Origin of Capoeira Angola: Afro-Brazilian.
The
roots of Capoeira, yes, came from Africa, mainly from Angola, arising
from ancient rituals. But it was here in Brazil, initially in Bahia, in
the fertile soil due to slavery, and in the name of liberty, that
Capoeira was cultivated and flourished, showing all her beauty.
Capoeira is not from Angola - Capoeira of Angola.
Capoeira is Angola - Capoeira Angola.
The style that we, angoleiros, practice. We
are angoleiros and not Angolans. We
play the traditional Bahian Capoeira.
Capoeira in its beginnings was not, as some researchers believe, a dance
that later became transformed into a fight, but on the contrary an
extremely violent fight that was disguised in dance to camouflage the
danger it contained.
Our
philosophy is based in malícia (wisdom) and in manha (craftiness) and is
expressed through malandragem (jogo de cintura), through the behavior of
the Capoeirista inside and outside the roda, allowing him to act with
confidence in the right moments.
From the trainee to the contramestre, the Capoeirista
teaches what he learned with the mestre. The mestre teaches what he
discovered by himself.
The
mestre must teach the student the first steps of Capoeira Angola with
the same dedication of a father who holds the hands of his son and
teaches him to walk for the first time, with the objective of preparing
him, according to his experience, not just for games in the roda, but
also for various circumstances in life.
Not
every mestre is a good Capoeirista and not every good Capoeirista is a
mestre. Mestres can recognize the Capoeirista who knows the fundamentals
of Capoeira Angola, aiming above all for self-perfection and the
spiritual and philosophical aspect of his art, and not just his
performance in the game and in the fight.
The
violence of Capoeira must stay in the innermost part of the Capoeirista,
only manifesting itself in extreme situations, in defense of life.
Capoeira must be disguised to be practiced in the presence of our
opposition, as the African slaves disguised it in the view of their
masters.
Execute the hits smoothly in the game or note the distance necessary to
safely apply them, without the need to hit your partner with deliberate
violence.
The
true Capoeiristas are avoiding the rodas where violence occurs, because
the mestres who command them don't have even the basic condition to
assume that position. They are lacking education. They want to show a
deceptive superiority, trying to win at any cost. Instead of playing
Capoeira in the roda, they fight like gladiators in the arena.
The spectacular hits and the amazing flips are also much too valued to
the detriment of the creativity and malícia of the old Capoeiristas.
As
long as the berimbau remains associated with the game of Capoeira
and is respected as it should be, there will be no place for violence.
In
public demonstrations, present the game of Angola, utilizing all the
available resources in the other types of games, depending on the
circumstances of the moment.
Avoid doing sudden movements in the beginning of the game; try instead
to adequately warm up the body in the development of the low game.
In
the ginga, stay as long as possible, as long as the situation allows, in
a guarded position, during games and training, the objective being the
strengthening of the internal organs, along with preventing injuries of
the knees and giving better balance to the practitioner of Capoeira
Angola.
The
person who is searching for the fundamentals of Capoeira Angola will not
be content with only its material side. A large number of the Physical
Education professors that teach Capoeira, after a few months of learning
in a university, emphasize a long session of preparative stretching and
exercises to compensate for the little knowledge that they possess.
As
paradoxical as it may seem, certain people, as much as they expand their
horizons of intellectual knowledge, diminish their perception about the
simpler things life offers, finding greater difficulty in accepting
them. It is similar to people with the visual deficiency that allows
them to see things that are far away, but to see things at a short
distance, they need the use of corrective lenses. If they would analyze
the lessons they receive with the critical spirit, and not the spirit of
criticism, they would certainly find in these things many answers to
their inquiries.
Less experienced Capoeiristas must look for the oldest mestres, of
confirmed knowledge, so that later they will become capable of
exercising their profession with the knowledge that the responsibility
requires.
Through a simple language, Mestre Pastinha spoke great truths. Thus, I
try to simplify as much as possible my form of teaching, transmitting my
knowledge with a very specific language, acquired as a consequence of
living with the great Capoeiristas of the past, trying to rescue old
customs that I consider of extreme importance to which refers the
behavior of the traditional Capoeirista and the preservation of the
style of Angola with its original characteristics.
Our
teaching is characterized by the simplicity of its movements, allowing
any person, from seven to seventy years of age, to learn Capoeira
Angola.
Play very carefully, avoiding injuries that could put the physical
integrity of your partner at risk, independent of the type of game that
is developing in the roda.
Play the game, play instruments, sing, teach, form students, work in
support of Capoeira Angola and preserve it in agreement with its
fundamentals. These are the main requirements for the formation of a
Capoeirista.
Do
the game in the roda, and not the fight, reserved for defense
against our enemies.
The
true Capoeirista never takes the initiative of turning the game into a
fight, always respecting the rhythm of the berimbau-mestre and the rules
of Capoeira. The lack of knowledge of Capoeira's rituals and the
disobedience to its rules and precepts are the main factors that
contribute to violence in Capoeira rodas.
Game, dance, and fight. The Capoeirista must know exactly what he is
doing and the right moment of change from one condition to another,
depending on the need.
The
angoleiro must always keep himself on the defensive, especially in
street fights, having the caution to put himself in the position of the
victim according to the testimonies.
In
defense against enemies, we must threaten to attack them in a determined
place, so that he worries too much about protecting it, allowing an
attack to another place.
The
game of Capoeira Angola is similar to the game of chess, where the
rasteira and/or the cabeçada are the check-mate of the
angoleiro.
The
majority of the frontally applied hits, for example the chapa,
are often used in street fights. However, the spinning hits are more
useful in counterattacks, mainly when executed for deception.
The
hits of Capoeira Angola, almost always executed with moderation in the
roda, are very dangerous when used in the street, against enemies, as
long as the practitioner possesses the necessary experience to utilize
them in this circumstance; if this is not the case, the situation is
inverted (the danger is to the practitioner).
When all my students tell me that they always get around a fight, when
the easiest thing would be to begin a physical fight, I will have the
certainty that we are on the right path, the course to our greatest
objective of internal realization.
Not
being able to avoid a fight, stay calm, concentrating mainly on defense,
resolved and confident in what you have learned.
The
Capoeirista that never faced a weapon cannot say that he doesn't know
how to defend himself against it. And the fact of him knowing all the
techniques of defense against armed adversaries also doesn't mean that
he is prepared to face them. The most important thing is that the
Capoeirista stays CALM in the hour of danger. To possess the
self-control necessary to override fear.
The
angoleiro must not lose his identity. If he practices other forms of
fighting, he should acquire only some basic notions, keeping Capoeira
Angola as his point of reference, his base.
Train a lot the movement of the ginga, of great importance in
street fights and in the game of Capoeira.
Try
not to turn your back to the adversary, except to deceive him, aiming to
catch him unprepared.
First I teach the hit in its full extension, to free the movement, and
afterwards, with time, the diverse forms of execution, with malicia,
according to the moment and the circumstances.
In
the low game, always watch the head of your partner, obviously taking
the necessary precautions to not hurt him.
When the game becomes closed, try not to force an exit utilizing
physical force, since in our style this type of action is considered
superficial. Try to undo a tangle and give continuity to our
"playfulness" of Angola.
The
rasteira is a takedown movement very simple in its learning and at the
same time complex in its execution; it must be applied subtly, avoiding
kicking the shin of your partner, which shows the lack of technique of
the executor.
Also, violent rasteiras must not be applied when your partner is with
only one foot on the ground, in the exact moment of the execution of a
hit, because the resulting fall from this type of takedown is one of the
most dangerous, able to seriously hurt the person, even an experienced
Capoeirista.
The
point of the rasteira and the many takedown movements in the game of
Capoeira Angola is to take your partner to the ground, putting the body
on the floor, which characterizes the takedown, and not the negativa, in
whichever of its positions, which shows their defense.
However, when your partner is developing the low game, there is no
reason to try to get him at all cost and at every instant, even if he
brandishes a hit, because he will support himself on the ground, with
the use of the hands and the feet. Proceeding this way, the other player
will only confuse the game.
Train cabeçada in the mirror, to acquire control of the movement and
keep the eyes open in its execution.
When you are playing close to your partner, try to close your guard well
and use the floreio with the aim of deceiving him and make him become
vulnerable.
To
know the true potential of a Capoeirista, it is necessary to see him
acting in diverse situations: in academies, in street rodas, in
less-well-known trainings, and in street fights, defending himself
against his enemies, armed or unarmed.
Before the beginning of the game, at the pé do berimbau, during the
intonation of the ladainha, the practitioner of Angola must concentrate
and say his prayers, trying to assimilate the positive vibrations
contained in the environment, asking the protection of his spiritual
guide, his protector saint, or his orixás.
Also when you feel threatened in the roda, go to the pé do berimbau, do
the sign of the cross asking its protection and that of your partner and
return to the jogo de dentro, independently of the rhythm of the
orchestra.
When a student is in doubt about which defense to utilize to free
himself from a movement done by his partner, pass to the low game and
immediately use a counterattack, according to the necessity of the
moment.
If
I know how to hit in various different forms, I must only apply one or
two forms in each turn. And all-out hits, generally violent, use only in
times of extreme danger, as a last resort, always in defense of life.
Some people in our midst have the custom of criticizing others’ playing
styles, because they lift their legs very high or, by contrast, because
they don’t usually lift them above the level of the waist, and other
comments of this nature. If these people reflected on this type of
attitude without vanity, which is unique to the human being of delayed
evolution, they would certainly arrive at the obvious conclusion of the
poverty, in terms of creativity, that there would be if all of us
practiced the same style; and that this condition of diversity is what
gives origin to the wealth of details present in rodas of Capoeira,
where the ego of the capoeristas manifests itself through their bodies’
movements, demonstrating that to play Capoeira is a state of the spirit
and that emotion is its essential component.
The
Capoeira roda is a mirror of life that reflects the traps of everyday
life and where the exercise of deception has conquering our enemies as
its objective.
In
our style, we try to develop the game with much balance in the ginga,
using slow movements, alternated with some rapid and explosive shots,
according to the situation, where malícia always predominates.
The
seqüências were never exclusive to Capoeira regional, because it would
be impossible to teach Capoeira without the use of them. The difference
is that Mestre Bimba, helped by some of his students, was the first to
put them down on paper.
The
teaching of the seven traditional collections of sequences and passages
used in CCCTB aims to prime one’s physical condition, technique, and
awaken the creativity of my students, in addition to disciplining them
and integrating them even more into the group, practicing companionship,
while the commitment given to the learning of the sequences will
demonstrate all their dedication to the Center and the trust deposited
in their mestre.
I
always try to form pairs for training the sequences cited in the body of
this book, according to the technical level of the students,
substituting them according to time, always taking into consideration
the existing affinity between them.
Capoeira, until the end of the 70s, used to involve a series of rituals,
which gave it a magic aspect, inside the mystical atmosphere of the city
of Bahia. The Capoeirista had a unique philosophy of life, based in
malícia, in cleverness.
The
true angoleiro is known by the relaxed ginga with malícia, by the
cleverness, by the calmness, security, and balance in attack and
defense, in addition to the knowledge of the rituals and traditions of
Capoeira Angola.
The
student, beginning with their first year of learning, should frequent
and little by little begin to participate in the traditional Capoeira
rodas in Bahia, with the aim of acquiring the experience necessary for
his training.
The
angoleiro should know mandinga, staying always with a closed body,
through the balance of his energy fields, acquired principally through
emotional control of his thoughts and acts, strengthening his faith
through amulets and prayers, seeking always his spiritual development.
In
truth, what is important is the knowledge of the fundamentals of
Capoeira Angola, with its rituals and precepts, in addition to the
mysticism that it involves. Without this, Capoeira completely loses its
sense, and technique comes to supersede creativity, thus ceasing to be
the Capoeirista’s greater form of expression.
At
the end of the 70s, Capoeira regional exploded in popularity and
Capoeira Angola found itself in danger of extinction, making necessary a
sufficiently radical position of angoleiros, when we were very
criticized for that. However, when the balance hangs much on one side,
we must situate ourselves on the other extreme to achieve BALANCE.
Today, we can find diverse trainees, professors, contramestres, and
mestres in the same group of Capoeira, which didn’t used to happen. What
happens today is that many are confusing RESPONSIBILITIES with CLASSES.
The classification was given according to the time and technical
ability, while the positions, that could only be occupied by at the most
two Capoeiristas, beyond the time and the technical capacity, depended
on the trust that the mestre placed in the person, this being the
principal requisite.
Modern Capoeira is similar to a young and beautiful woman that naturally
rivets whoever sees her, although she is completely empty in her
essence. Whereas the traditional Capoeira of the past was more similar
to a simple woman of the people, who does not stand out at first sight,
but however possesses a truer beauty, interior, that only the people
with a more acute sensitivity could immediately perceive.
No
one is the owner of the absolute truth. Capoeira undergoes a constant
process of creation and it fits us, as mestres, to extract the best out
of the diverse forms of teaching, aiming to enrich each time our art,
adapting it to our objectives and having the caution to know how to
separate well the “chaff from the wheat,” eliminating all the movements
that are foreign to our roots, that discharacterize the art, adding and
conserving those that are in agreement with our traditions. It is no
shame or sign of ignorance to copy what has value; much to the contrary,
it is a sign of wisdom.
The
Capoeirista must know to live according to the time and the
circumstance. Sometimes, what used to be considered a behavior with
malícia, the example of passing unnoticed to not be known as a
Capoeirista, due to the persecution that was imposed on us, today, in
certain moments, proceeding this way we are committing an error, because
the opportunities that will arise will be given to those who show
themselves.
I
consider of extreme importance an informal chat of the possible student
with some mestres, before choosing the one who will be his mentor.
Today, the student changes mestres as though changing suits, literally.
With this behavior, he naïvely thinks that he will acquire greater
knowledge, which is not true, much to the contrary. As soon as the
mestre discovers that the student already passed through various
academies, not staying in any of them, certainly he will not pass on to
him his knowledge, until he is certain that the student has found his
path.
The
Capoeiristas of the past never had a standardized uniform, because in
the conditions in which they found themselves, first as slaves and later
as outlaws, it would not be very clever on their part if they used a
costume that identified them. However, beginning in the early twentieth
century, around 1920, the completely white suit, straight or diagonal,
came to be the preferred by the Capoeira mestres in Bahia and became a
tradition, while the yellow and black uniform was adopted by Mestre
Pastinha in 1941, to be used by the students and Capoeiristas of CECA,
aiming to integrate them definitively in the society.
In
my point of view, these two periods of our history are what we must
remember, maintaining the tradition; and not the time of oppression,
when the Capoeiristas were persecuted and suffered the worst
humiliations, practicing Capoeira in secret, with dirty and almost
always torn clothing, not by choice, but by the miserable condition in
which they lived. However, all of us who love Capoeira and respect our
fellow man, must try to forget this sad epoch, except to serve as an
example to our people, when Capoeira had a relevant role in the fight
against slavery.
The
completely white suit has a very special significance and only graduated
Capoeiristas, who have reached a superior level in their Capoeira,
achieving the position of MESTRE, must use it.
I
adopted the colors yellow and black in the costume of the students and
Capoeiristas of CCCTB, symbolizing my condition as a disciple of Mestre
Pastinha and faithful follower of his work, having his teaching as a
reference for my work.
In
the academy of Mestre Pastinha, the son of a Spaniard and a black Bahian,
as he could not cease to be, there was never a problem of racism. In the
academy, whites, mulatos, and blacks lived together in the greatest
harmony. Although I believe that here in Bahia this division does not
exist; rather, there is a mixture of races, with different skin colors.
To the contrary of how it should be, I see some people dividing
themselves to combat racism. In my opinion, the problem of racial
preconception should be combated by all people, independently of one’s
race or skin color; brothers, fighting for the same ideal. To separate
the races to resolve their problems against each other is to commit a
big error, since all of us know that people who reject their own
ancestry exist, so the problem is not in the color of the skin, but in
the mind and spirit of each individual.
Capoeira does not have only one owner, nor only one color. It was born
in Bahia; however, it has all the colors of the world and it belongs to
everyone who has it in their heart and soul.
In
the chamadas of Capoeira Angola, the Capoeirista that answers must
approach with much care not to be surprised with a deception. When
walking down a dark street and someone calls you to light a cigarette,
for example, don’t go; say that you don’t smoke and continue in front.
However, if you absolutely must approach, advance with all your caution,
prepared for everything, in the same way that you would proceed while
answering a CHAMADA OF ANGOLA.
The
factors that most contributed to the discharacterization of Capoeira in
recent times were, firstly, the formation of folkloric groups for
exhibitions in theaters and variety shows, with purely commercial
objectives, in which they tried to impress the audience with movements
characteristic of acrobatic gymnastics. Secondly, the infiltration of
practitioners of other martial arts, when they began to compare them to
Capoeira, incorporating new hits under the pretext of modernizing
Capoeira, without possessing the least knowledge about Capoeira’s real
fundamentals.
As
a consequence of these facts, two types of behavior arose in Capoeira
rodas. The first is in disagreement with Capoeira’s ancient precepts and
the second is completely empty, where victory, by means of wild
violence, became the principle objective.
Sometimes a ridiculous phrase, said with conviction and apparent
seriousness, sounds strong and is accepted by many people as a great
truth. The Capoeirista must know how to identify the lie and the truth
in order to not be deceived.
Mestres also make errors. Much is demanded of mestres, forgetting that
he is also human, can commit errors and, like everyone, lives the
constant struggle for his evolution. Nevertheless, the important thing
is that we have a peaceful consciousness, internally accepting our acts,
in agreement with a superior (cosmic) ethic, always seeking the absolute
truth that frees us, at the same time knowing our current insignificance
in this evolutionary stage.
The
true angoleiro does not do Capoeira, he lives Capoeira. So don’t be in a
hurry.
It
is not important how many times I fall, but instead the certainty of
getting up always with the firm conviction to continue fighting, in
search of my ideas and my complete realization. Of course the best help
that I can receive comes from myself, from my effort in growth, that
provides knowledge. Determination is fundamental in the behavior of the
Capoeirista, inside and outside the rodas.
False feelings die; the true ones survive, despite death, in another
life. The Capoeirista must know how to identify them, to act with wisdom
in the right moment to assess these feelings.
In
punishing a homicide with a death sentence, we are committing the same
error as the assassin. No one has the right to intentionally take the
life of his fellow man, because this impedes the evolution of this
individual. The Capoeirista must avoid negative feelings, for example
hate and revenge, that are the most obvious signs of the ignorance of a
human being.
The
best formula that I found to better understand my opponent, avoiding a
rash and aggressive attitude, was putting myself in his place before
critiquing him, which allows me to assume a clearer position. Couldn’t
it be that I would act the same way if I was part of his generation? Or
if I had passed through the same experiences? Could it be that a person
today would make the same errors of years, months, weeks, days, hours,
minutes and even seconds before, when we know that all living beings are
in constant evolution?
Nevertheless, instead of judging others, which can generate aversion or
even hate, the worst feeling, together with fear,
principally for the students of Capoeira Angola, it will be much better
to meditate about the subject, which will make us conscious of our own
imperfection, bringing us to perceive the quantity of errors that we
make and remake during our whole lives, as much as we criticize others,
when we must understand that those same errors are the propelling motive
of humanity and are of fundamental importance for our evolution, always
remembering that the exercise of brotherhood was the main teaching that
Jesus Christ preached here on earth.
When we understand that our enemy, while trying to defeat us, is helping
us, albeit unconsciously, in our evolutionary advancement, we will no
longer feel hate.
When questioned about the existence of God, something unimaginable that
is found far beyond the reach of our limited human mind, and thus
impossible to be proved scientifically, I respond that I believe in the
INTERIOR FORCE that all of us possess, and that BROTHERLY LOVE,
unconditional and extensive, for all living beings, should be the most
important objective to be achieved in life.
Therefore, if God indeed exists and is found in the INTERIOR of each one
of us, and since He is LOVE, seen in whole and absolute form, I am sure
that this is the best manner of believing in his existence and of truly
loving him.
Every evolutionary cycle corresponds to seven years of life. Each cycle
in the past corresponds to another completed stage. The same thing
happens with the teaching of Capoeira Angola in the CCCTB, in its
different phases of learning, until the Capoeirista reaches the position
of mestre, when he assumes the leadership of his own group and,
consequently, a great responsibility before his students, where his
condition of educator is more evident, becoming his principle duty.
All
the scientific, philosophical, and religious currents preach many
truths. But none of them know the absolute truth.
The
mestre must be an experienced Capoeirista, fully conscious of his
function, with deep knowledge of the fundamentals of Capoeira Angola,
and who always worked in favor of his art, fighting for its preservation
and aiming to emphasize the therapeutic benefits that its practice
provides.
It
is often said that “happiness is found inside ourselves.” I believe this
to be true. But how is this search carried out? Actually, it is
inaccessible to the majority of people on this planet. No one can ever
be truly happy if they have still not acquired spiritual knowledge, even
in unconscious form, and consequently brotherly love for all creatures
in the universe.
How
can one find happiness within oneself if one’s interior is empty? It
will be necessary, before everything, that we fill this gap by means of
the process of developing one’s consciousness. In this manner we will
have access to paranormal faculties, inherent in all of us, which will
certainly bring the person to the understanding of the whole
evolutionary process of the living being. From there, brotherly love,
the fruit of understanding and maturity, will spontaneously arise, when
the individual understands the true sense of life. From that point on,
the person will be able to initiate his search, which is associated
primarily with the circle of people in his life, and later, in a more
ample form, with all beings in nature. Only this way will personal
realization, so longed for by all of us, be achieved in a full and
definitive manner.
As
a mestre, I aim to teach my students with much devotion, without any
preconceptions, passing all my knowledge, according to time, will, the
capacity to learn and the level of knowledge of each student, always
remembering that the spiritual aspect is of immense importance in the
formation of the Capoeirista. I believe that this is my principle
mission here on Earth and I will aim to carry it out in the best
possible manner, until the end of my life.
The
mestre is he who has full consciousness of his path. Wise is he who has
begun to travel this path. Illuminated is he who arrived at the end of
the path, reaching the stage of free consciousness.
