It is time again for our second annual Cordao De Oura PA Batizado e Troca De Cordas. This year will be a small event with LOTS of opportunities to play capoeira!

Please find our schedule as well as prices below. Should you have any questions, please email me at pennsylvaniacapoeira@hotmail.com.

Thank you all in advance and I hope to see most of you if not all of you there!

God Bless!
Instructor Coqui

Invited guest so far

Mestre Virgulino, Mestre Pinga Fogo, Mestre Ray, Professor Omi, Professor Maranhao, Professor Morrao, Professor Madibula, Professora Gata Brava, Estalgario Claudio, Monitor Selo, Monitor Tatu, Formado Coquito, Formado Jaime, Instructora Casca Dura, Instructora Ninja, Instructor Pescador, Instructor Costella, Instructor Golfinho, Graduado Graveto, Graduado Canchan

Schedule

Workshops:

Thursday, September 23rd in Washington DC. Location and time to be announced.

Friday, September 24th in Lancaster at Quest Total Fitness, 830 Plaza Blvd at 6pm.

Saturday, September 25th at the Lancaster Rec Center, 525 Fairview Ave. Workshops start at 1pm until 3pm. A break will be held from 3pm to 4.30pm.

Batizado ceremony will be held from 5pm to 8pm.

Prices

$80 all day Saturday. Includes 2 workshops, Batizado ceremony and roda.

$20 additional for t-shirts (first come, first serve)

$25 each additional workshop (Thursday and Friday).

$30 for Batizado ceremony and roda for capoeiristas.

The ceremony will be free for the general public

To the music of the one-stringed “berimbau” and voices joined in foreign song, a group of performers dressed in immaculate white run onto the stage at the United Nations. It is the opening ceremony of Amazon Week III, a multi-national effort to save the rainforest, and the Brazilian martial art/dance form, Capoeira, ushers in the diplomats. In perfect harmony the “Capoeiristas” tumble, vault, kick and turn, narrowly missing each other’s faces as they show their abilities as dancers, singers and fighters.

As the rhythm accelerates, a compact young woman takes center stage, smiling. Edna Lima, top ranked martial artist and the first female “Mestra” (master) of her form, whirls through an improvised fight with her male partner. One-handed handstands, flying kick turns and lightning-fast rolls bring a cheer from the audience. Ms. Lima signals to her students, flashes her smile again, and bounds off the stage in song. Despite her grace and charm, this is not someone you’d want to meet in a dark alley.

“Herein lies the essential dichotomy of Capoeira; it is both dance form and fighting technique, art and self-defense. Practiced in an atmosphere that mixes dance studio with dojo,” Capoeira has a deceptive air of informality. It is a serious martial art form that takes years of dedicated study to master. It just happens that the songs are infectious and the fighting practice is called “play.”

No one knows exactly how Capoeira developed, but it is recognized as a self-defense technique for African slaves in 18th century Brazil. Cloaked in the guise of a recreational dance accompanied by berimbau, tambourine and chanting, Capoeira could look innocent enough to slavers and masters. But hidden within the acrobatic play was a disciplined martial art. It was with this powerful weapon that slaves prepared themselves to fight for freedom. African deities were evoked in song, and a rich, effective tradition emerged. Later, Capoeira became a pastime for roughnecks and street fighters. At times it was suppressed and forbidden, but never eradicated.

There are stories of Capoeiristas who protected their villages against attackers, using only their bare hands and feet, of old and blind “Mestres” who defied poverty and physical hardship to pass down the secrets of their art to the next generation.

Today Capoeira can be seen on the streets of Bahia and Rio, but in modern Brasilia, where Edna Lima grew up, it is seen in the province of practice rooms and universities. “There is no street life in Brasilia. Everything happens inside,” says Edna who was twelve years old when she first learned of Capoeira. “My friends and I never heard of Capoeira — now it is much more popular.”

“I was a very athletic child,” continues Mestra Lima, “I loved sports: basketball, swimming, everything. When I found out that in Capoeira you can jump, fight, and dance, I was very excited. But I was afraid to ask my mom about it — I thought maybe it was only for boys. So I said I needed some money for books and with that I paid my registration fee.”

Edna kept her secret for a week before confessing to her mother, guiltily offering to quit her lessons. Instead, Edna gained her mother’s enthusiastic support. “My mom is very unusual. She is an actress, very involved in the arts. When she was young she wanted to study singing or acting, but at that time there was a lot of discrimination against women in those professions. My grandmother wouldn’t allow it.” Edna, the youngest of seven children, is the fortunate product of her mother’s enlightened thinking. Not only did she receive

Capoeira lessons, but after showing an interest in Karate, she was encouraged in that as well. Edna’s mother resisted repeated assertions that the martial arts were for boys, that they would rob Edna of her femininity. “She told me to do it if I liked it, to forget about what people said.”

Edna’s accomplishments far exceed what her family or neighbors could have anticipated, though her first Capoeira teacher knew the young Edna was exceptional. She is the first woman to be made a Mestra in Capoeira Senzala. Recently, Edna earned her fourth degree black belt in Shotokan Karate awarded by the International Championship held in Alaska, August 1992. She holds over twenty titles and awards, including gold medals from the Pan-American Karate Championships, the International Goodwill Tournament, the U.S. National Karate Championship and recently a gold at the USA Kumite Federations National Championships in Dallas (July 92). She was crowned Black Belt Magazine’s 1991 Female Competitor of the Year and is ranked number one in the country. In July, she went to the world championships in Japan, a place she’s always dreamed of going.

Edna began Karate classes one year after Capoeira, being drawn at first to the Eastern martial art because she liked the uniform. Her head start in Capoeira gave her a foundation of coordination and balance that helped in both techniques. She says she never confused the two forms and doesn’t suggest starting two martial arts at once.

“Capoeira is more dynamic and uses more cunning. Karate uses more power,” she said. “Capoeira is not like an Eastern martial art where you try to recreate the same thing. No. I don’t like to call it a folk form either because folk is something you preserve, not something that changes. Since I came to New York four years ago Capoeira has changed so much. I’m impressed at how much! I must always take care to return to Brazil and stay in touch with the masters. I could be doing something else, making more money, but what can I say? I love Capoeira and Karate.”

Edna stays in competitive shape by doing separate Karate and Capoeira workouts, supplemented by aerobics and African dance classes. “I like to cross train,” she says, “I like to have fun.”

It is the music of Capoeira that first startles the uninitiated, the songs that make the connection between martial art and dance. The music dictates the speed, rhythm and feeling of the moment. Each rhythm, like each step, has its own name. “Iuna,” for example, is the beat that call forth the “purest, most beautiful movement.” It is very much a dance, gymnastic and graceful. In contrast is the fast and driving rhythm of “São Bento Grande,” which pushes the players to move quickly and powerfully. In between is “São Bento Pequeno,” which elicits a soft fight with moments of suspension and breath. The rhythmic base of the songs tell the capoeiristas how to play, while the words and melody are improvised over the pulse.

As the players begin their “roda,” or circle of play, the Mestre sets the rhythm with the berimbau. Around the circle capoeiristas clap and sing as the first two contestants grasp hands to begin, then cartwheel into the center of the ring. There, they face off in intricate patterns of kicks and esquivas (maneuvers), dodging each others’ blows skillfully. They balance on their heads or leap backwards onto their hands, waving their legs in the air. If a player falls, it is considered a failure of form. The tradition of wearing white is to emphasize that the capoeirista shouldn’t hit the floor — a clean outfit reflects the player’s skill.

Not quite a spectator sport, Capoeira demonstrations are held for friends, the community and special events, like the event at the UN. It’s not a performance art, even though many capoeiristas are performers who use their physical and musical skills in other contexts. Mestra Lima, for example, has toured with Dance Brazil and appeared in the motion picture, Rooftops.

The most exciting time to watch the dynamic Capoeira is at a “batizado,” or baptism. A big event, to which friends, family and other capoeiristas are invited, the batizado is an initiation of a new student into the form, or a graduation of an advanced student to the next level.

Edna Lima received her red cord, a colored belt that symbolizes the rank of master in Capoeira. The ceremony, called the master graduation, was held in Brasilia, in 1981. “People came from all of Brazil to Brasilia to check me out; who is this girl getting a Mestre in Capoeira?! The guys freaked out! But when they came to play with me they said, Yeah! This is great!’ And they accepted me.”

Ten years later Edna organized her first Batizado for her 25 students in New York, at Washington Square Church. There were about 300 people in the audience, clapping and singing. Two Mestres came from California, two from Brazil. It was a huge party of martial artists, their families and friends — the special community of Capoeira. Although only capoeiristas (masters and students of Capoeira) can play while the audience watches, it is unlike a dance performance where the spectators are separated from the performers. The audience reacts loudly to each change of rhythm and tempo, and to the swift improvisation of the players.

Sometimes, Mestra Lima admits, she feels isolated in New York with her unusual art form. “We need in art, in life, an exchange,” she says. “If there are a lot of people doing different things in the same art, they progress further. Sometimes I feel alone. Teaching American people isn’t the same as teaching Brazilians, and my English is not so good. Capoeira isn’t like the discipline of Karate where everyone does the same thing together. Capoeira has a discipline and respect that isn’t as obvious. It’s more organized than it might seem. Sometimes students don’t know how far they can go or how they should treat the Mestre. But they are learning.”

Mestra Lima’s classes at Lezly Dance and Skate School studio* are lively, challenging events. Capoeiristas who work with other masters are likely to drop in and play at any time. Mestra Lima is an impressive blend of the strict dance teacher, pushing her students until they’re about to drop, and the spirited competitor ready to jump in the ring. Her classes have the air of serious fun.

When asked where she’d like to be in five years, Mestra Lima says simply, “I don’t think so far in advance.” Her response might be mistaken for Brazilian nonchalance or Eastern philosophy, but she insists her perspective is “just Edna.”

“One year ahead is far away for me. I plan what I can touch, what I can see, and for me it’s day by day. If I put 100 percent of myself into doing this interview now, that’s my best, but if I’m thinking that in two hours I have to be somewhere else, I waste my time. I think if you do a good job today then tomorrow is going to be good.”

In closing, Edna Lima would like to give thanks to her Capoeira Mestre Tabosa and Karate Sensei Testa, both from Brazil.

Due to funding cuts from the state to our district, our two-and-a-half year history as the most requested and contracted service provider in the after-school setting is in jeopardy (formerly the Know More! Programs). In faith, we are working to establish ourselves as an indepedent non-profit, seeking support from local businesses, churches, families and organizations to continue to empower students through our programs – regardless of state funds.

Heads Up is committed to the potential of the youth of this city. Contact them to schedule a meeting so they can share the vision, the success, the privilege and the many benefits of partnering with HEADS UP!

Becoming good at capoeira is not easy. Like anything worthwhile, excelling at capoeira takes lots of time, practice, and dedication. You cannot step into your first capoeira class and expect to leave doing backflips. Even if you’ve been playing for a number of years, there is always room for improvement. Sometimes we hit a “plateau” where we feel like we can’t progress any further. I’ve been there, we all have.
With this in mind, I’m going to try to give some advice on how to improve your capoeira game. Whether you are a beginner and feel like you could never even do a cartwheel, or an advanced capoeirista who has slammed into a wall, this advice will help you at any stage.

Stretch

Capoeira is all about flexibility. The more flexible you are, the better you will be at capoeira, period. Flexibility will improve your body’s range of motion, allowing you to kick higher, bend further, and dodge quicker. When you stretch, you want to make sure to stretch all over. Being able to do the splits is wonderful, but if you can’t do a backbend then you’re really limiting yourself in capoeira.
You can stretch to warm up and to cool down. Like I said, don’t just focus on the legs and forget the arms, neck, or back; capoeira is a full body workout.

Strength Train:

We’ve all know what a great capoeira body looks like: it seems as if some capoeiristas were bred for this, with ripped abs, bulging pecs, and huge arms. Do you have to look like a superhero to play capoeira? Nope. But you do need to have a respectable amount of upper and lower body strength in order to perform many of capoeira’s basic (and advanced) movements.
But you hate hitting the gym? So do I. That doesn’t mean you can’t improve your strength. There are plenty of things you can do at home, from push ups to crunches (if you’re really inspired, try handstand pushups, use a wall to help at first), that will get your body ready for capoeira and give it an extra boost if you’re a veteran. If you want to hit the weights, by all means go ahead, but I wouldn’t say it’s a necessity. I’ve spent a total of maybe five hours in my life lifting weights, but I can hold a queda de rins like no other. Actually, the more you practice movements like queda de rins the stronger you will get! That seems like a win-win to me.
By constantly stretching and building your strength, your capoeira game can go nowhere but up. You’ll also be improving your coordination, stamina, agility, and overall fitness. You can’t go wrong.

Practice the Basics:

This should be a no brainer, but lots of people lose sight of the basic techniques in their never-ending quest to learn more floreios. This is just as important for newbie capoeiristas as it is for veterans, there is never a point when it becomes ok to stop practicing the basics. I’m sure there’s something that could be improved about everyone’s armada, bencao, or even ginga. And if not actual improvement, it’s good to practice basic movements and get a feel for changing things up and developing your own style.
There is no better way of doing this than repetition and implementation. The more you do armadas, the more it will become like a reflex. Even when it gets to the point of becoming a reflex, you should still practice and perfect it. You can do all the backflips in the world, but if you can’t do a queixada you’re no more a capoeirista than a gymnast.

Learn Portuguese:

There is nothing more frustrating than being around people who speak Portuguese (or any language, for that matter) and you have no idea what they are talking about. Are they making fun of you? Trying to tell you something? Talking about the weather? You don’t need to become fluent in the language (go for it if you want to), but it can’t hurt to learn basic words, phrases, and sentence structure. It will help you understand what people are saying, help you remember move names, and help you learn, understand, and remember song lyrics. To get started, check out this very helpful Portugese for Capoeiristas tutorial.
If nothing else, learning Portuguese will allow you to understand what your mestre is saying when he yells at you and points to a corner.

Watch Videos:

The best way to learn new moves and techniques is by training with people who can teach you. But sometimes this isn’t possible; maybe nobody in your class is that advanced, or maybe you just need to broaden your horizons and get new ideas. That is where watching videos comes in. Videos are an invaluable part of the capoeirsta strategy guide.
There are a two basic routes to go here. You can buy capoeira DVDs off the internet, but sometimes they can get pretty expensive, though a lot of them have great jogo footage you won’t be able to find anywhere else.
If you’re the frugal type, your best bet is YouTube. Do a search for capoeira and you’ll be amazed at how many videos you will find. Some are good, some are amazing, and some are terrible. You’ll know what is worth studying when you see it. Watch the videos over and over again, analyze how different people move around the roda, how their moves flow together, and how they bend their body just right for a helicoptero.
There are also “tricking” videos that, while not pure capoeira, will teach you how to do different capoeira kicks (martelo rodado, armada dupla, etc.). For example, search for “how to do a butterfly twist.”

Ask Questions:

This is another point that might make you say “duh” but you’d be surprised how often people don’t ask questions (I teach a class, so I know these things). Instead of blindly following what your mestre or instructor tells you, ask them questions. Ask why you put your hand in a certain place, or why you must twist a certain way.
Asking about a move might help you figure out why it doesn’t feel just right, or it might give you an idea about how to do something else. At the very least, you will probably get a better understanding of why the move is used and what situation to use it in. This isn’t middle school, don’t be afraid to “raise your hand.”

Visualize:

Capoeira is not a choreographed performance, but it doesn’t hurt to have some ideas about what you may want to pull off in the roda. I constantly find myself thinking about combinations, feints and counterattacks, etc. while going about my daily business. It helps to see myself do things before I actually try to do it, and if you have a good imagination you can pretty much know exactly how things will turn out (all you have to do is get your body to implement it).
This is a pretty simple piece of advice, and maybe something you already do, but it’s good to remember. Especially if you’re frustrated with a certain move and it’s all you think about, sometimes it’s good to focus on something totally different. Maybe when you’re thinking about how to flow from a kick into a macaco you’ll end up discovering the trick to figuring out something else entirely.

Interact in the Roda:

Scenario one: player one throws an armada, and player two, five feet away from player one, does esquiva. What?
Scenario two: player one and player two have a fast game going on, they both throw armada at the same time and their legs tangle together, ruining the flow. Ouch!
Scenario three: a medium paced game, player one shows a beautiful meia lua, player two just stands there and gingas. Do something!
How many times have you seen these scenarios or something similar? The most beautiful capoeira games occur when the capoeiristas interact with eachother, not when they do their own thing. I’ve heard the jogo described as a conversation. That is, when one player does a move he is asking the other player a question and expects an answer. The other player should respond to the original move in a way that makes the conversation flow. Don’t stand there when someone does meia lua; esquiva and then respond with another movement.
Always be aware of the other player, that is one of the most important things in capoeira, because you will be able to understand where he is trying to take the game and how you should respond in kind. I think that sometimes we forget how important interaction is in the roda. It isn’t a venue for individual show offs, it’s a conversation between friends.

Learn the Instruments:

Clearly music is a very important part of capoeira. Without the berimbau, we wouldn’t know how to play. The berimbau tells us the rhythm of the game, it sets the pace for everyone. If you find yourself in a rut, and you have the opportunity, take some time to learn to play the capoeira instruments. A lot of beginners and even some veterans overlook the importance of getting a feel for the music of capoeira (I’m guilty of this myself, but trying to fix it).
Learning the instruments will allow you to free your mind and focus on something other than your frustration. Becoming good at the berimbau, and other instruments, is not easy and it takes much practice, but if you do learn the music you will be surprised at how much it will impact your game. You’ll have a much better understanding of what the berimbau is saying to you when you actually understand the language.

Challenge Yourself and Overcome Fear:

I was originally going to make these separate, but I decided to put them together because they are related. There is room for many fears in capoeira: fear of hurting yourself, fear of making a mistake, fear of looking foolish. I have a personal fear of doing backflips now after I sprained my ankle really bad (before I could do them no problem). Everyone has their own fears, and these fears hold us back and prevent us from becoming better capoeiristas.
I can’t tell you how to overcome your fear, but I can tell you that you need to come to terms with it, discover exactly what it is (if you don’t know already), then face it and overcome it.
An important aspect of overcoming a fear is challenging yourself. You’re afraid to do a macaco. Why? Do you think you’ll land on your head? Do you think you’ll look like a monkey (hint: you’re supposed to)? If you have fears holding you back, then just start small. Maybe the reason you can’t do a macaco is because your back is not flexible. Once you realize this, you can accept it and put yourself to the test.
Instead of going straight for the macaco, work on your backbends. Once you can get backbends by laying on the ground and lifting yourself up, work on moving into a backbend from a role, reaching over and doing the backbend without your back touching the floor. Once you overcome these challenges, and realize it’s not all that bad, you’ll have more confidence in your skills and you’ll be able to tackle the macaco.
Once you challenge yourself and overcome a fear, you’ll find that so many new doors will show themselves to you, and you’ll laugh at yourself for being scared to open them in the first place.

how many of you actually try and learn new songs on your own? or do you just depend on your instructor to teach a new song in class? or is your excuse (i cant speak portuguese) there are many ways you can learn new songs and find out what they sound like. for example you can go on limewire or itunes to find some capoeira songs or just look for these mestres…. mestre suasuna, mestre barrao, mestre tony vargas, just to name a few.

also not all mestres can sing with axe…..sad to say some write music that will put you to sleep rather than make you want to play, so choose wisely lol. and here is another question, why isn’t there an american capoeira song writer? all of the cd’s are made by brazilians. come on people there should be more cd’s out there with americans singing in them. maybe i should be the first! hahahah graduado coqui to the resssscccueeeee!!!! till the next blog…god bless and good night!