, it appears like a game. But, it’s not just a game.

Some say it’s a kind of martial art. Others argue that it’s a dance. There are those who say that it is both. It’s a tradition that’s been handed down though the ages. Like most things, capoeira was developed out of a dire need. In this case, it was to defend one’s life.

It happened at a time of great turmoil during the 15th and 16th centuries. Slavery was rampant and Africa’s people could do little to escape it. Most of them were brought to Brazil. Here, they were oppressed as they were made to serve their newfound masters. It was not a good time for them but in the midst of all this misery, something great transpired.

Creativity, survival and defense must have been the three key factors to the birth of capoeira. Without weapons, African slaves had no means to defend themselves except through physical strength. Their hands and feet became the means they used to fight. It didn’t take long before they had mastered this kind of fighting. More importantly, it proved strong enough to keep them alive.

As slavery waned, the Africans decided to settle in Brazil. A lack of livelihood opportunities led most of them to join criminal gangs. Because of this, capoeira developed a bad reputation, being linked to criminal acts. Around the 1890s, the people of Brazil were prohibited from practicing capoeira. Nonetheless, the community of capoeiristas grew steadily.

Capoeristas took on a number of apelido (nicknames) in order to conceal their true identities. Such names were given during one’s batizado or baptism as a capoeirista. In these trying times, two great mestres (masters of capoeira) would strive to keep the spirit of capoeira alive.

A capoeira match is like a series of choreographed acts. People form a roda, or circle, as they surround the two fighters. Another important feature of a capoeira game is a row of instruments called the bateria. Leading this row is a group of three berimbaus, which is a single-string percussion instrument whose rhythmic sound will dictate the pace of the game. And then, a song begins. It is a ladainha or litany that is often sung by the mestre to mark the start of the match. It is upon this that the game takes on quite a physical turn.

Capoeira movements can be quite complicated. In Capoeira Regional especially, this would include a series of handstands, head-spins, hand-spins, jumps and flips. A capoeirista must have a good knowledge of his/her attacks and defenses while keeping in mind that his opponent might be able to lure him into a malandragem or trick in order to gain the upper hand. Indeed, these matches prove to be physically demanding even if none of the players would usually hit or get hit. Nonetheless, capoeira is not all play. It’s a philosophy at work too.

Capoeira is said to reflect a very important philosophy in life. The roda represents how an individual would have something similar with everyone else around him/her. At the same time, capoeira mestres also aim to impart the values of respect, security, responsibility, cleverness and most importantly, freedom. This is perhaps why more and more people developed interest in capoeira. Even in the Philippines, capoeira has already attracted quite a number of fans and Escola Brasiliera de Capoeira (EBC) took notice.

The Filipinos’ growing interest in capoeira has led EBC to open the Escola Brasileira de Capoeira Philippines (EBCP) in April 2003. The Philippines’ first capoeira school has instructor professor Batata (Andre de Moraes) and instructor Fatasma (Alessandro Coqueiro), both are from Brazil.

I walked into Manila Polo Club’s Dojo Gym one evening to find an energetic group of capoeiristas chatting the night away as they warmed up. That night was open for EBCP students of all levels, from the beginner to the white-belt holder to the advance red-belt holder. As soon as Mestre Fantasma walked in, the excitement kicked up a few more notches.

For a mestre of so much capoeira experience, he is quite young, turning 25 on Dec. 12. His love for capoeira stems from a deep love of his Brazilian cultural roots. He fell in love with capoeira at a tender age of 12 and since then, he hasn’t had an eye for any other sport… even his former favorite soccer. For Mestre Fantasma, he loves the philosophy of life that capoeira imparts. He also loves to share this with his wife (a currently expecting capoeirista), his students as well as his co-mestres.

I witnessed performances by two more great mestres that night. There was Mestre Ousado who has 34 years of experience in capoeira. As you might have guessed, this mestre has done a great lot for capoeira, having been the first to teach capoeira in Asia. Currently, Mestre Ousado continues to teach capoeira, meeting with capoeiristas at the Dance Studio in Singapore every week. Another great mestre present was Mestre Oscar Nato who founded EBC back in 1994. Based in Brazil, Mestre Oscar makes it a point to visit EBCP once a year. Both mestres joined the students in the roda and it was one enjoyable roda indeed!

Capoeristas from both the Philippines and Singapore clapped and sang as some of them took on a challenge in the center of the roda one pair after the next. The roda is such a spectacle to watch that you would probably lose track of time. Even more, it would really make you want to give it a try.

The fees are quite reasonable. An introductory package for first-timers costs P900, and entitles students to three sessions for two weeks. Their regular package costs P3,300 for two months. It entitles a student to 12 sessions. You can drop by and join a session for P250 to P300.

At present, EBCP will hold their classes at the Manila Polo Club in Forbes Park starting next year instead of the Centro Flamenco. You can catch Mestre Fantasma at the Moro Lorenzo Sports Center and Ateneo HS Covered Courts in Quezon City.

Put capoeira in your must-check-out list. It’s a unique and enjoyable sport to include in your fitness regimen, something to look forward to every week! If you want to get a good glimpse of the world of capoeira, the upcoming third Batizado is your chance. Sponsored by Volvo, Armand Basi, Bench, Human, Havainas and Levis, it takes place on Dec. 10 at the Rockwell Covered Courts from 4 to 7 p.m. If you bring a little something for the less fortunate (i.e. a sack of rice), your entrance is free.

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You can visit EBCP’s website at www.ebcphilippines.com.

E-mail the author at ice_wave_42@yahoo.com.