Capoeira
What It Is And Its History
About Capoeira-
Capoeira was created by African
slaves, in Brazil, approximately 400 yrs. ago as a martial art. Capoeira possesses a very
unique style that brings together beauty and power, developing mental balance, physical
conditioning, self-defense, music and a profound sense of art, all at once. Capoeira can
be done by anyone of any age. More than a martial art, Capoeira is also a social event
filled with tradition and history. Come see for yourself!
Due to many circumstances, the history of capoeira, in part, is obscure. There are many
documents and facts that can be proven, but there is also much speculation and correct and
incorrect conclusions that can not be proven. There is also the popular romanticism and
stories that come from the past, for generations, without historic foundation but that is
accepted by many. The reality is that there are always questions without responses. The
history of capoeira, ironically through its' destiny, reflects the actual jogo (game) de
capoeira. In some ways it's a charade and full of mandinga (secrets/deception). In my 27
years of capoeira I have heard many different responses for the same question. I have read
numerous books, which speak of the same subject but take totally different angles. I have
spoken with and listened to, attentively, the opinion of many mestres old and young,
famous and unknown. I can say that I have already read 99 percent of the published books
about capoeira, some
good and some bad. I have heard many different berimbau rhythms with the same name. I have
seen many of the same movements with different names. I know of cordao graduations with
the same level in different colors. I have seen many rodas, many mestres and many
capoeiristas but to none has capoeira revealed all of its' history.
Because of this, there will always be questions without exact answers. And because of this
I suggest to all who are interested in capoeira and its' history, read as much as possible
about the subject and discover its' various angles. The following information that you are
about to read doesn't completely reflect my way of thinking. The following information
reflects various opinions from various authors, some of which I don't completely agree
with but I
respect and recommend their work. - Wagner Bueno
In 1500's the Portuguese, led by explorer Pedro Alvares Cabral, arrived in Brazil. One of
the first measures taken
by the new arrivals was the subjugation of the local population, the Brazilian Indians, in
order to furnish the
Portuguese with slave labor (for sugarcane and cotton). The experience with the aborigines
was a failure. The
Indians quickly died in captivity or fled to their nearby homes. The Portuguese then began
to import slave labor
from Africa (Bira Almeida, 1986 Capoeira - A Brazilian Art Form). On the other side of the
Atlantic, free men and
women were captured, loaded onto ghastly slave ships and sent on nightmarish voyages that
for most would end in
perpetual bondage.
Why was capoeira suppressed? There were many motives. First of all it gave Africans a
sense of nationality. It
also developed self-confidence in individual capoeira practitioners. Capoeira created
small, cohesive groups. It also
created dangerous and agile fighters. Sometimes the slaves would injure themselves during
the capoeira, which was
not desirable from an economical point of view (Wagner Bueno, 1996, Audio Tape). The
masters and overseers
were probably not as conscious as the king and his intellectuals of his court of all of
these motives, but intuitively
knew something didn't "smell right."
It must be stressed that there are many other theories attempting to explain the origins
of capoeira. According to
one prevalent theory, capoeira was a fight that was disguised as a dance so that it could
be practiced unbeknownst
to the white slave owners. This seems unlikely because, around 1814, when African culture
began to be repressed,
other forms of African dancing suffered prohibition along with capoeira, so there was no
sense in disguising
capoeira as a dance (Bira Almeida, 1986 Capoeira - A Brazilian Art Form) .
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