I think that people tend to percieve their group as ‘better’ than other groups.Unfortunately this is something that happens anywhere where there are groups, not only in Capoeira. However for someone that knows a bit about social identity it is easy to explain. In the end it is all about having a better self perception.

However here in Europe something very interesting is occuring as we speak. The level of group perception seems to shift a bit to ‘capoeira style’ or capoeira in general. A good example is that nowadays my teacher invites mestres/mestrandos contra mestres and professores from groups he used to fight with in street rodas in Brasil. This way we get something that students in Brasil don’t get, because we always get the best possible teachers eventhough they are or used to be of a rival group. This contributes greatly to the quality and knowledge of the European capoeiristas.

So to answer your question to Pintada. Yes it is possible to have a group strong enough to have their own identity but also open to other ‘rival’ groups. Based on the similarity that we all are capoeiristas. Above that, in the beginning there were no groups, there only was capoeira. A famous master once told me that this is what European capoeira gave back to Brasilian capoeira.

If you like to know more about this, search for the pascoa event in Amsterdam. This is an event where there are many people from all over europe and from many different groups and styles, getting along great within a great atmosphere! This event is not of my group, but it is worth saying, since it is a great example.

Axé

Tttva

Thank you for passing by, and sharing your experience with us. Sounds like you’re having a great time!

I’ll post the Unicef article soon, it has interesting statements about the potentials of Capoeira as a social tool. Thanks for that.

Now, there are a few things we could do to further promote this action.
1. An interview with the project coordinators and Capoeira teachers;
2. You could share your experience on ‘Capoeira Narratives’;
3. And the blog could post a guest author on another article about this project (written by you or someone else involved with the project)

I would be happy to promote this project, as well as learning more about your experience as Capoeira traveller.

Axé!
Eurico

I’m currently cycling from London to Cape Town and recently joined a Capoeira group in Damascus, Syria – http://www.CapoeirArab.com – their warmth and welcoming has been made this foreign land feel like home; a fine complement to the wonderful introduction to Capoeira I received from Mestre Ponciano of CDO in London – http://www.cdol.co.uk.

The CapoeriArab group have made some remarkable contributions to local society here with a Free for Kids program, lessons at a local juvenile institution for girls, and at the Al-Tanf refugee camp. Too much to go into detail here; nor am I the person to do so. Nevertheless I wanted to share this with you.

The work at the refugee camp in particular has been transformational – there is an article about it here on the UNICEF site:
http://www.unicef.org/infobycountry/syria_51283.html

Work is under way to bring the benefits of this project to more displaced peoples – work I hope to be able to share with you very soon.

With love in great appreciation of you all,

Dan (Vagabundo)
:)

You’re becoming a really good teacher! This close contact with students and worry about why they keep in practice or leave is capital to run community oriented classes!

Please, keep us updated about your actions and what you may find as well. Meanwhile, check my post on Capoeira Narratives, and see if you would like to share something.

Abraço!
Eurico

Good conclusion. I totally agree with you Eurico!

I was thinking of another way of looking at how people see and take part of capoeira. To evaluate what impact my aulas of capoeira has on them and see how they influence each other.
By asking all new students what they expect from capoeira and what there goals are with it before influencing them with new ideas. Then after some time of practice you do a feed-back and ask them again… Has their goal changed? Do they still practice capoeira? What do they expect from capoeira? How do they look at one another?

/ Pedra :)

The invitation is done for everyone. Please, lets spread the word out to all our Capoeira contacts and see if we can have these people sharing their experiences.

Both the good and the bad experiences will help us to understand Capoeira as an educative and inclusive tool.

Have a look a the ‘Capoeira Narrative: Share yours!’post. I shared some ideas on how we could share our experiences and ‘what for’ over there.

Thanks for your tip on narratives! ;)

Axé!
Eurico

Interesting to read this blog. Would be interesting, as Pedra mentioned, to know about the practice in other countries, too.

I read somewhere in your blog, Eurico, about “corporation-like capoeira”. I think in some instances capoeira becomes instrumental rather than capoeira for the sake of capoeira. AND it’s not bad at all, because it should be both. But I think we all could strive more to have fun with capoeira. AND I know it is a process of learning to get rid of all thoughts and just be “here and now”. At some point one becomes too serious about capoeira (as myself) – but I think it’s also important to learn that capoeira should be serious, but fun at the same time.
Nevertheless, I think it’s good to have a determination to come to a training to have FUN. I hope one day I will be able to switch the “FUN” button automatically :)

P.S. I found out that there is a CDO group in India :)
http://capoeiraindia.blogspot.com/

I’m glad that our discussions over here are influencing your thoughts. They do influence mine too, for sure.

Good comments over the role of music and personal engagement, as Clover pointed out. Mapping what and how people establish more effective social relationships through Capoeira classes must partly guide the planing of our lessons, don’t you think?

Abraços,
Eurico

Thanks! And yes your contributions were relevant again.

It’s interesting how Obelix’ approach to teaching has inspired you in doing something similar in your area. This is an issue we need to address more often – the role of Capoeira in our communities, and I hope to be posting something on it soon.

Please, check other posts and see if they inspire you to some late-at-night writing again. ;)

Take Care!
Eurico

Thank you very much, once more! Great contributions.

I’ll follow up Zarina’s advice and post some questions and suggestions so that more people can share their narratives as well.

You provided a good material to approach the role of music in including people, something I might get back to you afterwards, ok?

Take care!
Axé!
Eurico

I think you say this perfectly Pedra!

You said (Eurico): “So you think in Sweden there might be a combination of
factors leading people to adopt a radical attitude towards other
peoples’ truth in Capoeira?”

Yes.. Well said. But is it different in other places of the world? How
do you see this in all the different places you been teaching and
training capoeira? Is there big diferences between groups and do they
have problems communicating and exchanging information?

Sure people change through interactions with each other.. But Its very
hard to tell how people change.. I am very sure about that everything
i experience i carry with me throughout life. But as an example..: I
don’t know who I could be if I never started with capoeira. Maby I
would have done somthing similar and developed totaly different? Maby
there is a drive in people to explore and interact.. A curiosity to
learn more all the time.. This makes us interact and to know more
about each other builds a more understanding invirement and commond
grounds.

You said (Eurico): “How Capoeira gives great ways to meet new friends? How
do you explain that?”
I think capoeira is very personal. You can’t practice capoeira and
have a great time if you don’t give a little bit of your self. To be
able to give you need to go out of your comfortzone. This is esaly
done through capoeira-music. If you start the capoeira aula with
singing and playing the instruments, it’s like a warm up for the soul.
Through this people greet eachother and music gives the feeling of
Being a unit.
Capoeira you create together.. And you are always having a dialog..
This is good for getting to know each other..
If you decide to go to arobics class instead you never have to
interact with other people and never need to go out of your
comfertzone.. In this kind of forum for workout it’s so much harder to
make friends effortlesly like in capoeira were you haveto interact to
create something.

In my last comment I said that a new student has an impact on how the
group works. This is more true if the group is smal.. If you have a
large group with maby 30 students one more or less won’t change the
course of the class..

Thanks Eurico for your feedback on my comments.. They make me think in
new ways..

/ pedra

Thanks for the reply, it is noce to know the late night writings are appreciated :)

Ok, as for physical contact common in capoeira before and after trainings, it changes from day to day. Sometimes we have a lot of hugging and other days we make do with a high-five. It depends a lot on induvidual moods and also the people who are participating. Naturally, those who meet socially outside of capoeira, and those who have known eachother longer have a stronger physical connection.

As a beginner it took some time before I was both comfortable with being hugged and I was considered a regular member of the group and someone TO be hugged (perhaps considered is the wrong word – but hugging strangers is not common in Sweden… and here you may still be thought of as a stranger after a years worth of socialising!) We have recently had a number of new students begin and the level of physical contact we have with them is significantly less than that with long-standing participants. However, as their confidence builds and our farmiliarity with ther personalitis increases so does our physical contact.

There is a marked difference in the number of hugs we get from the girls and the guys though. I could say I am GUARENTEED at least one female hug before and after every session, but it is less common I would be hugged by a male member of the group (though high-fives are mandatory! :D)

The level of this friendly physical contact also varies greatly depending on the style of class. When we practice acrobatics there is always a much higher level of physical contact. We take turns to repeat the same move all the way up our training room. We go two by two and then enter the back of the line on the opposite side. Because we get to watch eachother and then stand in close proximity the verbal encouragement, dancing and singing occurs spontaniously. These are the classes where most of us look most foolish, but also leave with the biggest smiles on our faces.

As for the ‘celebrity’ statement, perhaps I could have phrased it a little better! I am certainly not disinterested in the history and culture of capoeira, it is just not my priority. There always seem to be a million and one things to do and something has to take a back seat. Possibly, if I continue to train for many years (as I hope to do) I will find the time to invest a in a little more research, though it is equally likely that some other project shall appear to eat my spare time!

Last but not least – the Obelix effect. Jens is such an impressive teacher because he is is passionate, knowledgable and very responsive to the needs of induvidual students. What makes him such a great inspiration however, is that he chooses to share his passion with us. He is not someone who has studied to become a teacher, rather, he is someone who has become a teacher because it enables him to share something he considers to be wonderful. He has a natural talent and love for capoeira and consiquently is able to gently nudge people past their boundaries and do things they would never have previously dared.

I, on the other hand, love to paint and draw. Since leaving highschool I have not had any formal art education but I have continued to practice and improve my skills because it feels good. I am by no means a master, but I believe that painting and drawing is a fantastically fun and therapeutic activity. When asked the majority of people say they would love to be able to paint or draw but it is seen to be some kind of mythical talent given only to the chosen few. Of course, there will always be those who excell, but this does not mean that the rest of us need give up!

Unlike capoeira, art activities require both a location AND expensive materials. One of the biggest hindrances for the majority of people who would like to paint or draw is that they have to part with so much of their cash before they begin! Seeing Obelix at work made me believe it was worth my while attepmting to build up a group where I could provide the opportunity for people to try painting and drawing. It was not necessary to have a teacher’s education or business mind, just a love of the subject. I am able to impart my knowledge, encourage and help people socialise and relax while doing something they wouldn’t normally.

Interestingly – like capoeira, there is substantial foreigner participation at Scribbling Society meetings. This helps to build a warm and cosy environment, but I imagine it shall take several years before I am able to help my ’students’ with the same level of sensitivity as Jens!

Again, I hope this has been relevant and helpful. If you have any more questions please fire away, it is a pleasure to write!

Clover

I think you are absoloutly right that the reason we are able to bond at capoeira is because it is NOT something Swedish. At a training we are ALL talking part in something a little alien, regardless of whether we do it in our home land or not. By entering into an activity which breaks the norms of Swedish culture you, and I, and everyone else, are taking risks with the ‘unknown’.

As there is no ‘traditional’ capoeira culture in Sweden we are free to make our own. I am sure that if I had joined an inne-bandy team the group dynamics and social reprecussions would be quite different. But being such a mixed group (both in terms of gender and nationalities)we are able to create this close community. There is no macho-bullshit, no making allowances for girls and no separating teenagers from adults. We see eachother as equals regardless of our skill and knowledge. This makes it much easier to initiate physical contact (in my mind in any case!)

However, I also believe our friendly atmosphere depends as much on our induvidual personalities as that we are doing something Brazilian… though perhaps we are attracted to capoeira because the music and movements (very Brazillian) encourage closeness in a way I can not imagine would occur if we are practicing a zen martial art. The emphasis is as much on fun as correctness. The lack of strict formality makes friendly bonding a lot easier.

I think we are very lucky people!

What do you think?

Your contribution is far more valuable than you can imagine! Not a tuppence one, att all. Thanks a lot for sharing so much with all of us!

If you don’t mind, here I go again.

You chose capoeira because it is essentially a non-contact game, right? What can you tell me about the tactile behaviour common in Capoeira before and after classes? You know, those cuddles, kisses and warmth usually acknowledged as part of Brazilian culture and Capoeira.

I know about some studies (in Portuguese) that covers therapeutic benefits in Capoeira practice (have been discussing this with Zarina), that I can indicate to you, if you want. As for my empirical experience running the social project Learning From Brazilian Culture in Brazil, I can tell you that the kindness and well intentioned cuddles and compliments before and after class amongst all of us, combined with discipline, mutual respect, and cultural activities (mostly Capoeira and Samba de Roda), amazingly helped them overcome contact intolerance. And most of them did came from extreme harsh backgrounds.

About how you figure Capoeira in your life, this is not really up to me, but as far as ‘worshiping celebrities’ goes in Capoeira; the hell with that! This is part of the westernisation that has been happening with to the art. Though, if you ever feel the desire to engage with Capoeira teachings and/or social endeavours (as you did on one of your areas of expertise), it’s most likely that you’ll feel the need for knowledge in the historical and cultural backgrounds.

Can you explain me further how Obelix’ work inspired you? How from Capoeira you got inspired to use arts in a community development endeavour?

Thanks again!
Axé!