January - 2019

Can we train better?

So last week one of our students spoke to me after class and spoke the phrase that I have heard time and time again (including from myself) in Capoeira….’I can do it in the training but not the game’. It’s something we all experience. We practice a move, a dodge or a counter-attack over and over again, and then we go to the Roda at the end of class, full of expectation and then....nothing! The scene we had in our head is not played out. So why is this, and more importantly, w

Ginga Basics

The Ginga means swing in Portuguese, and is the key movement in Capoeira, joining all the kicks and dodges together. A player's ginga is very personal, developing over the years of training, allowing a player to show expression and deceipt, whilst attacking, defending and moving with fluidity. A ginga also connects the player to the bateria, swinging with the rhythm and energy of the music. This video shows the basic movements, along with some dodges which should be incorpora

Foundational Movement - Soft Arms

Foundational Movement - Soft Arms

When people start Capoeira the arms are often a forgotten piece, as everyone wants to get the legs and kicks going. However, its crucial that the arms and legs work together in the ginga, attacks and defence. Also when people begin to ginga they often 'go small' with the hands and arms, limiting their movement, or moving them stiffly, when actually the ginga needs the arms to be moving a lot at times. Sometimes they need to be stiff, but mostly they need to soften. These exer

Looking back at 2018, and forward to 2019

As 2019 is beginning, I thought I would write a quick reflective post on 2018, along with a few thoughts and hopes for the new year. 2018 was a special year, as it was really year dot for our group. It was the year that we went from myself, Cascao and Maxine training together, to creating a small core of people who have each found something in Capoeira. From a couple of known faces to young newbies, it’s been a joy to see people coming together and enjoying this great art. On

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Can we train better?

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