Vocab of the Week!

This week's word is cabeca. What's that you say? Cabeca, the sphere - like piece of the mystical capoeira instrument, the berimbau. Its actually what resonates the sounds from the instrument. Cabecas are made from a type of brazillian squash that's hollowed out, dried, and the glossed and sometimes its even designed. There are three main types of cabecas used in capoeira: Gunga, Medio, and Viola. The gunga is the largest and deepest sounding cabeca. The gunga tends to be held by the mestre, or the leader of the roda. Mostly the gunga maintains the torque and the variations are the most basic. The Medio is the 2nd biggest and used to maintain the torque, but is open to play more variations. The viola is the smallest and highest pitch of the three. This is where the majority of the variations come from in the bateria. Also, remember to always be careful with cabecas because they are the most delicate part of the berimbau.

Vocab of the Week!

Welcome to the Vocab of the Week! Today's word is Quilombos. The history of capoeira starts with the slavery of Africans who were brought over by the Portuguese to work in the sugarcane fields. Under this oppression, the slaves defended themselves by learning capoeira. The quilombos were the destination of the newly freed slaves. These villages would often would repel Portuguese soldiers and this was done by their unification within their multi-ethic communities and the practice of capoeira. Due to the importance of Quilombos within the lore of capoeira, it is featured in many songs.

Vocab. of the Week!

Welcome back to the Capo Dailies! Here's the Vocab of the Week! The word is...Esquiva! The most important move in Capoeira. No one could stand playing many capo games if you were constantly getting kicked. Luckily, you don't have to! The most important aspect of the esquiva is the timing. Without, you either go too early or too late, which ends with a kick, unfortunately, to the face. Timing is hard to train for, and requires a lot of patience. A lot of confidence is required, but know that the fear will betray. Hesitation and uncertain is dangerous in efforts to protect yourself; however, keeping your esuivas (dodges or escapes) strong will keep you safe in any roda, against any strike. Also keep your esquivas low, because no matter your height, you have to be willing go under anything. Safety is the most important priority in any game.

Vocab of the Week (Part 2)

This week's vocab word is excitement. Think about the last time you really, really got excited about something. You can't sleep because of the anticipation. Moments before, you're literally shaking, and the feeling of bursting is overwhelming. You don't know what your body is doing, because it moving automatically. All your  movements and thoughts are effortless and exhaustion is not even a possibility. You know this feeling, everybody has. You know what excites you, so let yourself become vitalized. This is what happens to me when I play a really good capoeira game. Every time I jump in the roda, this is what I'm aiming for. Every time I  get you to play with me in the roda, I'm trying to do this for you too. :-D

Vocab of the Week (Part 1)

This week's vocab word is accidents. They happen. They happen more then we would like them to. The fact is it, well, they happen, and the best that can be done to prevent them is to minimize them. No matter how careful,  cautious, or paranoid you are, they can and will happen. The most important part of that isn't how to completely take accidents out of your reality, that's impossible. After an accident occurs is what matters most. How do you handle it? Do you freak out? Do you panic? Hopefully not, because if one accident earns you a permanent spot in panic town, then life is going to be hard, very hard. Every risk that is taken is paid with a consequence. Maybe there's a payout, maybe there isn't. That's how risks work, and that is the only way to get anything done in life. Risks have to be taken constantly to complete all goals. The key is not to be afraid of accidents, because they are going to happen no matter what. You don't have control of when and what happens when something goes awry, but you have complete control of what happens next.

Vocab of the Week (Part 2)

This week's vocab is commitment. Commitment is important for anything life. It pertains to the most important parts of a person's life. Don't let the word blend into thoughts of "You must dedicate every waking moment to capoeira if you want to improve." That's not what the main idea. Of course doing that will help your capoeira improve, but it will only improve so much. Commit to something only if you want to commit to something. That is the key. Committing to half-desired objectives leads to disappointment and frustration. Nobody wants to be disappointed or frustrated (absolutely nobody.) However, here are some goals that everybody should commit to: Improvement, Happiness, and Success. Honestly ( and heavily opinionated,) I believe doing capoeira can lead to those three goals. Note how the focus isn't on committing to capoeira, because here capoeira can be the development of  that magical trio. Capoeira has helped me looked at those objectives and guide me to them. Capoeira can do that for everybody who tries it, and I will attempt to show that in every pratice, class, game, and roda.

Vocab of the Week ( Part 1)

Today's vocab word is training. It's to built up to the game. The goal. It's the go time for all capoeiristas. I've used this analogy a bunch of times. It's the friday night lights of the capoeira world. Think about it. You get to class, warm up,  and stretch. You prepare your body for the class. Then you begin working on different kicks, and esquivas and different movments for moving around the roda. Afterwards you start working on different sequences where you can learn how to apply those kicks and movements. You prepare for the game and the roda.  If you're lucky, there's a roda at the end of the class. If you're lucky. Not all classes end with a roda, and there's no rule that their has to be. It's like at soccer practice (from my 12 years of experience.) You don't always scrimmage. I can only speak for myself, but for me scrimmaging is the 2nd best part. The best part is the game. It's what I've been practicing for. It's what I've been training for. Everybody moment before that day has been leading up to that game. So remember what your training for. Remember why you're learning a list of movements (mostly because those movements have a purpose.) Remember to use them where it matter most.

Vocab of the Day

Miudinho, is a type of capoeira toque and jogo (game). Like Angola and São Bento Grande, the berimbau plays a unique rhythm that calls for a certain game to be played. Miudinho is a fast, close game that is usually done by advance cordão de ouro players. Mestre Suassuna is the creator of both the group Cordão de Ouro, and the toque. He has said that he created Miudinho, to bring back the way he played capoeira in older times, and reinforce that stratagem (of playing closer) in a capoeira game. Miudinho is usually learned in several sequences. (Also, refer to the video of the week to see an example of a Miudinho game)

Vocab of the Week!

Today's vocab of the week is practice. Like the Rutgers Capoeira practices? No. Like the Capoeira Maranhão practices? No. I'm talking about the most important kind of practice. I'm talking about the practice that you do by yourself. That's right, no teacher, no classmates, just yourself. Why is that important you ask? Think about it. Think about how homework, studying, learning on your own is so important. You are the only person that can do the learning. Nobody can  learn for you. That's something your instructor would want to give to you, that knowledge to just have and then take advantage of. Unfortunately, that can't happen. You have to struggle, you have to be confused, and you may have to be a little frustrated.That is how you get better. Professor Maranhão will tell you about all the time he has spend in the park practicing by himself. The capoeira classes we take is only 2 hours. We can't cover everything in 2 hours (and trust me, I wish we could) so we have to let you work on some stuff on your own. At the classes, we do what we do to help guide you in your learning of capoeira. We are your pitstops on your journey of becoming of capoeirista, but you're the only person that can take the ride.

Vocab of the Week

This week's vocab is Bateria. Now, don't be afraid of words you can't read. It is mostly because you probably don't speak portuguese but it is okay. Bateria is a word you have probably heard before. Bateria is the band of a capoeira roda. These are the people who play berimbau, atabaque, and pandeiro (as well as agogo and reco reco) This is where all the music and songs come from, so of course you want to pay respect to them as well. Don't let this capoeiristas stay on an instrument for too long (unless they want to stay.) Also, don't stand in front of any of the musicians, mostly because it's hard to play through something (and you're blocking their view of the jogos.) Most imporantly, LISTEN to them. They are playing for you, the players, and the rest of the roda. Nobody likes to be ignored when trying to entertain you, so do them a favor, and be entertained. Enjoy your roda, and enjoy your bateria!

Vocab of the Week!!!

Today's word is Roda. Roda is the circle that we spar in as well as the circle we also sing in. The Roda is game time in the capoeira world. You can compare it to the having a scrimmage at a soccer practice. It is the time to apply on all the sequences and moves that were worked on in the practice. It's a moment to test yourself against classmates in friendly competition. There's also an etiquette to the Roda. You can only enter in two areas of the Roda. The "doors" are at the two ends of the bateria ( the players of the instruments). Like you would knock when approaches someone's front door, you "knock" by asking the leader of the bateria ( in most cases the teacher of the class, or the highest mestre.) Roda etiquette will be expanded on in future dailies.