I know it’s not really a martial arts, but I do Capoeira as a sort of a sport in my free time. Beforehand I warm up with Tai Chi exercises and use it to work into stretches. Nothing too technical, just taking it easy like the easy going kind of guy I am.
Ive been training in brazilian jiu jitsu at a Cesar Gracie Affiliaye School for the past 7 years…Im just a blue belt…
think he’s talking about the ceremonial version of it. one of the main differences I remember between ceremonial and combat is that in combat there’s not a whole lot of attacks that require balancing on your back
One of my best friends used to do Martial Arts when he was a in high school. Random people used to show up to his school to spar, so he got to see a lot of different arts. He told me about this chick who did capoeria. Apparently you NEVER want to get kicked by somebody who does capoeria, never.
Fair enough. I agree with you and so does my Sifu who tells us to avoid a fight in the first place and don’t do anything unless you have no other choice, so yeah.
It’s been heavily debated back and forth through both regional and angolo styles and the consensus between mestres is that it is not a form of martial arts, but more or less a game/dance. At least, that’s what my mestre tells me. He always says, “If you want to hit someone, China’s right around the corner.”
No, that’s not it at all.
Every lesson my Mestre gives involves a 10 minute history lesson over someone, or something in Capoeira’s past. Of course, I only attend once a month so I figured it’d be good to ask for a book or something to get a feel for the history (And forms) and he directed me to an older Mestre’s teachings. They understand what’s happened in the past has happened, and well… I don’t know how else to put it, but… They view it as the past and nothing more. I mean, roots are important, but to them Capoeira has moved away from its violent tendencies to become more of a philosopy meant to open your mind and spirit as opposed to turn you into an amazing fighter.
For instance, when you ‘play’ with someone else, you’re not just trying to prove your strength and intellect, you’re also trying to see the person underneath the flesh, get into who they are and what they do - are they a thief, a wise-man, a spoiled brat, and so on? To add, it is important to also show restraint. You might be superior in the ‘game’ of Capoeira, but your show-casing and arrogance are nothing more than your own demise. If another is slower than you or lacking the same physique, then it is only kind to play at their pace, and provide helpful advice if they ask or you seek to help.
I can’t remember where, but there’s a quote in the book my Mestre recommended to me and it’s something along the lines of, “You are both the Mestre and Student. Always teaching, always learning.” I know it’s common sense in any martial arts, but it really helps cement the idea behind Capoeira.
My background is 2 years of a shotokan based karate, 2 years of combined TKD and Kickboxing, 3 years of Goju Ryu, and 2 of mixed styles as part of the “martial arts club” at my undergrad university, but I hung out with mostly the wrestling and jiujitsu guys, since I knew nothing about those.
Does anybody do any Kendo? I’d like to get into that, as I’m not looking for something for self-defense. Kendo seems to be a lot of fun.
I did Arnis for a little. It’s a Filipino martial art that consists of swinging two sticks.
In retrospect, it was a waste of my fucking time. Spent 6 months doing it.
Why would you say that? Just curious, as I’m looking to put time into a weapon-based martial art. I just don’t know where to start, as there’s no schools around here.
My martial arts background:
Boxing
BJJ
Greco-Roman Wrestling
I started off in boxing, did that for about 3 years, moved onto BJJ and Wrestling. I trained with a state champion wrestler on top of BJJ which really gave me an incredible takedown game and made very dominant in gi-less BJJ. I have only been in 1 fight since my training, which I ended quickly with a choke. In that situation I really had no choice but to fight, and I am lucky that I wasn’t harmed.
The best self defense is to just run away, because even if you could win a fight, some thug just has to pull a gun or a knife then all of a sudden you are fighting for your life. Its just not worth it to try and fight some thug just to teach him some manners, because people like that don’t learn anything from those experiences anyway. I would only fight someone to protect my fiancee, otherwise, I am not that interested in risking bodily injury for my sense of pride.
Don’t get me wrong man. Arnis is amazing.
Maybe it was how I learned and who I was taught by. It was a while back when I was still living in the Philippines, and I was psyched for the sole reason that I was learning a “martial art”, or better yet a martial art of my “motherland”.
I went to class everyday thinking I’d learn something new. All we did was wave our fucking sticks around and slo-mo scenario our way through fights. We never learned any “new” way to weave that shit. After 5 days of 3 hour sessions, we practically lesrned everything we needed to know.
Then it was just watching other people simulate shit like a play for the rest of the time I was there. I was never aable to really incorporate what I had learned. It made it seem like a waste of time.
There’s only so many ways you can literally shake a stick at someone rofl. Maybe I didn’t like how limited it felt.
Maybe I was there because I didn’t have a skateboard for 6 months 
Go and get into martial arts man. Make sure you read about the schools and their programs first.
Yeah, definintely good tips. I had a steady stream of doing martial arts for about 10 years, but it ended for me about 6 years ago now (I’m 27). I’d like to get back into it, and I’m also definitely not in the mind for a self-defense style, but more of an art form.
Definitely sounds like your teacher / school though. That sucks sorry to hear.
i do Drunken Master style.
without the kung fu.
I practice the 3 “martial arts” that actually rock in the real world.
Boxing
Krav
Smith and Wesson.
Did karate for like less than a year before I started skateboarding. Only got to a yellow belt, but that class was hella boring.
Kung fu looks pretty badass just because of all the different types and the history behind each and every one. Jeet Kune Do is badass for obvious reasons and aikido is awesome because you use kinetics to defeat your opponent with the least amount of force.
Wing Chun, Snake, Tiger, and Mantis styles intrigue me the most in terms of Kung Fu. Next gen Gen commin’ at ya.
You train with Tommy Caruthers? I thought he was based in Scotland.
“Elephant Boxing” Muay Thai. 
[media=youtube]SIq14nfHsHo[/media]
1:41 onwards for an example of the technique.
It works better if random demons chop off one of your arms and you have it replaced with a sacred divine one.
Yeh he is, I’ve done a few classes but mostly seminar. It’s funny you should ask I’m actually going to one next week.