Capoeira

[loki09789]

Snipes primary art is Capoeira

He looks more like a hard stylist/kickboxer in "Murder at 1600" and "Passenger 57"(or whatever the number was) as well as in Blade to a degree. He did some stuff for a tv Martial Arts special around the time of the first Blade movie that featured alot of MA master class artists. Not surprisingly, they were predominately from NYC and predominately black - which fights one of SNIPES' goals of trying to create a black action hero and role models for black kids. I think it was/is a positive thing. My son LOVES the movies and SNIPES. Black, white or purple with pink pocka dots, I encourage my son to use SNIPES action roles as motivation and MA role model

He seems VERY athletic regardless of style because some of the FMA looking things were very fluid and dynamic.

 

[ThuNder_FoOt]

I agree. He's definately on the list as one of my role models... hehe. I've also been taking lessons in Capoeira. It is seriously helping to improve the other arts I study!!! Good gracious, and I thought I was flexbile due to Taekwondo... ha! These guys pull off some unbelieveable things, I'm definately enjoying myself!! I've since dropped down to only once a week unfortunately though, thats all the time I can spare... so many intriguing arts, and not enough time to study all of them!!!

 

[kurobushi]

Yea, Wesley does train in Capoeira, he uses the Mea-Lua-De compasso in a few scenes in Passanger 57 and Some armadas in other movies (last spinning kick in Blade is called An Armada De Choape(sp?) I think) For screen presence though, he tends to use his harder styles of Karate. Not sure how they say he has a "black belt" in it,as it usually goes by Cords and I think The Double White Cord or Green/Yellow is the higest rank. Regardless, I'm not sure if he actively uses it besides a few pretty kicks or if he actively participates in Rodas and workshops, as it's not just about doing the moves, your rank also has to do with your knowledge of the songs and playing instruments. THing with most of the "screen Capoeira" is that the kicks are similar to other martial arts(The Armada = Spinning Heel Kick, Martelo =Roundhouse) , with the Exception of the Mea Lua de Compasso and Rabo de arraia, which are closer to being exclusive.

Good discussion on the art though. I will check out Rooftops (which it does indeed say the style is Capoeira) and I want to find some of Mestre Capoeira's movies. May have to get them offline. His books are awsome if you want to know more. Pikc up the Little Capoeira Book. Got a good training guide in it too.

As for me, I just began practining in it about a month and still getting used to basics. It's awsome though, and is a good connection to my past.

 

[Bigodinho]

My understanding is that Master Snipes holds black belt ranking in capoeira! At least that is what his website said. Sincerely, In Humility; Chicuce!

As far as I know, Wesley Snipes is not a master in capoeira. I can tell you this from first hand knowledge because Mr. Snipes was trained in capoeira for many years by my Master, Jelon Vieira of Grupo Capoeira Brasil. Our belt system, or cord system as we call it, goes from white to black, black being a grand master. Capoeira has many different cord systems depending on the group. To become a grand master in our group is a lifetime of work, anywhere between 20 to 25 years. And I know for certain, Mr. Snipes has not trained capoeira for that long. Capoeira is still fairly young in the U.S. My master, or Mestre in Portuguese, is widely known in the world of capoeira as the pioneer of capoeira in the U.S. In 1975, he was the first capoeirista to bring capoeira to America. He landed in New York, and set roots and began the first capoeira class. Months after, Mestre Bira Almeida, also know as Mestre Acordeon, came to the U.S. and set roots in San Francisco. If anyone is ever curious and would like to know more about the roots and history of capoeira, go to our website at capoeiratexas.com. Or, feel free to ask.

Monitor Bigodinho
Grupo Capoeira Brasil

 

[GAB]

It really sounds like an interesting MA, would like to purchase the book that is being talked about, is it available at the website that was posted, I tried to get into it but was unable. Thank you, G

 

[Bigodinho]

Which website is that?

 

[GAB]

To: BIGODINHO
I received the information from you on another post site.
Went to the Wikipedia site on the net, quite a bit of information there.
Thanks again for your help. Regards, Gary

 

[Shogun]

Wouldnt what most people consider a black belt (instructor grade) in capoeira be a 1st degree Blue belt? I thought that is the belt level where one can instruct....isnt it around 6-9 years of training?

 

[Bigodinho]

Wouldnt what most people consider a black belt (instructor grade) in capoeira be a 1st degree Blue belt? I thought that is the belt level where one can instruct....isnt it around 6-9 years of training?

That is correct to a certain degree. In our group a blue cord is about the equivalent of a 2nd degree black belt in most other MA. A blue and red is about a 1st degree. In our cord system there are no 1st degree, 2nd degree, etc. Mainly because we can stay at one cord level for an unspecified amount of time. For example, I'm at a blue & red now and I may be at this level for about 3 to 4 years, depending on how my instructor feels I'm improving. Because capoeira involves so many things besides the martial art, learning music, learning instruments, learning how to make some of the instruments, learning it's history, traveling, it's hard to really determine when your ready to move to the next level. For example, I'm here in San Antonio, I can make my blue cord here, however, in order to make green, I have to travel to Brazil and receive it there when I ready to move up.

 

[Rich Parsons]

That is correct to a certain degree. In our group a blue cord is about the equivalent of a 2nd degree black belt in most other MA. A blue and red is about a 1st degree. In our cord system there are no 1st degree, 2nd degree, etc. Mainly because we can stay at one cord level for an unspecified amount of time. For example, I'm at a blue & red now and I may be at this level for about 3 to 4 years, depending on how my instructor feels I'm improving. Because capoeira involves so many things besides the martial art, learning music, learning instruments, learning how to make some of the instruments, learning it's history, traveling, it's hard to really determine when your ready to move to the next level. For example, I'm here in San Antonio, I can make my blue cord here, however, in order to make green, I have to travel to Brazil and receive it there when I ready to move up.

Some Maestros from what I have seen, never trained, use White,Green,Yellow,Blue in the ranking cords, and depending upon what the ranker believes the color mix can vary. Also if there is a senior student who knows what (s)he knows and they start a sub group, to have training partner, they are then a teacher in this state of mind, yet not an instructor of the art, if that makes sense. For the senior would take them to see or bring in the Instructor to teach and review them.

:asian:

 

[Bigodinho]

Some Maestros from what I have seen, never trained, use White,Green,Yellow,Blue in the ranking cords, and depending upon what the ranker believes the color mix can vary. Also if there is a senior student who knows what (s)he knows and they start a sub group, to have training partner, they are then a teacher in this state of mind, yet not an instructor of the art, if that makes sense. For the senior would take them to see or bring in the Instructor to teach and review them.

:asian:

In our group the ranking structure is very similar to other martial arts, going from white to black, with the exception of maybe the blue & red cord. If you'd like to see our rank structure, check out our website at www.capoeiratexas.com/cords.html

Black in our group is a master and takes about 20 to 25 years to acheive.

 

[Ceicei]

Is there a list of Capoeira groups in the USA? Capoeira isn't as well known and I have some friends inquiring....

- Ceicei

 

[Bigodinho]

If you go to www.capoeirista.com you can check a listing of schools by city, state, and country. There is also a lot of good information about the art itself. If you would like to know any information at all, please ask. I'll be happy to answer any of your questions.

 

[OUMoose]

Just curious, are the aerial acrobatics learned through training in class or outside through experimentation? Thought I had seen mention of it previously in the thread, but I couldn't seem to locate it.

BTW, the vid clips on your group's site are awesome, Bigodinho.

 

[Quick Sand]

I'm SUPER EXCITED right now. artyon:

I got a job this summer in a city that has a Capoeira school and I'm REALLY hoping to be able to join it.

I'm also really excited about the musical aspect of this art. I have a univeristy music degree and am curently doing a 2 year program to learn to fix woodwinds and brass and I plan to do that for a living so you might say that music is an important part of my life. . . . .

 

[Ceicei]

I'm SUPER EXCITED right now. artyon:

I got a job this summer in a city that has a Capoeira school and I'm REALLY hoping to be able to join it.

I'm also really excited about the musical aspect of this art. I have a univeristy music degree and am curently doing a 2 year program to learn to fix woodwinds and brass and I plan to do that for a living so you might say that music is an important part of my life. . . . .

Congratulations!

Let us know how it goes when you join! I'm really curious to read along as you share your experiences!

When are you going this summer and what will you be doing with your job? Is it the musical instruments repair internship?

- Ceicei

 

[fraguas]

Hello, people

Sorry about my english (I'm brazilian).
"Capoeira" is not a untranslatable term, it means "low grass" in Tupi, a native south america language. The term came from the fact that the capoeira was played (that's it, we say "jogo de capoeira", that means "capoeira game" or "capoeira movement" and we say "jogar capoeira", that means "to play capoeria" instead "lutar capoeira", that means "to fight capoeira") in a very low posture because the slaves used to train after the work in the "senzala" (slave prison) that used to have a very low roof, you just coudn't to stay erect in there.

Later, in the 20th century, the capoeira developed to a more acrobatic dance/fight/game (what ever you want). Here in Brazil we have two main styles of capoeira, "Regional" and "Angola". "Angola" is the older, and it is said that it was brought from África (as the name says) and it's said that that style is more a dance than a fighting style, it is played very slowly, almost like a Tai chi Chuan, and very elegantly, demonstrating control and body conscious. "Regional" is newer than "Angola" and is more like a fighting style (high jumps and killer kicks), is very beatiful to watch a "jogo numa roda de capeira regional" (the game (movements) in a capoeira circle (kind of a improvised dojo, made by people surrounding the players/fighter/capoeras)). The two players kicks very, very fast, jump very highly performing mortals, back-flips and impossible contorsions until some other person in the "roda de capoeira" ask for the game (literal translation of "pedir o jogo", that means, to sign that he is about to substitute some fighter/player in the fight/game). All that happening at the sound of "pandeiro" (brazilian tambourine) and the "berimbau" (a kind of a bow with a resonance box atached to it, very weird for foreigners, indeed).

Ah, the music. The music on capoeira is 80% of the art. The music tells the rhythm of the fight, a very briliant didactic from our art ( I'm not a capoeira player, I study bujinkan budo taijutsu, I'm just talking as a brazilian). You see, to fight is something very similar to the dance, you need rhythm, some times your rhythm and some times the opponent rhythm. You need to understand the rhythm of the fight in order to reach victory, read the "tao of jeet kune do" for example and you will see what I trying to say.

In resume, capoeira is a fighting system and a dance style. But, more important than anything, capoeira is a very beatiful cultural aspect of my country. You must come, enjoy our sun, our beaches and mountains, our happy people, our nature and to watch a trully "roda de capoeira" (capoeira circle) at the street in a sunny weekend, having a cold beer and betwen your friends to understand how beautiful the capoeria is. Be my guest.

Ninpo Ikkan
Gustavo

 

[arnisador]

Wow, thanks for that info.! I never knew what the term actually meant.

 

[Quick Sand]

Wow, fragus, thanks for the invite and the great post. :asian: I can only hope that I have that opportunity to visit Brazil some day.

Ceicei, yeah, I'm moving there at the beginning of May do to a 4 month internship repairing instruments at a store. I'll keep you posted about the club. I'm actually heading down this weekend to look for a place to live so I'm going to try and stop in at the school at watch a roda. I know they have one every Saturday.

I think this club might be "Regional" style but I'm not sure yet.

 

[fraguas]

That's great, quick sand

If you come to Belo Horizonte, visit my dojo. It is in the "grupo ginga" of capoeira at avenue Nossa Senhora do Carmo, 123. That's it, I train ninjutsu at a capoeira academy. It'll be such a pleasure receive you there.