Initiation to capoeira for kids from 5 years old.

Kids will be introduced to the world of capoeira by learning basic movements and body expression, playing traditional Brazilian instruments (percussions: Atabaque and Pandeiro) and singing in Portuguese.

Capoeira is a great tool to develop motor coordination, since its movements involve the entire body.
Introducing fun kids games where the elements of capoeira are incorporated, children learn many important skills including discipline, loyalty, self confidence and respect.

Come and join us!

Address: Yan’An Xi Road n.358, 3rd floor, near Nan Jing Xi Lu (between Nan Jing Xi lu and Zhenning Lu). 延安西路358号3楼
Fees: 120 RMB/kid

The address is 56 Lanxi Lu, not 55 Lanxi Lu, and the vendor number is 50.

There’s actually a better and faster way to get to the vendor: get out at FengQiaoLu (枫桥路) station on line 11, exit 3. Once outside, walk a few meters to the right on CaoYangLu and the market will be on your right hand side (takes 1-2 minutes). The #50 vendor will be on the right-hand side column and is one of the first vendors to appear from this entrance.

The ayi’s surname is Yu 俞, so call her “Yu Ayi” The phone number listed on the webpage is her home phone but it’s missing a “6″, it should be: 62160696. She has a cell phone now: 13564973872. She doesn’t speak any English so if someone wants to order a bag in English, they can e-mail her friend (who knows some English) at: zhanlin_Cindy@hotmail.com

Her vendor opens around 9am and closes at 5pm.

Oh, and the bag’s price is increased to 30 rmb. Depending on the type of material and layers, the cost could be more. I asked for many layers and various fabrics, so mine was 55 rmb.

We’ll hold class on January 3rd at 8:00 PM. Looking forward to seeing you all at the **first** training of 2012!

salve

Kids classes every Saturday from 3:15pm-4:30pm on Yan’An Xi lu n.358, 3rd floor (near Nanjing Xi Lu)

Contact email: capoeirashanghai@yahoo.com

Camaras! 【中文翻译见下文】

Ido Portal will come to Shanghai for a weekend workshop on November 11, 12 and 13! Most of you already know him; some of his videos are on YouKu.

It’s a great opportunity to learn from one of the best movement and balancing trainers in the world. These are not traditional capoeira workshops but something different, special, which will be extremely useful for all of us in order to improve both our equilibrium and floreios.

Everyone should try to attend to all the sessions of the workshop, both beginners and intermediate will benefit from it.

Workshops will focus on communication, floreios and strenght.

Schedule:

• Friday November 11
  • 19:50-21:50 Session I
• Saturday November 12
  • 11:00-13:00: Session II
  • 16:00 – 18:30: Session III
• Sunday November 13
  • 11:00-13:00: Session IV
  • 16:00 – 18:00: Session V

Location: Our gym on Yan’An Xi Lu n.358, Floor 3.

The price is the following:

• 200rmb for one session
• 500rmb for 4 sessions
• 550mb for 5 sessions

If you can attend the workshop please register online here!

中文

著名的技巧和卡波耶拉教练IDO PORTAL 又将回到上海，他将会在11月11日至13日在上海举办培训班。这次他将在上次教授如何练习好平衡的基础上，将会加上一些有关平衡方面的动作练习。

请点这里报名!

课程安排：

周五，11月11日
19:50-21:50 Session I
周六，11月12日
11:00-13:00: Session II
16:00 – 18:30: Session III
周日，11月13日
11:00-13:00: Session IV
16:00 – 18:00: Session V

学费：

• 一节课 —— 200人民币 （单独）
• 四节课 —— 500人民币
• 五节课 —— 550人民币

地址：延安西路358号3楼

Starting from February 18th Diego “Guerreiro” will teach capoeira classes at Kerry Sport Center in Kerry Hotel Pudong. Classes will be every Friday from 7:30pm to 8:20pm.

For information on the classes please contact directly Kerry sport center.

Kerry Hotel Pudong, Shanghai
Pre-opening office, No.1388 Hua Mu Road Pudong, Shanghai 201204, China
T: (86 21) 6169 8888
F: (86 21) 6169 8899

Coro

Tava no quintal da minha casa
O menino me chamou pra vadiar
Eu no meu joguinho bem manero
Vou jogando bem ligeiro
Como o berimbau mandar

Coro

Sua capoeira é ligeira
A minha é devagar

Coro

Sua capoeira é ligeira
A minha é devagar

Coro

Não jogue com tanta agonia
Por que nesta roda
Aqui não vai dar

Coro

Tava no quintal da minha casa
O menino me chamou pra vadiar
Eu no meu joguinho bem manero
Vou jogando bem ligeiro
Como o berimbau mandar

While kung fu can turn someone into a lethal weapon, it probably won’t do much for their dance moves. Fortunately for those hoping to add some swing to their self-defence there is the latest cultural export to explode out of Brazil: the indigenous martial art known as Capoeira. At a gym near Zhongshan Park you can find Capoeiristas practicing this acrobatic martial art. Every Saturday the doors of the gym are open to those who want to give this unique sport which combines music, dancing and self-defense a try. Currently there are around 40 men and women from all over the world taking part in Capoeira Mandinga Shanghai.

Small beginnings

Italian Diego “Guerreio” Pappalardo, 28, first came to Shanghai in 2005 to study Chinese and now works for an Italian bank in the city. After practicing Judo for many years, Pappalardo first came in contact with Capoeira in 2001 after watching a Capoeira street exhibition in Napoli, Italy. “I was looking for a complete martial art and I found something in Capoeira which was rich in culture, music and fun,” Pappalardo said.

When he first moved to Shanghai Pappalardo searched for a Capoeira group to train with but couldn’t find any. Eventually he found a small group that trained in a park in Shanghai on the weekend. However, the organizer of the sessions left in 2005. “Later a French guy and I started teaching the classes. The group became bigger and we started renting a gym in the city where we could train,” Pappalardo said.

Although he had no initial plan to start up a club, as time passed Pappalardo became more and more committed to the group. “Foreigners from everywhere joined us and since last year some Chinese have joined our class as well,” Pappalardo told the Global Times.

Famous Capoeira Mestre (master), Marcelo Caveirinha, who was the motion capture actor for the Capoeira fighting character Eddy Gordo in the video game Tekken, was invited to Shanghai by Pappalardo in 2007 where they organized a workshop together. “We had an amazing weekend with him and after that we became part of his group, Capoeira Mandinga,” Pappalardo said. Caveirinha also gave Pappalardo his apelido (nickname) “Guerreiro” which means warrior in Portuguese.

Not only is the club a great way for people new to the sport to learn from more experienced Capoeiristas, but it is also a very social group for many of the participants. “It can be hard to make new friends in the big city if you work long hours like me. This is also the perfect place for me to gain more positive energy,” Xin Liu from France said.

At a Saturday training session more than 10 nationalities are represented. Eight of the participants are from China, but only one female Capoeirista hails from the sport’s homeland. According to Pappalardo, recently a lot of Chinese people have shown great interest in Brazilian culture. Everyone is welcome to come down to the gym and give it a try. “Sports keep people fit. Capoeira happened to be the sport that meets my needs and I also think it looks very cool,” said Leon Sun from Shanghai, who has been training with the group for two months.

More than fighting

“To be a good Capoeirista you need to learn the basic moves and kicks, as well as traditional Brazilian instruments and Capoeira songs,” Pappalardo said. Music plays a big part in Capoeira. It sets the mood of the match taking place within the roda, a circle of people surrounding the participants. A Capoeira match begins when one of the players calls his or her opponent into the roda. The ritual is called a chamada. A chamada was originally designed to enhance the awareness of the danger in the roda. It was considered a life lesson: if you challenge somebody, be aware of the possible consequences. The player who initiates the match then decides when to finish it.

The roda usually commences with a song in Portuguese. “Learning the words of the songs in Portuguese can sometimes be a bit tricky because of the pronunciation,” said Pappalardo, who needs to teach in both English and Chinese. First there is usually a solo sung by one of the participants before the rest of the group joins in. Songs can be written and made up on the spot. Songs are both old and new and the lyrics cover anything from history to mythology to fables. Capoeira Mandinga emphasizes friendship and camaraderie. For example, if somebody forgets the words or a melody to a song or if some of the complicated moves seem too impossible to execute, there is immediately somebody there to help out.

Every training session begins with an hour of music practice. Some new comers bring notebooks to record the difficult foreign words they need to remember. The music associated with the sport contains some typical South American rhythms like the samba. The singing and clapping is also accompanied by several kinds of percussion instruments. A pandeiro or tambourine, a drum called an atabaque and a spear-looking instrument called the berimbao make up the small orchestra. A berimbao consists of a bow made out of wood and a string made out of steel which is tightly attached from top to bottom. A gourd is used as a resonator.

Finding Brazilian instruments in China can be difficult. Mestre Marcelo, who regularly visits Shanghai, usually returns with different instruments so the students may purchase them from him for a cheaper price than they would normally pay in Shanghai.

The second phase of the training is the warm-up and going through the steps of the ginga. The ginga is the fundamental movement in Capoeira. In the steps one rocks back and forth on the spot while one’s arms are guarding the face, which allows one to more easily block the opponent’s attack. Also when players are tired or confused, the ginga allows them to focus once again and regain their composure.

The exercise is followed up with lessons in high-flying kicks and fighting techniques, some of which are hard to perform and separate the amateur from the expert. “The hardest part for me is facing my own fears, but it’s a lot of fun flipping and kicking,” said Mu Jin, a local who was recently introduced to the group by a friend. The final part of the training is the roda where everyone participates. As the hammering rhythmic sound of the berimbao resonates along with the other percussion insturments, the claps and the singing get more and more intense, and the group is filled with visible positive energy. “Sometimes we get some complaints for being a bit too loud,” a student giggled.

Latin martial arts

When comparing Capoeira to kung fu, Pappalardo feels that Capoeira is less straightforward in all its moves. “It is a spontaneous dialogue between the players, it is a fight disguised as a dance,” he said. “There are many great benefits from practicing the Brazilian martial art. It’s a complete sport where you can develop coordination skills and get a great work out,” a student in the class said.

After a few years (usually at least seven to eight years) a student can graduate and become an instructor. There are different belts awarded until the instructor becomes Mestre. Usually it takes at least 20 years for someone to become a Mestre but not everyone who trains for that long becomes one.

Some injuries like a sprained ankle may occur but the sport is no more dangerous than playing any other contact sport, according to Pappalardo. “The purpose is not to harm your opponent in the roda, it is more about sparring and showing your skill,” he said.

The students of Capoeira Mandinga Shanghai are first of all friends who want to hang out and have fun together. “Capoeira is for everyone, young and old. Once you practice, you will have fun even if you can’t do the more sophisticated acrobatic movements,” Pappalardo said. In the game there is no clear winner or loser. Instead of an intense “game face” there is a smiling almost teasing face on each of the capoeirstas.

For Russian IT manager Alex Maltsev, it was a dream to learn Capoeira. Before he came to Shanghai his first contact with Capoeira was as a child after watching several martial art movies. Because of its unique movements the sport has also been featured in a few video games.

Pappalardo believes 10 years from now there will be a lot more groups around China practicing the art, and even Chinese instructors. “At the same time I’m sure that there will also be different styles of Capoeira being developed, more similar to aerobics in order to be easily taught in the gyms,” he said.

Outside the gym on the street below pedestrians wonder where the singing, clapping and the laughter is coming from. Perhaps one may enter the gym destined to become Shanghai’s first Mestre.

A song, a dance, a fight

Initially developed by African slaves Capoeira has a history of over 400 years. The sport is currently taught by Mestres (Masters) in over 90 countries all over the world and is the only indigenous form of martial arts to come from the Americas. There are different styles within the sport but Capoeira Angola is considered to be the oldest form. Some historians claim that slaves developed the dance-like moves of Capoeira as a way to hide their combat and self-defense training. The songs and music were also a way of hiding the training from the slave masters.

Many of the slaves were locked up in chains and ropes which explains how many of the advance fighting techniques were developed. An example is the au batido. The move looks like a cartwheel which then turns into a block and a kick. Capoeira consists of kicks, sweeps and throws and evasive moves and rolls. Professionals often show great skills in acrobatics and physical strength.

For a long time, Capoeira was associated with criminals and outlaws and many of the practitioners were sent to prison. Nevertheless the tradition was still practiced on the streets. Because of the cultural value of Capoeira, Reis Machado, also the founder of the first Capoeira School, convinced the Brazilian government to repeal the ban in the 1930s.

These days Capoeiristas sometimes still perform on the streets which is also a great way to raise awareness of the sport and its traditions. During the 1970s when Capoeira first came to New York, Capoeristas shared the same space as other street performers which may explain why similar moves can be found in break dancing.

This is the first translation in Chinese. Hope it will be useful for all capoeiristas all across China.

二、防守动作

Queda de Quatro 奇达-德-夸托

这是最简单的一种防守动作。练习者蹲姿收缩躯干，双脚接触地面，胸部贴住膝盖，一只手臂保护躯干和头部，另一只手支撑地面。 一种变化是，当蹲下时，双手交叉在面部的前上方。

Esquiva 厄斯奇巴（闪避）

直译是“逃跑 (escape)” 或 “躲藏 (dodge)”. 有多种的形式存在，不过都跟将头部和躯干移向攻击方向的另一侧。厄斯奇巴 使卡波耶拉得以与其他武术区分开，因为厄斯奇巴 仅仅是沿着攻击路线躲开，之后进行针锋相对或更具杀伤力的反击。对卡波耶拉里那些凶猛的腿法，如果不是躲开而是去硬碰格挡的话，会受到更大的伤害。格挡对手的攻击会使游戏的节奏和气氛被破坏，因此，相比之下，在轮圈（Roda）里，厄斯奇巴就用的更多了。格挡动作偶尔也会用，往往是练习者在疏忽大意的时候下意识地用出，最常见的情况是格挡手部攻击。

• Esquiva de Baixa 厄斯奇巴-德-巴沙

  也被称作 厄斯奇巴-德-芬彻(Esquiva de Frente)，“低位躲闪”，看起来像是姿态极低的劲戈。后腿完全向后打开，使臀部靠近地面。上身也向前弯下使头部位置降低。如果左腿是在后面则右手支持在地面，左手则用来保护头部和面部。

• Esquiva Lateral 厄斯奇巴-拉特瑞

  “侧闪”或“侧躲”的意思。当双脚平行的时候实施。这种躲闪仅仅是将上身顺着对手的进攻方向的一侧降低重心，一只手抬起保护头部，也可将手放在面部前方保护。许多流派将不做防护动作的那只手撑在地面，使姿态更低。

• Esquiva Diagonal 厄斯奇巴-迭亚过那

  这是一种在躲闪的同时向前移动的动作。与直接向下或向一侧躲开的 厄斯奇巴-拉特瑞（Esquiva Lateral）或厄斯奇巴-德-芬彻（esquiva de frente）动作不同，卡波耶拉练习者向攻击方向的斜对角方向移动，前脚相对于后脚垂直，上身蜷伏在膝盖高度，成一种低姿态的弓步。一只手根据攻击的方向抬起保护面部，另一只手保持身体平衡。这是一种相当有用的闪避动作，因为许多反击动作可以从这个姿势实施而节省时间，例如马代落（martelo，锤），甘绰（gancho，钩子）或是文伽提瓦（vingativa，别腿摔）。

Queda de Quatro 奇达-德-夸托

字面意思为“四点落地”,通常是在快速向后转向避开对手之后变为简单的向后方成爬行姿势。

Queda de Tres 奇达-德-特斯

字面意思为“三点落地”。向后跌倒时靠双手和单腿支撑，另一腿抬起，因为往往是练习者从单腿支撑的状态被外力放倒。例如：一方练习者用 阿尔玛达(armada,后旋踢)被另一方用扫踢打击支撑腿时，则很有可能转换为此姿势。

Resistência 哈斯特夏

这个动作与它的姐妹动作 内伽提瓦（negativa）很相像。不同之处在于，不是用整个脚底支撑全身重量，而是用前脚掌承受大部分重量的同时，手臂在相对应的一边作为辅助支撑，支撑手的手指应放平以保护腕部。另一只手比稍微抬起保护面部，一只腿（不做支撑的那个）略微弯曲，向外伸出。对于伸出的那只腿而言，略为弯曲是非常必要的，可以防止由碰撞所引起的可能损伤，如果是腿完全伸直，则有骨折的可能。由于膝盖伸展至离支撑腿甚远，所以（大腿的）四头肌与小腿的肌肉必然会由于作用在膝盖上的伸展张力而得到拉伸。因为许多初学者做本动作时倾向于眼睛盯着地板，在此强烈建议眼睛要一直盯着对手。由于在一些卡波耶拉团体中动作的名称有所不同，哈斯特夏（Resistência）有时也被称为内伽提瓦（negativa）。