Capoeira

Capoeira is a Brazilian martial art that blends fighting, dance, music, and culture. It is practiced in a circle called a roda, where two players engage in a game, or jogo, using fluid movements, sweeps, kicks, and spins to evade and counter.

Origins trace to Afro-Brazilian communities in Bahia during the colonial era, combining West African martial traditions, Indigenous Brazilian forms, and social resistance. It was historically suppressed but persisted in clandestine practice and street performances. In the 20th century, leaders such as Mestre Bimba and Mestre Pastinha systematized its styles and popularized it internationally. UNESCO designated capoeira as intangible cultural heritage in 2014.

Styles and practice revolve around two main strands. Capoeira Angola emphasizes low, ritualized movements and deception, with an emphasis on strategy and tradition. Capoeira Regional, developed by Bimba, favors faster, more athletic, direct actions. Both rely on the ginga, a continuous sway that keeps practitioners off balance and sets the roda’s rhythm.

Music and culture are integral to capoeira. The roda is accompanied by musical instruments such as the berimbau, pandeiro, atabaque, and others, with songs and call-and-response guiding the tempo and mood of the jogo. Practitioners may hold teaching or leadership titles within groups, such as mestre, professor, or contramestre, reflecting lineage and mentorship.

Global presence: Today capoeira is practiced worldwide for sport, fitness, performance, and cultural education, with schools, workshops, and demonstrations across continents.