full contact capoeira

**danniboi07** · Posted On: 6/10/2011 12:24am

Then tell a mod and move it. Yes it might be in the wrong forum, but that doesn't mean the conversation has to stop.

**AGP** · Posted On: 6/18/2011 3:39am

That's from a movie...

**Shiningwolf** · Posted On: 6/18/2011 11:18am

Here's a short clip of some full contact capoeira, looks like its from a competition of some sort.

Here's a clip of a Capoeira school in Japan doing some full contact sparring.

**LiverpoolOC** · Posted On: 12/01/2012 3:10am

Yes, there is full contact Capoeira. I trained in Capoeira for 6 years in the Regional style, which is where you have contact. Like BJJ, your lineage/school determines the style you learn. Essentially, there are 3 styles of Capoeira: Angola, Regional & Contemporanea. Regional is the modernized, combative form of Capoeira created by Mestre Bimba in the 1920s. He also created the first Capoeira academy during the Vargas regime.

Bimba integrated a variety of strikes, kicks & grappling techniques with the traditional form of Angola. A significant portion of the techniques came from other African combative arts that slaves brought with them during the Portuguese slave trade to Brazil. The other striking & grappling arts were Japanese (Karate, Judo). Bimba's training mantra was simple: "When you kick, kick to put your enemy through the floor." Bimba also integrated weapons defenses in Regional against knives, blunt objects, and firearms. Aside from my school, Capoeira Centrosul, other schools such as Capoeira Abada, Capoeira Coradao de Ouro, Axe Capoeira, teach Capoeira from the Regional perspective. Other schools teach the old Bahian style used by valentoes or Bahian street fighters and gangs.

The modernized Capoeira Contemporanea emerged during the late 60s/early 70s. It's a combo of flashy acrobatics & diluted Regional. This unfortunately is the form of Capoeira that pervaded American films for years & gave the mainstream a misconception about Capoeira as "that breakdancing art." This is where schools like Capoeira Brasil teach this hybrid style. I'm not a big fan of Contemporanea because the acrobatics often leave a Capoeirista exposed either in mid-air during a flip or during a landing. I've lost count how many times I've seen guys ko'd during a roda after landing some crazy 540 spin in the air.

To end, it must be said that the goal of entering a roda, or circle of Capoieristas, is not to fight, but to create a dialogue between two participants utilizing the various techniques found within the art, similar to rolling live in jiu jitsu. People are taken down, kicked, elbowed, headbutted, kneed, etc., but that typically occurs when two entrants from different schools enter the roda with the intent to fight; we had that happen at one of our Batizados between two feuding schools who attended years ago. IMO, I have more respect for people who enter the roda to create a dialogue rather than go in trying to prove who has the bigger set of balls in a fight.

**LiverpoolOC** · Posted On: 12/01/2012 3:21am

Originally Posted by nab

I've seen some Capoiera knock out videos but strictly speaking, the ideal in a Capoiera Roda or "spar" is no contact- that is actually the goal, to be able to move well enough and be in harmony with your partner/opponent enough that neither is hit.

Remember the history of it, that this was trained by slaves who disguised their self-defense techniques in what appeared to be a dance. Theoretically speaking the skills/power/etc learned could then be taken out of that form and used to fight.

Actually, the techniques weren't disguised as a dance. This is an old postulation thrown out by old school Mestres who formed Capoeira think tanks back in the day when they attempted to figure out how the slaves performed & passed down Capoeira tradition on plantations with their plantation owners watching. Mestres eventually recanted that argument since slaves, believe it or not, were granted free time by plantation owners and performed Capoeira directly in front of them during breaks.

Bahian Capoeiristas who were dock workers during the 20s and 30s played Capoeira on shipping docks during free time as well, right in front of the police. Eventually Capoeira came to be outlawed by the Brazilian government with penalty of imprisonment, slicing of the achilles on both legs, or death. Essentially, Capoeira was anything but hidden; it was a way of life for Afro-Brazilians and something that clearly defined their culture.

**captain zorikh** · Posted On: 12/01/2012 11:05pm

I thought everything there was to know about capoeira (and Armenia, and kung fu, and western justice) could be found in this episode of this TV show...

Since it includes western gunfighting, it is relevant to western martial arts, right? ;)