Slums drums and Capoeira follows the journey of a few kids that live in the slums of Rio, tracing a pathway to create a documentary about Capoeira. With many famous Capoeira Mestre’s interviewed along the way, the journey jumps backwards and forwards between Sao Salvador and Rio De Janeiro.

The documentary also follows the journey of their teacher, Tiane who lives in Rocinha, the largest slum in Rio. Tiane works to establish a new capoeira group with its main focus on helping keep the kids in that area occupied and away from drug gangs.

The DVD’s audio is in Portuguese with English subtitles, and has some really beautiful shots of Salvador and Rio. The interviews with many well renowned mestre’s are very interesting, giving great insight into their Capoeira knowledge and experience.

This documentary is yet another great contribution towards expanding the capoeirista’s knowledge and views of the art.

My favorite quote in the DVD:
“Capoeira for me is a way of living. Whereby you reach out to your ancestry, and thus your identity.” Mestre Moraes.

If you would like more information, the website has some great information on some of the mestre’s interviewed and provides details of how to purchase this DVD.
go to:
www.slumsdrums.com

This article attempts to shed a little light on the subject.

Below, is in my opinion, a list from least agressive to most agressive movements you can execute whilst playing with another capoeirista. I left out all of the floreios and passive movements, as they are all movements that cannot at all be mis-interpreted, (hopefully).

AGGRESSION CHART
1. Marking or faking a kick or cabecada (showing you could have hit them without touching them)
2. Marking a rasteira
3. Marking a banda, vingativa, cruz
4. Cabecada body
5. Rasteira
6. Banda, vingativa
7. Kicking, body
8. Kicking head
9. cruz
10. shooting
11. Galopante face, grabbing the head (plum)
12. Kneeing body,face
13. Elbowing face
14. Punching face, grabbing hair
15. Cabecada face
16. Biting, eye gouging, striking groin

This is by no means the ultimate list, it is just a general gauge in my opinion of the extremities of attacks.

Misunderstandings are one of the most common triggers to why people fight in the capoeira roda.

Some groups may put some attacks before others, this is just a list based on my own experiences.

In our group in brazil, which is considered a harder style, it is okay for us to go up all the way to number 10 (depending on how hard you hit/takedown) without really offending anyone. This includes teachers and sometimes mestres. On the other hand, I have visited groups where marking a rasteira on a higher rank than you can be considered rude. So the tolerance varies extremely from group to group. This is why, in my opinion, there are so many misunderstandings in Capoeira.

I remember doing a workshop with a mestre in brazil and he was saying that they do not grab the head, they do no knee or elbow at all. It is not in their system because he considers them as aggressive, violent and as having no place in capoeira.

All of this of course depends greatly on the extremity of the blow delivered to the opponent. I have seen some people being knocked out from a vingativa, or a well executed kick. So it also depends on the power and intention of the attack to how agressive the movement is.

The progression of the jogo duro
Usually this is also the progression of how the game or a number of games will escalate as well.
As soon as one person does one of the things on the list, the other can do any of the things up to that point and will sometimes raise the bar by doing the next thing up from that. Eventually it reaches a point where the other does not dare to go further.

Sometimes people will jump from 1 to 16, because they are naturally aggressive people who have no patience. This type of thing is generally not looked upon well and is not good etiquette. A game or series of games needs to build and go through the motions otherwise people will not pick where the other persons level is at which brings misunderstandings and complications. This is the way it was explained to me.

This is really only one aspect of the game, however, I feel it is really a necessary one to focus on. Mainly because it is important to educate and clarify for those who don’t know so that people can be more aware of what is going on when playing in the roda.

WAYS OF COUNTERING OR NEUTRALISING THE AGGRESSION:
I know that a lot of people, including myself, get really nervous and unsure of what to do when faced with these situations. Remember you always have a choice, you always have options. You are in control, remember you are the driver, you are the one who controls the game, the game does not control you.

1. Do a volta ao mundo. This will give you time to really think and assess the situation.
2. Now you are faced with some choices here are a couple of questions I ask myself when I am in these situations.
3.do you have enough skill to be able to better the other person if the game escalates? whether I do or I don’t does it really matter?
Am I willing to accept the potential risks involved in playing this type of game? with the possibility of possibly maiming the other person or being maimed?
4. What can I learn from this game? what can the person you are playing learn from this game?
5. Are you playng this way for the correct reasons?
6. How many other people do you have to back you up if things go sour? can they handle it? how many people does your opponent have that will back them up?
7.What environment are you in? is there a way out? could anyone around you have weapons?
8.Is pride getting in the way of logic?

IF YOUR ANSWER IS TO NEUTRALISE THE SITUATION:
some of your options can be:
1. shake hands and cut out.
2. when you enter again gesture to the other person that you take your hat off to them, that they are really good, and make the sign of the cross imitating that you are preying that you get out of this situation ok, whilst smiling the whole time. I find this sometimes releases tension.
3. If you did something to get the person accidently, or hit them or tripped them accidently, do a volta ao mundo and apologise to them at the foot of the roda.
4. Try and do something funny, to release the tension.
5. If you are a lot better than the other person and have enough skill to do so, you could dominate the game with your ginga and game showing all the while how you could have gotten them but chose not to do so.
Sometimes the situation will call you to do this, but be warned, it has the potential to backfire if you dont have the required skill to do this.
6. If none of this works, and you have to hit or be hit. Take the person out, quickly and with focus. You only really get one shot so make it count. But remember, if you are visiting a group and you are by yourself or with only a couple of people, there are many many more people that will try and take you out after that, so be prepared. If you take one person on, you take all of them on.

Before I conclude, I must apoligise as this article is very generalised and subjective. However, I know that if I was able to have an article like this when i was first starting out capoeira, it would definately help me understand so much more about what was appropriate in a capoeira game and what wasnt.

Please, if anyone has any questions, queries or comments, they are more than welcome!

here is a video of our group, the associacao de capoeira mestre bimba. Believe it or not, all of these guys are friends and are just playing around. Its pretty scary when they are actually out to get you.

CAPOEIRA CHOREOGRAPHY

Creating a Capoeira show is only limited by your imagination. Regardless your limitations, there is always a way of being able to do something that will make an impact.

So many people worry about getting the best tricks, or focusing on showing ‘something that has never been done before’. From my experience, it is not what you can do, it is in how you present it.

THINK OUTSIDE THE SQUARE
Do some research. Don’t necessarily look soley at Capoeira performances, try and watch dance performances and study the formations. Look at the ways they use their bodies to create a certain effect.

THE DETAILS
It is really all in the details. Don’t settle for near enough is good enough. Fix something that is not working straight away. Every arm movement, every facial expression, every position will make a difference on the overall impression of the show.

OTHER THINGS TO CONSIDER
What kind of lighting is there at the performance place? Does the music sync completely with the performance? If you are doing live music, will you use mics? Can you create breaks and changes in the music to give a better flow to the performance?
Are you sure you are meeting your clients exact wishes? Are you keeping integrity in the art? Where did you place the highlights and ‘wow’ factors in the show? Will the audience be able to understand what you are expressing?

Many Capoeira Performances are just rodas. There is nothing wrong with that, but, there are always things that you can do to spruce up the roda to make it more audience friendly. Think about involving the audience in the story you are creating. Try and think about the best things you get out of capoeira and find ways of being able to express this to the audience.

Good luck with your creations! If anyone needs help with a performance or is interested in hiring us for a performance don’t hesitate in contacting me.
chan@soulcapoeira.org

I am really sorry I havent been posting any articles of late. I had my computer stolen whilst I was in LA and am finding it hard to access a computer.
But, there will be more articles, so hold on, they will come!
Lots of Axe!
chan.

VARIOUS MARTIAL ARTS RANGES

In Kali (A filipino Martial art), They usually break the basics ranges up into five ranges: Weapon range, Kicking range, Punching range, Trapping range and locking/grappling range. (locking is sometimes considered a different range from grappling and within the grappling arts they also have broken the ranges down even more). Most martial systems only specialise predominantly in two or three of these ranges. Capoeira for instance, could be argued to really only specialise in its kicking range, with only a few hand techniques, and throws that are either derived from Batuque or Judo/jiujitsu/greco-roman wrestling (non-african arts). However, there is a remote possibility that nubian wrestling played some kind of part in the development of capoeira.

THE MEANING OF NUBIAN

“Nubian” is a common term the Egyptians used to describe all brown- and black-skinned people living to the south.
According to oral tradition, the Nuba began wrestling in order to imitate monkeys. The Nuba wrestlers imitate certain animal and insect characteristics while wrestling.

Like a monkey, the Nuba will rub his hands on the ground; (to help his grip). (this is similar to moring/moringue of reunion which I will write about later). He also stamps his feet and shouts at his opponent. They flick their tongues like insects and dance within the ring, representing the spirit of their cattle herd or village.

Initiation

It is every Nubian boys dream to represent his village. From a young age, he competes with other village boys in his peer group. this is to prove intelligence, character and skill in order to be chosen to live in a cattle camp outside of town. While exceptional boys are taken to a camp at a young age, all the boys eventually go to the cattle camp by the time their thirteen. At the camp, the boys care for the herd. They are also trained daily in wrestling by the village champion. The village will provide food for them in order for them to become stronger. Whilst at the camp, they become almost a cultic fraternity. They spend time everyday to reflect and meditate. The wrestlers will take ash from burnt trees (which represents to them life’s essence) and they’ll dust their naked bodies with it, in order to give them power and cultic identity. (Similar to some of the womens traditions in the efundula). By wrestling, the young nubian men are initiated into manhood.

Wrestling Matches

Wrestling is more than just a sport to the Nubas—it is an important part of their culture. Each individual wrestles several randomly chosen matches at a tournament. Wrestlers are free to refuse to compete against someone if they wish. The athlete that is first to take his opponent to the ground will win the match. Some wrestlers wear gourds around their waist. An unbroken gourd will represent that a wrestler hasn’t lost a match. however, if they are taken down, it is both embarrassing to them and painful when the gourd breaks on their skin.

The overall winner recieves a twig, an animal hide or a fur tail. Every village has a famous wrestler who is experienced and consistently successful. Often the champion’s reputation spreads and girls compose songs about his success.

Wrestling tournaments are held between Nuba villages. The competition is conducted around sowing and harvest seasons. There are obvious fertility rites connected with the wrestling tournaments.

Religious Rites

The religious implications of Nuba wrestling are more complex, containing at least three interrelated ideas. First, wrestling is closely related to ancestral worship. Second, wrestling is closely connected with fertility rites. Finally, wrestling is the channel through which the participants dramatize their animistic beliefs. Wrestling has continued to unify an otherwise dislocated and isolated people.

This is a very interesting video that depicts some nuba culture. Here you can see some of the nubian wrestling. There is also some nubian dancing, which has movements very similar to some of the samba and axe dance steps.
Capoeiristas, in turn wear patuas ‘good luck charms’ that are meant to protect and give powers, much like the animal hide or fur tail that is wrapped around the legs of the nuba wrestler.

The nuba people also identify strongly with their wrestling style as a means to preserve their cultural heritage. I believe that it is not so much with the movements of nubian wrestling, but more so in the cultural similarities and belief systems, that capoeira can identify with and empathise with nuba wrestling. Even if it is on a very small level.

Information sources:

1. ngm.nationalgeographic.com/ngm/0302/feature3/index.html

2. wysinger.homestead.com/nubiansport.html

3. www.la84foundation.org/SportsLibrary/JSH/JSH1988/JSH1502/jsh1502b.pdf

How do you know whether a person wants to harm you or not? When does the game turn from a game into a fight? Where do people’s true intentions lie?

How could you ever know?

Sensing intention has been around in the martial arts for centuries. Although it seems sometimes a little too abstract or far fetched for the average martial artist, it is definately a medium to explore if it is indeed possible.

Many times have I been in a roda and felt the hairs stand up on top of my arms. The look in one’s eye, the fake smile that someone wears, the feeling that lingers in the air…

By no means am I an expert on this subject, nor do I pretend to claim that I possess ‘super human powers’. I am just merely exploring the subject to help contribute to it.

THE FIVE SENSES

From my understanding, the five senses are what we primarily use to gauge situations and react accordingly. Thoughts and emotions are secondary. This ‘sixth sense’, sensing the intentions of others, seems to be overwhelmed and blocked out by the over-stimulation of your other senses, thoughts and emotions. It’s like with our bodies, sometimes we work too much on the bigger muscle groups. This can sometimes cause us problems because our smaller muscles become weak and eventually do not work properly.

By using the five senses and by directing our thoughts emotions and focus to opening this sense, I truly believe that you can become better aware of the way others may feel towards you and a better general sense of your environment.

If you get a chance, have a look into Gestalt psychotherapy. It explores heightening awareness and helping understand how to ‘be in the moment’.

Remember, the only thing that holds you back is your mind.

Training The Mind

here is a little left right brain test to help you explore the capabilities of your mind, and the way you percieve things.

In this picture below, is the dancer turning clockwise or anti-clockwise?

Can you make her spin either way?

Look closely, it is important that you believe you can, you must convince your mind and yourself that you can do it.

Apparently, if you naturally see her spin clockwise, then you use more of the right side of the brain and vice versa.

LEFT BRAIN FUNCTIONS
uses logic
detail oriented
facts rule
words and language
present and past
math and science
can comprehend
knowing
acknowledges
order/pattern perception
knows object name
reality based
forms strategies
practical
safe

RIGHT BRAIN FUNCTIONS
uses feeling
“big picture” oriented
imagination rules
symbols and images
present and future
philosophy & religion
can “get it” (i.e. meaning)
believes
appreciates
spatial perception
knows object function
fantasy based
presents possibilities
impetuous
risk taking

Now that your brain is sufficiently warmed up, I recently ran a trainathon, which involved teaching capoeira for 13 hours straight.

Intention exercise 1

Within our trainathon we covered a few experimental exercises on intention and feeling intention. One of the exercises we split the group into partners, and one person would hold a coin in one hand, whilst the partner tries to snatch the coin out of their hand. Just like a reflex game, the person holding the coin had to close their hand before the other person could get the coin. Next we made the person holding the coin do it with their eyes shut. Next, we held a coin in each hand, closed our eyes and tried to feel which hand the person would go for and at what time.

If you ever have the time and partner to do this with, I would love to hear how you go.

The important thing that helps me, is to try and relax and clear your mind from everything that is not that moment in time.

Intention Exercise 2

The next exercise was having two people face the other way kneeling down, eyes shut, with a soft stick in one hand. Two other people would sneak up behind them and try to have to touch the person on the back and run off. The person kneeling has to try and sense when the person is about to touch them and touch the person with the stick beforehand.

You will see in a video below some demonstrations of the exercises we performed. There were many more hits and misses, but I only put in a couple for your enjoyment. In the soft stick exercise we also had the music up really loud so that the people could not rely on hearing.

We related these intention exercises on general distancing and knowing if a person is about to kick you or not.
We did this by having each person ginga, and one person throw out a bencao. When they threw the bencao out they could choose to try and hit the other person or try and think about only kicking close to them but not touching them. The other person would have to decide whether or not to react to the kick by getting out the way or just staying in ginga.

When I know other people’s intent, I feel like I have more ability to control my actions and reactions to others. If I am sensitive to the people around me and my environment, I feel more connected to who I am.

These were only a couple of examples of exercises we ran through, We definately had a lot of fun and if you play with these ideas, I am sure you will too. If you know of any other exercises or have any comments or suggestions on exercises to help train feeling intent, please don’t hesitate to ask.

Axe and Salve!

Chan.

This is a way I was taught on how to make a caxixi.
I am by no means a professional, but at least this is one way, and you can develop/discover other ways from here. Or simply ask your Capoeira instructor how! The best thing you can do is follow this tutorial, have an already made caxixi next to you and work it out!

WHAT YOU NEED:

1. Reed/Wicker/Rattan Skin/Basketweave
2. Dried Gourd Shell at least 12cm-12cm in surface area.
3. A screw driver or scissors
4. Rough Sandpaper
5. A bucket half filled with luke warm water
6. Varnish (preferrably marine grade)
7. Some seeds (preferrably pau brasil seeds or beads if cannot source good seeds)
8. Stanley Knife

STEP 1.
Soak the weave in the bucket of water for 10 minutes or so, it can sit in their for a while so don’t get paranoid if you leave it in their for a long time.
If you are finding it hard to find wicker/reed/basketweave, try looking in:
Florist/Decoration Shops, Garden Shops, Arts/Crafts Shops, or Cane Furniture Shops.

STEP 2.
Cut out a large piece of gourd using your stanley knife. Preferably a little bigger than you think you’ll need.

STEP 3.
Make 7,9,or 11 holes in it using your screw driver or scissors. Make sure the holes are not too close to the edge, sometimes the gourd piece will crack and you don’t want that. It must be an odd number, as when you weave the reed around it has to be one in and one out to keep the basket closed. ( you’ll understand what I mean later).

STEP 4.
Make sure you have the inside of the gourd on the bottom of the caxixi before you start, do not have the piece of gourd dipping down, or else your caxixi will look really wierd and saggy. Begin to weave a peice of reed through the holes, trying to weave each piece evenly.

STEP 5.
The last hole, you have to weave it through double. If you have this piece a little longer as well, you can fold it back and use that piece as the handle later on.

STEP 6.
Begin to weave the basket. Start so that the reed is on the inside first, so that the end does not pop out. Try and keep the weave tight without gaps or holes, and try and push it down so that the weave is flush with the gourd.
Note: It gets easier the higher you get with the weave, initially the structure is not their so it is harder to weave. You can tie all the strands up the top to make it easier to maintain its shape but it isn’t necessary.

STEP 7.
When you get to the end of your first reed strand, make sure you end it facing in, otherwise it will create a gap. Make sure that each layer going up is alternate to the last. This is to keep the shape/pattern and strength.

STEP 8.
Once you get to a reasonable height you can put some seeds/beads into the caxixi. You begin to close it off and create the handle. To close it off you just weave the strands of reed from one side to the other, and back through the weave. You get smaller pieces of reed and weave extra bits into the top to close it off.

STEP 9.
The Extra long bits you made at the start, weave it through the other side, and get another peice of reed and wrap it tight around the handle strand to make the handle thicker. Tuck it in the start and at the end.

STEP 10.
Sand the edges of the gourd to make the base round. Varnish the whole thing once it has dried. Once the varnish has dried you have made your first Caxixi!!!!

From my understanding, deeper sounding Caxixi’s should go with higher pitched Berimbau’s, for higher pitched Caxixi’s they should go with lower pitched Berimbau’s.

Feel free to ask any questions or provide more comments! and Good Luck!

Sifu Francis Fong, Guro Dan Inosanto, Ajarn Surachai “Chai” Sirisute.

These are some beautiful writings inscripted on the walls of Guro Dan Inosanto’s Academy in Marina Del Rey, Los Angeles.
Guro Dan Inosanto is one of the most amazing, inspiring Martial Artists I have ever known. If you ever get the chance I would highly recommend anyone from any background to meet him if you have the chance.
Guro Dan Inosanto has trained a couple of classes of Capoeira before, he loves the footwork in Capoeira, but particularly loves the music. He even has a berimbau!

This martial arts creed I believe to be a great base for any Martial Arts academy.

MARTIAL ARTS CREED

I will keep in mind, that skill in the martial arts requires constant training, maintenance and mental discipline.

It is in your eyes beloved Bahia,
The sandy scent of scarlet streets
the cobble stoned winding curves
caressing glinted glances of coloured heat

thank you.

Capoeira e luta de bailarinos. E danca de Gladiadores. E duelo de camaradas. E jogo e bailado, e disputa-simbiose perfeita de forca e ritmo, poesia e agilidade. Unica em que os movimentos sao comandados pelo canto.
A submissao da forca ao ritmo da violencia, a melodia, a sublimacao dos atagonismos.
Na capoeira os contendores nao sao adversarios, sao “camaradas”. Nao lutam, fingem lutar. Procuram- genialmente dar a visao atistica de um combate. Acima do espirito de competicao ha neles um sentido de beleza. O caoeirista e um artista e um atleta, um jogador e um poeta.

Seu sonho, seu desejo, vivem como o nascer do sol, dia a dia.

Capoeira is the fight of ballerinas. It is the dance of the gladiators. It is the dual between comrades. The game is a dance, it is a perfect symbiotic dispute between force and rhythm, poetry and agility. Unique because the movements are commanded by the song. The submission of forces, of rhythm, of violence, of melody; a subliminal antagonist.

Your dream, your desire, lives like the sunrise, day by day.