The Evolution of Capoeira
In 1538 the first Portuguese slave ships arrived in Bahia bringing thousands of people from western Africa. Through the tribulations of slavery the new Brazilians became masters of survival, holding on to and adapting their native cultures to the new situation. There are very few aspects of Brazilian culture today that have not somehow been touched by the legacy of the early African - Brazilians.

As in most other cultures the Africans had over the centuries developed many forms of combat both armed and unarmed. These combat arts did not cease to exist for the Africans just because they were enslaved, but evolved to fit the new reality under which the Africans now lived.

One common theory is that the practise of martial arts was forbidden by the slave owners so the slaves concealed the martial practice in dance. This ingenious solution allowed the warriors to reach a very high level of fighting skill right under the noses of their captors without being detected!

There were good reasons for slaves to maintain their fighting skills. One was liberation, to protect themselves against and possibly escape from the brutal treatment to which they were subject by the Portuguese. Another reason was to protect themselves from the immediate threat of violence in their daily lives.

In addition to immediate self defense it was also desirable to the community to have a forum where personal animosities and differences could be aired without the conflict escalating which might result in punitive measure by the overseers against the group as a whole.

Capoeira evolved from these unique specifications for a fighting art and came to manifest many of the traits beneficial to survival under those conditions.

The "Game" of Capoeira
One distinct characteristic of Capoeira is that the practice is not referred to as fighting or sparring, but playing. The purpose is, unlike many other arts, not to win the “game” as soon as possible but to prove ones superiority by demonstrating greater skill, leaving the implicit but unmistakable message: “I could take you anytime”.

Contact is only made occasionally, most of the time it is a friendly game where the participants execute complicated moves at close proximity to the other player without hitting or being hit. Occasionally a game can become “closed” which means the energy shifts from playful to combative, possibly because of previously existing animosity between the two players or a particularly audacious and disrespectful move on the part of one participant.

Capoeira can be played with as few as two people. Generally however a larger group is present with at least four musicians and the remainder of the group seated in a circle called a "Roda" (haw-duh), with two players in the center of the circle.

The Dance and the Music
Capoeira, as well as being a martial art, is also a dance. It is the dance and music that most distinguishes Capoeira from other martial arts.

Like all dances Capoeira has a basic step, it is called "Ginga" (zheen-gah). Ginga is a flowing step that follows a triangular pattern from which all kicks and other moves are initiated. It is this flowing step that gives Capoeira its graceful appearance and provides the player with amazing mobility.

The Ginga is done to the beat of five basic percussion instruments: The Berimbau (bee-rim-bauw), a bow shaped instrument with a gourd (a Brazilian adaptation of one of the oldest African percussion instruments known), is the lead instrument and controls the rhythm and the tempo, and thus the game.

The different rhythms have meanings; one may signify a fighting game, another may indicate an exhibition game. An "Angola" game is played close to the ground to a slower rhythm, involves more ritual and has much fewer of the high kicks known in other martial arts. A "Regional" (heh-zhun-auw) game is generally played to a faster rhythm, involves flying kicks and ballistic aerial acrobatics, and resembles in some ways Asian martial arts.