SOUL CAPOEIRA CLASSES

Soul Capoeira Classes are run in Adelaide, South Australia. Capoeira combines Afro-brazilian martial arts, dance, music and acrobatics. It is open for the complete beginner and helps develop fitness, flexibility, co-ordination, strength and endurance in a fun and energizing session!

CAPOEIRA FUNDAMENTALS – FOR BEGINNERS

These classes are for complete beginners, they run on mondays and wednesdays from 6-7pm.
They take you through the fundamental movements of capoeira. The classes help your body become aware of the movements and the various exercises that may be involved in the open classes.

ALL LEVELS CAPOEIRA CLASS

These classes are open to everyone of all abilities. It is recommended to do the beginners classes first or at least while you are starting out capoeira. The open class is focused mainly on individual exercises to help one with co-ordinating and focusing on your own movements.

BRAZILIAN DANCE CLASS

DANCE CLASSES are open for everyone and designed to cover many aspects of brazilian dance from samba to folkloric dances like maculele, puxada de rede and afro dance.

RODA

RODA roda is an open free get together, where we all play music and play and celebrate capoeira. it is open to everyone and is recommended for everyone to attend. The roda is a very important aspect of capoeira.

KIDS CLASSES

are held on TUESDAY and FRIDAY at 515pm-6pm. age from 6-12years old. $8 a class, and parents can join in for free!

CLASS TIMETABLE

MONDAY
6-7pm: CAPOEIRA FUNDAMENTALS-FOR BEGINNERS
7-8pm: ALL LEVELS CAPOEIRA CLASS

TUESDAY
5:15-6pm: KIDS CLASS
6-7pm:ALL LEVELS CAPOEIRA CLASS
7-8pm:ALL LEVELS CAPOEIRA CLASS

WEDNESDAY
6-7pm:CAPOEIRA FUNDAMENTALS CLASS
7-8pm:BRAZILIAN DANCE CLASS

THURSDAY
6-7pm:ALL LEVELS CAPOEIRA CLASS
7-8pm:CAPOEIRA TRICKZ

FRI
5:15-6pm: KIDS CLASS
7-8pm: RODA

How much does it cost?

It is $5 for your first class, and your second class is free. After that, you can pay accordingly:
Casual rate: $12
Concession: $10

IF PAYING PER MONTH:
$40 1st time monthly membership unlimited classes (must pay within the first month of training).
OR FOR REGULARS:
$40/ 1xclass/wk
$70/ 2xclasses/wk
$80/ 3xclasses/wk
$90/unlimited classes/wk
Annual membership fee: $60
(the annual fees are to be paid once a year only, after the first month that you have begun coming to classes).

Uniforms:

Shirts: $30
Pants: $60
Uniforms are compulsory after the first month of practice.

What should I bring?

Some water to drink, a sweat towel and a good attitude.

What should I wear?

some comfortable clothing that you would wear to the gym. Most people go bare foot.

LOCATIONS

SOUL CAPOEIRA STUDIO
BASEMENT, 38 CURRIE STREET, ADELAIDE CITY.

FOR ANY ENQUIRIES OR IF YOU GET LOST PLEASE CALL CHAN: 0403 301 285

CAN ANYONE BECOME MUSICAL?

But is everyone born to sway? is music something that is within everyones grasp? I believe so. For me, it is like being in high school again. The subjects I tended to like and be good at, were not because of the subject itself, rather it was how well I responded to the teacher that taught it. The better I fell in tune with the teacher, the more I liked the subject, the more I wanted to work at it, and the easier it was to learn. I believe music is very much the same. If you can find a teacher that can guide you through your own mind, anything is possible.

There are so many ways people connect; it is a teachers job to find those connections and use them to empower and encourage the student to believe they can do it, as well as being able to do it.

CHECK OUT THE TUTORIAL!

Within the small tutorial below, is a few variations on the instruments of capoeira. They are basic, and with each instruments three variations are provided from easiest to more difficult. I will endeavor to create more to help you find that inner rhythm, but for now this should help you get going. I am sorry if it is too easy/hard for some people to pick up, I am just trying to reach a broader scope of people, with what I have. I do not have a recording studio, nor a mic, so the sound is pretty deadpan, but hopefully I will be able to afford better equipment in the future. If you have any suggestions or feedback, please let me know!

axe!

Chan Griffin.

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.

This rhythm is called the hino da capoeira regional, or, the capoeira regional anthem.
Some people call this rhythm Santa Maria too.
This rhythm is highly subjective, and often changes subtly from group to group, from teacher to teacher.
This is they way that Formado Cacador from the Associacao de capoeira Mestre Bimba taught me.
Thanks Cacador!

I have broken it down into parts to make it easier to understand and learn.

In our academy, we usually play this rhythm at the beginning and the end of class.

Just a few pointers:

1. I believe the objective of this rhythm is for people to have time to reflect on capoeira from the past, present and future. It is to also help give time to pay homage to capoeiristas who have helped build the art.

2. Usually a formado or someone competent at berimbau will be assigned to play the rhythm. We usually all line up in order of rank facing a picture of Mestre Bimba.

3. Everyone will place there right hand on their heart, stand upright and reflect on capoeira whilst the berimbau plays the rhythm. When the rhythm is finished, the teacher will lift his hand from his heart and clearly say “salve!” Then, everyone in unison will follow by doing the same gesture and repeat, ‘salve!’.

4. They will call this the “saudacao” which means to pay homage. At the end of class before the saudacao, it is common for the teacher to talk and reflect about the class, and for the students to comment on the class. It is also an open forum for people to talk about certain events or things that are happening at the time.

Here is a breakdown:
H= High note, rock pressed on wire
L= Low note, rock not on wire, solto
T= Rock loosely pressed against wire, tich.

1st Part
L L / L L L L / L L L H L H
T T H H H H / H H H L H L

T T L L L L/ L L L L H L H
T T H H H H/ H H H L H L

2nd Part
T T L T T L / T T L H L H
T T H T T H / T T H L H L

3rd Part
T T L L L L/ L L L L L L
T T L L L L / L L L H L H

T T H H H H/ H H H H H H
T T H H H H/ H H H L H L

4rth part a.
T T L T T L / T T L H L H
T T H T T H / T T H L H L

4rth part b.
T T L T T L / T T L H L H
T T H T T H / T T H L H L / L L H L H L/
L L H L H L / L L H L H L / L L L H /

here is a video of Mestre Bimba playing the ‘hino’.
As you may notice it is played differently, but, what I find is important in all of the berimbau rhythms is to find the heart of the rhythm, the pulse. As long as you have the pulse the notes in between are just extra ‘flavours’.

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 have broken the combination down into the three movements to make it easier to grasp.

Movement 1.
Queixada-Dobrado (a name I just made up then).

Go into the movement as if you were about to kick the queixada. twist the hip, but dont lift the queixada kicking leg just yet.
Sink the weight through the bum and reach with the arm (the arm that is closest to your queixada kicking side). Turn the hip over as you lean and kick through with the opposite leg. (not the queixada kicking leg).
Land like an S-dobrado. It is essentially an S-dobrado from a queixada position. Try and practice landing with the body high, and keeping the second leg that comes around, off the floor at the end of the movement. (will make it easier for you to join it in the combination later on).

Movement 2.
Helicoptor
For the ease of explanation, i am going to refer to the way it is done in this video.
The helicoptor is a movement that I found extremely difficult to learn by myself. Thus I would recommend finding someone who can do it to help you.
Begin by doing an Au then the leg that you would normally land on, in this case, the left leg, will sweep through, low to the ground. The right leg is open, and follows the left.

keep both hands on the floor as long as possible. The movement has three stages, the descent and isolation of the hands going down, the hands staying fixed on the ground and the turning of the legs, and then the third stage is when the Right foot lands on the ground, the legs stay almost neutral whilst the body unwinds itself.

in this third stage, you must push off hard from the ground with the arms, and keep the right leg hard. You must not bend in the hip or you will not be able to push up and out of the movement.

movement 3
backwards walkover, one handed switch

this movement you can begin practicing as if you were practicing an Au. Try and begin facing side on. You could also just practice doing it like a backwards walkover, (if you can do them already), but land on the opposite leg you normally would. You dont need to do it on just one arm, but it does look a little cooler if you do.

tips
Try and do each of the movements individually first, before putting them into the combination.
keep the body rolling, let the motion guide you. Slow it down, no need to rush through it, this will help with the balance.
If you cant do the whole sequence but only parts of it, that is great! use some of those movements to create your own unique combinations!

This combination of reasonable difficulty and would require some level of prior capoeira movement ability to achieve, as you will see below:

TIPS:

TIP 1.
When you are doing the Armada into Queda de Rins, to make it look more beautiful do not touch the ground with the kicking foot. Sweep it all the way through.

When first learning this movement, put your arms on the ground first and then hop and switch the legs as you sink into the queda de rins.

When you go into the switch queda de rins, think of the legs keeping open both laterally and vertically. This will create a windmill effect and make the movement look more aesthetically pleasing.

When you have built yourself up more, you will be able to do a bigger hop, jumping into the queda de rins from the armada.

TIP 2.
From the switch queda de rins position, you will require some arm strength to keep this next part smooth.
Push up with the arms and land the leg that was on top in the queda de rins, first.

Twist the body as you land the second leg landing in almost a ginga type lunge position. Dont rush this part and break it down so that you feel balanced. you can always speed it up later.

TIP 3.
This Au (cartwheel) is quite difficult and will take some getting used to. You are basically taking off from the foot that you would not normally take off from when doing a normal Au. So you swing the back leg first and hop off the front leg.

You land on the leg you hop off.

With the other leg you swing it through so that you can get your body in position ready to do your ponte (back arch).

If you would like you can also do an Au Esquisito instead to add to the aesthetics of the movement (an Au esquisito is like doing a backbend or arching the back and legs in the middle of the Au).

TIP 4.
Almost there! When threading through that second leg really reach with it. This will help you not travel as much in the sequence. instead of doing a full backbend, try and use the first arm for a support and the second arm goes straight into the queda position. You can choose to hop off the furthest leg from your queda arm or just hop off both legs and balance yourself whilst rotating.

Another useful tip is the arm you do not have as much weight on, use it to push yourself around. Land the leg that is closest to the queda hand first and sweep the other leg.

Try and make sure you do not get disorientated within the combination. It is very easy to lose the structure and end up facing all different kinds of ways. So break each step down and be patient. If your wrists/back/body starts to ache, stop doing the movements and do some cool downs. you can always conquer it tomorrow!

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