Capoeira << kah poo AY rah >> is a martial art that developed in Brazil during the 1500’s. Capoeira is one of the most dramatic and beautiful of the martial arts. It involves such acrobatic movements as back flips and cartwheels, as well as kicks. Most capoeira maneuvers are executed with the feet and legs. Often the practitioner performs these movements while in a handstand position.
Capoeira is often performed within a roda, which is a circle of singing and clapping spectators. In the roda, two opponents attack and defend to the accompaniment of a single-string bowlike musical instrument called a berimbau. The music’s tempo determines the speed and kind of action the practitioners perform.
Capoeira may have originated in the movements of the religious dances and warrior training of several West African and South African ethnic groups. After many of these people were taken to Brazil as slaves, they continued to practice the movements, which developed into the modern martial art.
During the 1800’s, the Brazilian government sometimes outlawed capoeira because it was used by criminals to attack victims. The government formally legalized capoeira in 1928, and it was recognized as a national sport in 1972. At that time, rules were established for capoeira as a competitive sport. Beginning in the 1970’s, interest in capoeira began to spread internationally.
See also Martial arts .
