Moves

Capoeira, as a physical activity, requires some body preparation. Whether a warm-up or conditioning is used, it has its own techniques along with other techniques influenced by other modern physical education. This section describes a vital part necessary for the good development of Capoeiristas, whatever may be their styles. The warm-up is a key element to training because it prepares the body for the forthcoming effort. When the warm-up is done correctly, it not only helps prevent injuries but it also helps developing the capacities of the training (as opposed to a body that is not warmed up). Stretching consists of exercises aimed at flexibility and relaxation. They can also be used to prepare the body for an exercise if they are done sensibly and without exerting force. These can be done at the beginning of a training session as a preparation for the body, after an exercise to achieve relief or at the end of the class to relax the body. Conditioning refers to the muscular preparation for executing technical movements, and allows the endurance and improvement of techniques. These consist of simple, intense and efficient exercises allowing the growth of the muscle and physical out-performance. ...

Capoeira is a social art which is played between two people. Training sequences in pairs not only enables the Capoeirista to implement the techniques he/she has learnt on another player, but it also helps in the development of the flow between two individuals. Sequences trained with a partner are part of a mandatory phase before entering a roda and they put the techniques to the test before applying them to the game. ...

Floreios are the cherry on top of Capoeira. They include various movements, among which, acrobatics. These types of floreios have helped make Capoeira so popular since they make it look spectacular. However, floreios originally consisted of movements that were used to distract, confuse or trick the other. By pretending to show an opening or by using an evasive movement, which was open or unpredictable, they aimed at trapping the adversary. ...

Take-downs form an integral part of Capoeira but they are not done in an innocuous manner. They are taught while respecting the other player. The Capoeirista trains to fall before learning how to make another fall because each rasteira is a risk that leads to a come back rasteira from the other … The fall should not bring direct contact of the joints or the bones with the ground. Take-downs must be precise and controlled to avoid a complex fall and injuries. ...

Chamadas are a feature and a tradition of Capoeira, a game within the game. The literal meaning of the word is: ‘call’. They are mainly used in Capoeira Angola, they aim at inviting the adversary to the caller. It’s a kind of poker strike, a spider web spun in order to catch a prey or to attract it to another web.  There are countless reasons for why a chamada may be invoked: a challenge, to recognize a blow that was received, or to calm down the game… A chamada is practiced by all Capoeiristas, i.e. the chamada while entering the roda. By shaking hands with the other player, we accept to enter the game. What is the Chamada? Chamada can be translated as “The Call”. It is the situation when the Capoeira Angola game changes it´s pace and one of the players stands in a ritualistic stance, calling the other player to come to him and engage into a ritual-like dance. The Chamada is one of the least understood and least explained parts of a Capoeira Angola game. Yet, a Capoeira Angola Roda without a Chamada would miss a lot of its fascination. Why do people do the Chamada? There are about a zillion reasons, why you...

Most of the attacks used while practicing Capoeira are specific to the art, but some of them have been adapted by different Mestres (particularly Mestre Bimba) from other martial arts such as Batuque or Jiu-jitsu. Each attack is controlled and must respect the integrity of the opponent. Even though it appears that the Capoeirista doesn’t use his/her hands for an attack, this is not universally true, it is actually quite the opposite. This section includes all the attacks used in Capoeira whether it involves kicks, blows, knees or attacks with the head. ...