The practice of capoeira will lead you to a sound mind and body. Your spirits will lift… you'll feel better… and live longer.
And you'll have a lot of fun while meeting some like-minded people.
The latest incarnation of the art form, known as Boneco Capoeira, has been designed as an exercise program taught at fitness centers nationwide.
Doing the samba, a dance part of capoeira, participants usually partner for two or three minutes to increase the heart rate.
As it has evolved from the high-powered kicks and flips into more of a cardiovascular workout, capoeira has also begun to enter popular culture in the form of movies, including Catwoman, starring Halle Berry, and Ocean's Twelve. Capoeira was even featured in Usher's Caught Up video.
Capoeira is a Brazilian martial art created by enslaved Africans during the 16th Century. Participants form a roda (circle) and take turns playing instruments, singing, and sparring in pairs in the centre of the circle.
The art of capoeira is in the fluid acrobatic play, feints, subterfuge, and extensive use of groundwork, as well as sweeps, kicks, and headbutts. Technique and strategy are the key elements to playing a good game. Capoeira has two main styles, known as "regional" and "Angola."
The homogenization of African people under the oppression of slavery was the catalyst for capoeira. It was developed as a way to resist oppression, secretly practice the art, transmit culture, and lift spirits. Some historians believe that the indigenous peoples of Brazil also played an important role in the development of capoeira.
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Capoeira and other martial arts are much more than sports… they are life activities that add to your health of body and mind.
