What is Capoeira…Really? (For the Absolute Newbie)

If you are just beginning Capoeira, or an admirer who never really knew about the origins of this amazing art…here you go. I will briefly give you a crash course on what Brazilian Capoeira is.  Here is the quick story:

Capoeira is a 500 year old martial art form created by African slaves brought to Brazil. During that time slaves could not practice self-defense, so the slaves hid it in a dancing acrobatic game called Capoeira. At a glance the slave master would see a group of people standing in a circle clapping and singing while two people inside the circle danced and flipped around. It seemed harmless, but really was a very effective martial art that liberated the slaves and sustained runaway slave colonies known as quilombos.

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