2009 Batizado | A review from “Tattoo”

Jan 19, 2010 by Capoeirasa    2 Comments    Posted under: Uncategorized

Axe to all you Capoeiristas and the supporters that made the workshops and grading in 2009. It is with great pride that I could take part in such a well organised event and I hope to see many more of you at the next one. Mestre Bogado and Mestre Carlinhos came out from Rio for the event. Their knowledge and teaching methods are of great value and naturally nothing is better than gaining that knowledge straight from Brazil, the largest source of Capoeira in the world.

Mestre Bogado, being as old as he is, still has the energy to demonstrate movements and put us on our posteriors. Despite his comical narcoleptic condition (which a few of us have witnessed) he has the biggest heart and is the most welcoming mestre I have met. His life of Capoeira is an inspiration to us all. Mestre Carlinhos, what can I say about this man? This is a mestre that eats, drinks & breathes rhythm daily and I can honestly say in my own opinion that he moves better than most professional dancers. (I was going to say exotic dancers, but they are more talented elsewhere).

The girls especially enjoyed his Samba workshop – I don’t think I’ve ever seen our female counterparts pay such close attention in class!

Day 1

Maculêlê and Samba were two of our first workshops, and these two dances are not as easy as Mestre Carlinhos makes them look! With the new moves learnt in Maculêlê, I’m sure we’ll be able to put on more dynamic shows. As for Samba, that is something that most women just have the knack for as it’s all in the hips. I just can’t seem to get mine into the swing of it, maybe a bit more practice and some oil for my hip hinges might help. ☺

Day 2

We learnt a few more capoeira techniques to further enhance our games. One movement that sticks out for me is the vengativa as well as the counter movements to avoid it. We had such a great turnout for this workshop that we had to split the class into two so that there would be enough space for all to try the moves out.

Day 3

In this workshop we focused on self defence and how to apply it with the work we have done in Capoeira. The workshop was full but we utilised the space well. The energy expressed in the two rodas both male and female was astounding, making me feel more energetic even after a long workshop of self defence I found myself amped and loaded with energy to continue in the rodas.

A big up to Mestre Estivador whose awesome talent with music playing and singing brings the energy we all need to keep the roda going for hours at a time. My hat also goes off to all the other instructors who hosted the workshops in music and history of Capoeira. My camara, your love for this art is an inspiration and I look forward to joining your ranks and working harder with you all this year.

Capoeira to me is the coming together of friends and families to share in the positive energy of an ever changing world. Whether it is the spectator viewing the energy or the player experiencing and playing in the energy, it all plays an important roll in what has become Capoeira in South Africa today. No matter the borders that may divide us, this art form brings us together, from near and far and from various cultures and religions, Capoeira reminds us of how important it is to interact with others in the game that we call life.

Muito Axé e parabêms a todos. See you in class in 2010!!!

Tattoo

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