What is Capoeira Angola ?
Capoeira Angola is a harmonious Afro-Brazilian martial art that is more than 500 years old. Developed by the slaves as a means to strengthen the body and uplift their community, it is practiced by men, women, and children in Brazil and throughout the world. It will get you moving with its dynamic rhythm and movement. It teaches the fundamentals of dance, singing, music, martial arts and introduces you into the deep traditions embedded in Afro-Brazilian ritual as it has been preserved in Bahia, Brazil.
The movements of Capoeira Angola blend Afro-Brazilian, history, spirituality, and philosophy into beautiful "game". Like many African based traditions, it is orally transmitted from masters to students. Capoeira was hidden from slave masters and practiced in secret. Not until the 1930's was it made legal to teach and practice Capoeira Angola . It survivies because of the wisdom and dedication of a handful of mestres.
Played in a circle, the roda (game) of Capoeira Angola is an infinitely varied combination of movements, a mix of acrobatics, rituals, dance. Paradoxically it expresses humor and seriousness, fun and struggle, attack and escape, to teach the wisdom embedded in this tradition.