Have you ever wondered how the Brazilian martial art of Capoeira works? Or where it came from? Or how it was developed? Well here's something to help you understand just what kind of martial art Capoeira is.
The art of Capoeira was developed in the 16th century in Angola, Brazil by West Africans. The development was due in part to Portugal claiming one of the largest territories of the colonial empires and lacking people to colonize it. They also didn't have workers, so they had slaves to do all of the heavy lifting and strenuous work. The main task that relied on slave labor was the production and processing of sugar cane. The slaves lived in inhumane and humiliating conditions and suffered physical punishment for very small infractions. The slaves outnumbered the colonists but never rebelled due to lack of weapons, harsh colonial laws, and lack of knowledge on the new land they were in. It was in this environment, and in this harsh and cruel way of living that Capoeira was born. It was created as a tool to survive in the environment when a slave would escape from the colonists completely unequipped. It was also used to defend themselves from a group called the capitaes-do-mato, armed colonial agents who were tasked with finding and capturing escapees.
Capoeira may have been made to give slaves hope and a chance against the colonists when they escaped, but the movements of the style are closely based on dance, acrobatics and music. The style is generally referred to as a game because of this dance-based style. It can be used as a means of entertainment by applying only the movement and not the actual combat principles. Music is an integral part of the style as it sets the tempo for which Capoeira movements can be used in a slow or fast paced action. The faster the tempo, the faster the movements and the more the person performing the actions has to use their body and momentum to stay balanced.
Since Capoeira is a style based on movement, with its fast and versatile motions, and is generally used for outnumbered situations or technological disadvantages, the style focuses on lower body kicks while the upper body helps the movements with occasional attacks of its own. It has a complex flow of motion and body postures that are meant to be performed in an uninterrupted flow in order to strike, dodge and move in that motion. Because of this, Capoeira is a very unpredictable and versatile style
