| Capoeira is a Brazilian martial art created by enslaved | | | | Persecution of the art faded eventually, and was |
| Africans during the 16th Century. It originated by | | | | entirely gone by 1918. |
| Nigerian or Angolan ethnic groups where members | | | | Mestre Bimba made a major contribution to the |
| fought with music and the winner won a partner, | | | | preservation of the art by opening the first academy |
| usually female. Participants form a roda (circle) and | | | | for instruction in capoeira. This was a significant |
| take turns playing instruments, singing, and sparring in | | | | development because it eventually led to the |
| pairs in the centre of the circle. The game is marked | | | | legalization of the art in Brazil, and allowed capoeira to |
| by fluid acrobatic play, feints, subterfuge, and extensive | | | | gain popularity at a time when the art could possibly |
| use of groundwork, as well as sweeps, kicks, and | | | | have died out. A notable example of the influence of |
| headbutts. Technique and strategy are the key | | | | Meste Bimba's system of formal instruction took place |
| elements to playing a good game. Capoeira has two | | | | in 1937, when he was invited to perform with his |
| main styles, known as "regional" and "Angola | | | | students at an event at which Getulio Vargas, the |
| From the 16th to the 19th centuries, Portugal shipped | | | | president of Brazil at that time, was present. Vargas |
| slaves into South America from western Africa. Brazil | | | | was so impressed with the discipline and devotion of |
| was the most common destination for African | | | | Mestre Bimba's students he declared capoeira the |
| captives with 42% of all enslaved peoples shipped | | | | national sport of Brazil. Mestre Bimba also had a major |
| across the Atlantic. Most commonly sold into Brazil | | | | impact on the practice and method of instruction of the |
| were Yoruba, Dahomean, Islamised Guineans, Hausa, | | | | art, and introduced changes that effect the practice of |
| and Bantu (among them Kongos, Kimbundas and | | | | the art to this day. Because of these changes Mestre |
| Kasanjes) from Angola, Congo and Mozambique. | | | | Bimba remains a controversial figure. Prior to the |
| These Africans brought their cultural traditions and | | | | legalization of the art, the public associated the art of |
| religions with them to the New World. The | | | | capoeira with the poor underclass, criminal activity, and |
| homogenization of the African people under the | | | | negative stereotypical elements of the afro-Brazilian |
| oppression of slavery was the catalyst for capoeira. | | | | population. In order to alter the image of the art in the |
| Capoeira was developed as a way to resist | | | | eye of the public, Mestre Bimba removed many of the |
| oppression, secretly practice art, transmit culture, and | | | | rituals and traditions of the art of capoeira for practice |
| lift spirits. Some historians believe that the indigenous | | | | in his academy. Mestre Bimba's capoeira is now called |
| peoples of Brazil also played an important role in the | | | | Capoeira Regional, or simply Regional. Mestre Bimba's |
| development of capoeira. This form of Capoeira is | | | | capoeira continued to gain popularity, but eventually an |
| best represented in Capoeira Angola (which continues | | | | effort was made to prevent the art from losing its |
| to uphold the roots of capoeira) today. | | | | traditions and rituals. |
| Batuque and Maculele are other fight-dances also | | | | In 1942, Mestre Pastinha opened the first formal |
| developed by slave populations that are closely | | | | academy for instruction in the traditional form of the |
| connected to capoeira. There are also engravings and | | | | art, known as Capoeira Angola. Mestre Pastinha's |
| writings that describe a now-lost fighting dance in | | | | efforts prevented Capoeira Angola from being lost as |
| Cuba, the baile del manÃ, with two Bantu men | | | | newer, modernized forms of the art gained popularity. |
| moving to the yuka drums. | | | | This era was a milestone of a dramatic change in the |
| After slavery was abolished in 1888, the freed people | | | | mode of instruction of the art of Capoeira. Previously, |
| moved to the cities of Brazil and with no employment | | | | Capoeira was passed on in secret, usually from a |
| to be found, many joined or formed criminal gangs. | | | | relative such as one's father or uncle, or in a small |
| They continued to practice capoeira, and it became | | | | group setting where several young people in a |
| associated with anti-government or criminal activities. | | | | particular community would receive guidance from |
| As a result, capoeira was outlawed in Brazil in 1890. | | | | elder practitioners from that community. During this era, |
| The punishment for practicing it was extreme | | | | the academy system became the predominant form |
| (practitioners would have the tendons on the backs of | | | | of participation in the art. Presently, there are capoeira |
| their feet cut), and the police were vicious in their | | | | academies on almost every continent of the world. |
| attempt to stamp out the art. Capoeira continued to be | | | | Another significant change that occurred due to the |
| practiced, but it moved further underground. Rodas | | | | proliferation of capoeira 'schools' is the participation of |
| were often held in areas with plenty of escape routes, | | | | middle and upper class members of the population. |
| and a special rhythm called cavalaria was added to | | | | Presently, some Mestres participate in seminars where |
| the music to warn players that the police were coming. | | | | they discuss the need to make the art available to |
| Capoeira practitioners (capoeiristas) also adopted | | | | poor blacks who can not afford the cost of training in |
| apelidos or nicknames to make it more difficult for | | | | an academy. This is an issue of concern to |
| police to discover their true identities. To this day, when | | | | practitioners who recognize the importance of making |
| a person is baptized into capoeira at the batizado | | | | the art available to people who come from the culture |
| ceremony, they may be given an apelido. | | | | that invented the art in the first place. |