arnisador said:
I'd love to hear some stories about people using capoeira for self-defense! I know it can be done, but I've never seen it. The sequences in the movie "The Mighty Quinn" were fairly convincing, though!
Well, I have not used capoeira to defend myself, nor have I witnessed anyone else do it, tho I have seen some rough rodas. I do have some thoughts on it, tho, and my opinions are based on about 7-8 years of obsessive training in capoeira, and a martial arts career of about 21 years.
First, I think it is important to distinguish between the "fight" of capoeira and the "game" of capoeira.
The game is what is played in the roda. This is where capoeiristas are able to bring out their best moves and be creative. While the game can be quite rough and even dangerous, it is still done with respect (or at least should be) so it is understood that much of what is done is meant to develop the physical dialoge between the players. This is not often the same as what would be done in a fight.
The Fight of capoeira is what would be used in a real street fight or self defense situation. Much of the acrobatics and such that make capoeira so unusual and beautiful would be eliminated under these circumstances. I think capoeira has some unusual techniques that could be quite useful on the street. Examples are the kick known as the Meia Lua de Compasso, as well as the groundwork and other footwork that the art uses. I think these techniques can be useful and can catch an opponent by surprise if he has never seen capoeira before. This surprise is what gives capoeira its strength.
Much of what makes a great capoeira game has no place on the street. It would get you killed. I suspect a fight on the street involving a capoeirista may look fairly similar to a fight involving another kind of martial artist. There may be some techniques that are uniquely capoeira, but I would be surprised to see any deliberate "ginga" or acrobatics. It would probably be brutal and nasty and rather ugly, like most fighting.
