Capoeira Fighter Gets Owned (video)

MA-Caver

Sr. Grandmaster
MT Mentor
Please understand that I have a LOT of respect for the MA known as Capoeria. One of my close caving friends is a long time practitioner of the art and knows his stuff and I can see how it can be quite effective... provided that it's not done like this show-boating fella in the video.
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For demos and all of that, the moves, flips, and etc ... it's neat to watch and probably neater to do. But when you're in a fight/ring/wherever and you are going full blows... better to stick to what works in your art and not show off. Hope that guy learned his lesson the hard-way... from the looks of it... seems he did.
 
Sorry my friend. This clip is actually from the movie Never Back Down. I just caught it on Pay-Per-View the other night. This is a different camera angle than they use in the movie though.
 
Yup, it is Hollywood (and not a terrible movie for a martial arts flick) yet even though faked it is still amusing.

Regards
Brian King
 
OWNED! movie or not, its amusing. I actually caught myself asking, why is there a huge gathering for a fight? Then I caught on. Just goes to show you, stick to the basics.
 
Even though that's from a movie (not half-bad BTW), I don't think a similar situation in "real life" would end that much differently. :cool:
 
Yah, this clip came up on another discussion forum. It looks like it as a home video shot on set by one of the extras.
 
Ya, I saw that movie. Never Back Down... It was okay... I mean, the storyline was moving and all, but it was a little poopy... The main character somehow learns enough martial arts in like 2 months to take on the best fighter in town, who's had ~14 years of training. Not only that, but to get to the point of taking him on, the main character has to beat a bunch of other butt-whoopers in an underground fightclub. Really? I mean, really? Some people have natural talent, but ya can't train at an MMA gym for two months and beat everyone in Miami... Just not gonna happen...

Good clip though :)
 
Oh, that's funny. And the Indiana Jones comparrison!! Classic!! Ah man my side hurts... I think I'm tearing up! LOL
 
As a serious question to any practioners of the style watching that, is that sort of 'cartwheeling-action' actually a part of the core art? Or is it more of the ilk of the jumping and spinning kicks we see elsewhere i.e. could work but not a good percentage 'shot' when the chips hit the table?
 
As a serious question to any practioners of the style watching that, is that sort of 'cartwheeling-action' actually a part of the core art? Or is it more of the ilk of the jumping and spinning kicks we see elsewhere i.e. could work but not a good percentage 'shot' when the chips hit the table?
From what I've seen from a couple of friends who dabbled in this style, this stuff is part of it.
 
As a serious question to any practioners of the style watching that, is that sort of 'cartwheeling-action' actually a part of the core art? Or is it more of the ilk of the jumping and spinning kicks we see elsewhere i.e. could work but not a good percentage 'shot' when the chips hit the table?

I had a friend in State College whose brother practices Capoeira. He showed me only a few concepts, as I only really met/spent any time with him just once. One thing he showed me was a heel kick from the ground. It wasn't as acrobatic as this video is. He had both hands and one foot on the ground, and channeled the momentum from ALL of his body into the kick, which was like a wheel kick to the head. He went into the kick from the footwork in Capoeira where you dance side to side, alternatingly placing one foot behind as you step to each side... I don't remember what the footwork is called but I think it's the basic stance of the art. Anyway it was very fluid and the kick, being supported from the ground up by 3 limbs instead of one, like a standing kick would be, looked immensely powerful. One thing I noticed, though, was that all the dancing seemed to telegraph the technique.
 
That 'telegraphing' is what occured to me too. I don't doubt the power of the techniques in the slightest, I was just wondering what it was that prevented the opponent from just getting 'out from under' so to speak.

I know that speed plays an important roll in negating evasion but I'm assuming that there must be some deceptive manoevering built in to the art as well?
 
I am not a practitioner of Capoeira, but I do know that it was an art created by enslaved peoples (mostly tribal Africans) in south-eastern Brazil. These people weren't allowed to build an obvious fighting system. Capoeira, to my knowledge, evolved as a fighting system with functional martial applications which are hidden inside of dance and games. I believe the art was traditionally practiced in groups. Some would sing and play instruments while others would train in their art. The motions would have appeared as just an acrobatic, rhytmic dance to any of those who had enslaved these people. I've heard that the techniques and the foundations of Capoeira likely were already known to many of the Africans who developed the style.

I knew a guy in college named Luis. He was one of the founders of our fight club. He was a great wrestler and an amazing fighter. He never mentioned his art, but after he graduated I was told that in his home country he was a champion in Capoeira. I never saw him do any of the flips and showy stuff, but I had seen him throw some amazing kicks and punches.

I think for the movie, Never Back Down, they wanted it to look showy so they could make it a bit of a joke. I wonder how a real Capoeira pracitioner would have approached a fight like that...
 
That 'telegraphing' is what occured to me too. I don't doubt the power of the techniques in the slightest, I was just wondering what it was that prevented the opponent from just getting 'out from under' so to speak.

I know that speed plays an important roll in negating evasion but I'm assuming that there must be some deceptive manoevering built in to the art as well?

I also wonder how effective the art would be close range. Could someone who's an efficient trap boxer disarm these techniques simply by being up close and personal? We need some input from practitioners of Capoeira, here! lol I'm surprised somebody isn't upset by this video, that seems to be making fun of the art.
 
Please understand that I have a LOT of respect for the MA known as Capoeria. One of my close caving friends is a long time practitioner of the art and knows his stuff and I can see how it can be quite effective... provided that it's not done like this show-boating fella in the video.
[yt]9018hv0cZuo[/yt]
For demos and all of that, the moves, flips, and etc ... it's neat to watch and probably neater to do. But when you're in a fight/ring/wherever and you are going full blows... better to stick to what works in your art and not show off. Hope that guy learned his lesson the hard-way... from the looks of it... seems he did.

That was funny as all get out no matter if a movie or not. Showboating will get you nowhere. LOL
 

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