When Capoeira Gets Serious

Let me first start by saying that Capoeira is a fighting system before it is a game. it was only disguised that way by the West African slaves in Brazil when the Portuguese ruled it too dangerous and outlawed it. The techniques in capoeira are techniques passed down, however, it is a street self defense system that can encompass more moves than what is in it. Since it was not developed by a military power like many of the other martial arts it does not really have a solid form when it comes to the practical aspect of it nor does it limit the types of moves one can use. The limitation only lie in the game aspect of Capoeira to keep the rhythem going and to protect the safety of the players.

Unlike many believe the Jinga (or rocking/swinging) motion is not vital in the real aplication of capoeira. It is still very important because it is really meant to emulate the idea of balance (as in asian martial arts the concept of ying and yang). What that means is that when two players face each other and start to jinga they are pretty much following each other's motions, emulating the action and repsonse sequence. So if one kicks the other evades, ducks or blocks depending on the proper response. Moreover, when you are performing the jinga you should not move side to side aimlessly (which is what over 90% of capoeira practitioners do unfortunately), what really one should do is slowly move one leg to one side and then follow with the body if it is safe to do so, if not one must retreat or adjust the positioning of the body depending on the coming attack. In capoeira angola this is easier to do since the tempo of the music is slower but in capoeira regional it is hard because of the fast pace and acrobatics, this is a big example of why angola, the more traditional of the two, is better for understanding the self defense aspect of capoeira. Another huge advantage of the Basa Jinga (Jinga Base) is that it lowers your center of gravity and if you can keep it low while moving it a) builds a strong core and leg muscles, b) gives the kicks and upper and lower body rotations more torque and speed and c) makes it harder for the opponent to take you down. One of the other advantages of the motion of the jinga is the up and down motion and moving while on the floor. This makes the Capoerista very versatile and good on his hands and feet when it comes to moving, attacking and escaping.

In a way one can think of capoeira as ju jitsu, but developed in a land far away from japan and has constant motion.



First here is a look at some clips that include full contact capoeira games showing the realism of some of the techniques within the realm of traditional Joga (game)








This is a clip of capoeiristas performing a blend of acrobats, non-contact and contact sparring



and this is a clip of a capoeira game gone wrong!



Here are some Meistres (Masters) showing and explaining the different fighting aspects of capoeira and their applications in real life (some might still maintain a more traditional movement with the jinga)
















Finally here is a capoeira fighter in a MMA match (got lucky with the first couple of kicks though)