Dancing as a defensive mechanism

Have you ever used dancing as a defensive mechanism? As crazy as it sounds, there is a type of dance, characterized by the appearance of fighting elements, we are talking about Capoeira, a brazilian martial art. It emerged in the 16th century among slaves from Angola, who had to defend themselves from the subjugation they faced when they were taken to Brazil. Picture this, martial arts into dancing; there wasn’t a better way to combat their oppressors; of course, in the beginning, as many other dance styles, it was banned, but a while later, it turned out to be the main element of the Brazilian culture.

Back then, their best weapons were their dance movements, not just any movement though; we are making reference to the Ginga, which in Portuguese means “to swing back and forth” and within the capoeira world it means the “fighting stance”. What Ginga really represents for Brazilians, is their spirit, they adopted it from Africa, and it will remain until the end of their lives. If you would like to learn the Ginga movement, you can check this StepFlix class that will teach you how to perform it correctly.

Usually, others brazilian dance fighting stances are static and facing towards the front, but in the case of the Ginga is the opposite, it starts with the feet a little over shoulder-distance apart and from there, the player takes turns to bring their legs behind the other and then back to the base again. In Capoeira, many movements are carried out while in a handstand position, like if they were performing stunts, often reminding us of modern Breakdance moves.

This brazilian martial art had turned into a fun way of staying in shape, making Brazilians not only to lose weight but also to tone up their muscles, not to mention that it was a great method to help them with their coordination and musicality, as it is played with several instruments, such as Berimbau, a single string percussion, Lalua da Atabaque, used to create taps and steps in Capoeira, Djembe, a drum covered with animal skin, and last but not least, Pandeiro, a hand-held drum framed with wood and six pairs of metal discs along the sides. The faster all these instruments are played, the more lively the capoeirista moves, which is the name that the person who studies Capoeira receives.

Later on, Capoeira became a natural element of everyday life, since it started to be used as a sport too. Currently, Brazil is renowned because of its Football players. However, Capoeira remained popular among the masses and was declared their National Sport and cultural heritage by UNESCO in 2014.

One of the uniqueness, when joining this brazilian martial art, is that each Capoeira teacher will give a nickname to their students based on their physical movements, it is usually given in Portuguese. It can be the name of animals, inanimate objects, household appliances, and even adjectives. Also, Capoeira has levels, just like any other martial art, established by the color of the belt worn by the Capoeirista. The belt is called Corda and has different meanings depending on its color, here are some examples:

White (Amateur), the person who wears it, is perceived as a student full of potential for growth.
Yellow (Baptized student) Usually, this corda is given to students for welcoming them to the capoeira world.
Orange (Aluno) At this level, students have a deeper understanding of Capoeira; they now begin to use many kicks and acrobatic movements.
Blue(Graduado) – At this level, students graduate. Now they must learn to share their own knowledge with others.
Green (Instructor) – At this level, Capoeirista continues to improve their skills, which now includes the ability to teach.
Purple (Profesor) They get Malicia skill, which means they now have the ability to surprise and confuse their opponents.
Brown (Contramestre) they are the right hand of the Mestre in their group.
Black (Mestre) – This is the highest and most challenging level to achieve; they are considered masters of Capoeira.

Now that you learned more about Capoeira’s history, you can understand many aspects of Brazilian culture, art, and socialization. Capoeira is very special and unique because it is not like other martial arts that only prioritize self-defense, it embraces other elements such as music and dance. If you feel like it, try it because it is a perfect way to get healthy fitness habits and acquire body and mental awareness.

Also read: What no one ever tells you about getting a toned body