Miriam Augustt, Year 7

My Capoeira Experience

Did you know that Capoeira is an Afro-Brazilian martial art that originated from Africa? According to Mestre Fassassi, the founder of Capoeira in Benin, it was the Africans that were captured as slaves by the Portuguese in the 1500s that implemented it for the very first time. They invented it while they worked on the plantations of their masters. Actually, they had no choice because they were not allowed to practice any form of self-defence. Their masters feared a rebellion, so to get away with this, they had to disguise it to look like a harmless dance.

Capoeira combines dance, acrobatics and music. There are five main instruments: berimbau, pandeiro, atabaque,  agogo and reco-reco. Just by listening to the beat of the music, we can feel the undertones of African rhythms. Apart from instruments, Capoeira is composed of many grades which are shown by cords. In fact, at the batizado of this year, held at the Capoeira Centre, I received a new one and I really adore the colour of my cord. It is fiery orange-red on one edge of the belt and yellowish-green on the other.

I started Capoeira at the age of four and believe me, it is a very fun sport and dance to do. I enjoy it because it helps me defend myself and helps my body stay fit. Another reason why I like it is because I don’t feel shy when I perform. With Capoeira, there is no need to talk; I express myself through my movements.  I have also learnt discipline, resilience and respect for others. I still remember my batizado of four years ago at Institut Français. I got kicked in the face by accident, but I still found the courage to go back on stage to compete.  I am so proud of my achievements, but I won’t be where I am today, in this sport, without the help and encouragement of Mr. Fassassi. I hope to continue doing Capoeira for a long, long time.

Nelson Karlsson Oduor, Year 3

Capoeira is like gymnastics and also like fighting. In capoeira there are a lot of moves like au, negativa, bananeira, esquiva lateral, ginga. There is also flip backwards that I can do. The flip backwards we do with hands if we are still a child.