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Are you okay with capoeira's reputation?
Okay, so no matter what kind of perspective you carry on Capoeira, it seems that everyone BUT capoeiristas have a good opinion of the art. First off, you have your average person. They typically see Capoeira and say, "Yeah, that looks pretty cool I guess. But I'd rather watch UFC or WWE Wrestling." Then you have your soccer moms that think it's a great idea to turn Capoeira into a Tae-Bo styled workout with no emphasis on developing axe or using malandragem. Then, you have your ethnocentrists, who either think that Capoeira is full of racist individuals of African descent or that Capoeira is only for those of such a background. But worst of all, you have the skepticism of martial artists. 99% of martial artists call Capoeira "a stupid dance", "retards jumping around that don't ever guard their", "Crapoeira", or my favorite...they'll talk about a movie called Never Back Down where a capoeirista is doing flips and gets knocked out by a boxer with one punch. I know many of you are "game gurus" and will talk about how we should just keep playing our jogos despite our generally bad nature (and I realize that Capoeira has been misunderstood from the get-go), but how does this sort of negativity make you feel? I know it makes me super angry (which is why I posted this rant), and I want to know how it makes you all feel to know that a lot people would rather have the world be rid of the magic of Capoeira. What are your thoughts?
Axe
Pavio
Tags: capoeira, criticism, reputation, skepticism
Views: 217
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Bruno on -
Hea Pavio,
yeah, I know what you speaking off, I hear similar things also, I hear even worser like "Oh the sect where all wear white and follow theyr master"... and actually they are not that wrong when we look at the definition of "sect" when it comes to some groups... but back to the topic.
I myself do Capoeira for me, so all those things I hear don't affect me at all. I know what I am doing, I know why I am doing and most important I know who I am and my place. Only words who will affect me will be the words of those who are themselves capoeiristas and only if the words have a solid base, so I may take time to think about them.
It's a fact does since beginning of time and until today the asian martial arts have been taken more serious and will be. It's known does they still have more people, even in Brasil, then capoeira has and it wont change for awhile.
You know how many Brasilian I met, who say "Capoeira is a sport for the black, for the poor, for the dirty"? Believe me many times. How you want Capoeira to be taken serious if it's an art who suffers racism and discrimination right at the place it was born alldays?
You see, I can talk about the whole very objective and without having doubts on why I am in capoeira, but I am honest, I would like to see the discipline the asian martial arts and theyr masters have (I don't say there are no exceptions there) in capoeira. Capoeira lacks discipline, lacks man who can forget atleast during class about theyr hyper hyper brazil and how better everything is there and party, brama nr.1 (beer), carnaval, and yeah woman... How many mestres, drink and play, smoke (not only cigars) and play, or have just the pants on without underwear while playing? Or how many apply the brasilian clock, wich means you say it starts at 7pm and show up at 9pm...
I made common examples. I could make many more, but then this post would use all the space we have for the whole espaço haha.
If Capoeira is not taken serious by many, or has a long road to be recognised for the dream of capoeiristas in Brasil, becoming a Olimpic discipline, then it's only cause they destroy the picture of capoeira themselves. How many wise masters are out there who have wonderfull speaches, and are the first to break what they speak off? Some real wise guy said "Everything who happens to you in life, is caused by only you and noone else".
If capoeira has a bad reputation then it's thanks to the capoeiristas Pavio. I am not saying you or anyone here. I mean this guy who get one hit KO in a movie, saw a chance to become famous. Another saw the chance also and even if Marco Damascos plays ridiculous, the movie helped capoeira become famous. Fact is everyone gets a wrong idea of capoeira because, if you see it in a movie, in a documentary, in a clip, in an inerview in TV then you see ONLY ACROBATICS. The cool looking stuff. So why should I judge those who say, it's a crazy dance full of retards who can only jump around, or like the one video you posted once, kick wild around and have no self-control. I hope you see, what I am trying to tell you. It's thanks to those who made out capoeira what people sees in it. Why you don't see an angola roda in a TV show, clip, or a movie? Cause it's not spectacular enough. People want to see spectacular things. I see capoeiristas who give up the whole cause they dream of acrobatics. I see capoeiristas who are real good at acrobatics, and I wonder why not go do gymnastics then instead or breakdance? It's our fault the world out there sees in capoeira just "crapoeira" like you wrote it.
Look at the new movie, Besouro, the Beatle. He comes p with crazy acrobatics we all know don't existed back then, but if the movie dont has those spectacular things, noone will invest in it, cause only capoeiristas watching it won't be enough to cover the projects costs. Cause again it's known many, many capoeiristas download, copy and have not one original thing at home.
I am like this Pavio, I criticize always myself before going judge the others, so I don't have problems with people critisizing Capoeira at all. I take them as inputs for myself, and make the best out it. Also most things they say, I maybe know they are out there in capoeira, but I myself dont do them, so it's not me they are attacking. I can't change the world of capoeira, but I know one day the change will happen.
About those making out capoeira something different... and here the sect part is prolly right...
Cardiocapoeira, capofitness, tae-capo... whatever, a way to make money. They are just using the whole cause there is no document saying you can't do it. Here I see the system sects apply, they pic something who really exists and make a new out it, and proclaim it's theyr own and the only real thing... I mean how many self-proclaimed gurus are out there telling theyr buddhism is the real thing? I toke buddhism as example cause atleast where I live you see it alot in newspapers, the self-proclaimed gurus who use the whole to make money and an harem of woman. Not to attack anyone here in the Espaço.
Shortly. I am not okay with the reputation, but my tries for many years to talk into brasilians discipline (little things like, start class on time or appear to hold the class at all) and other things were useless, only brought me enemies and more enemies and even in angola I got those allready, cause brasilian is brasilian no matter if angola or regional... (I know there are exceptions out there, but they are not the majority) so I can't change it, wich means I have to live with it, but live it in my way... my profiles head "If you can't change destiny, change your attitude" says enough...
We humans make the whole look good or bad not capoeira :)
And... ya I wrote allready so much again... damn! I am not able to do short posts -_-
Axezao
Bruno
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Permalink Reply by Pavio Preto on -
You should be a motivational speaker. That was very insightful, and I agree wholeheartedly. I do enjoy the casual side of Capoeira, but it's a part of our lifestyle that people see and then make negative comments from. Thanks for the reply. It was good!
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Permalink Reply by Jorge Ramirez on -
I agree that its extremely frustrating how many people underestimate capoeira, how I found out that it is also called the "gay karate" in urbandictionary.com. But I've learned that part of capoeira is malicia, and tricking people, so I believe its a blessing in desguise. After all, capoeira was rooted in decieving others, mainly slave masters and authority figures.
Jorge.
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Permalink Reply by Pavio Preto on
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Nice points, Jorge. And gay karate? Are you serious? That's a new one.
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Permalink Reply by Jorge Ramirez on
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no prob, it was weird on how I came across that. the context on how its use is frustrating, but, like I said before deception is key.
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Permalink Reply by Sean -Sapo- on -
Im quite sick of that clip from never back down cause its always on youtube and people dont realize its from a movie.
Capoeira never has gotten any respect in martial art movies.
However....
Capoeristas are tricksters. The more forms and misconceptions we can hide under, the better for us. The more we are underestimated in a fight, the better.
Capoeristas smile when we play, but that also means we are showing our fangs.
Having a "bad rep" can work as a strength. I think thats what i rather focus on.
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Permalink Reply by Jorge Ramirez on
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Never Back Down was a crappy movie anyways, even in the Tekken movie, Eddie Gordo only is a minor character thats not going to be in long. I guess we can take what we can in terms of exposure.
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Permalink Reply by Pavio Preto on
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Yeah, agreed. It's funny, but when a lot of people see somebody defend themselves using techniques from capoeira, they reply by saying that the person got lucky or is a kickboxer.
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Permalink Reply by Bruno on
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hmmm...
Just be carefull guys, it was capoeira who copied and adapted many moves from asian martial arts. Specially the kicks in regional and even some of those acrobatic kicks were taken from the asian...
...and I mean since forever the question exists what would have happend if Bruce Lee and Ali would have had a fight?
If you are in capoeira cause of fighting then you failed in understanding capoeira... sorry...
this is a basic, not just for capoeira but for all martial arts...
Bruno
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Permalink Reply by Pavio Preto on
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Well, I was in capoeira for fighting at first. I'm in it for the experience now. I take boxing and eskrima for fighting.
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Permalink Reply by Jon on
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once upon-a-time when i still trained capoeira, i recall this topic coming up during a workshop, and Contra Mestre Carcará from Grupo Mandinga said it best "if people think that capoeira is not an effective martial art, thats great! because that means capoeira is doing it's job" (in other words, like Sean said, Capoeira is Deception)
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