You’ve probably seen it in a movie or a random YouTube clip. Two people in white pants, circling each other in a blurred rhythm of handstands and high kicks, all set to the twang of a weird-looking bow instrument. It looks like a dance. It looks like a game. Honestly, to the untrained eye, it looks like they aren't even trying to hit each other. But if you think the brazilian martial art of capoeira is just a flashy acrobatic performance, you're missing the entire point of why it exists. It’s a combat system born from a desperate need for freedom, wrapped in music to hide its lethality from the people who wanted it banned.
Capoeira is weird. It’s beautiful. And if you’ve ever been caught by a meia lua de compasso (a spinning heel kick where the kicker puts their hands on the floor), you’ll know it’s also incredibly dangerous.
The Brutal History No One Tells You
Let’s get one thing straight: Capoeira wasn’t created for fun. It was developed by enslaved Africans in Brazil, primarily from the Angola and Congo regions, during the 16th century. These people were stripped of everything—their families, their names, their religions. They needed a way to fight back, but they couldn't exactly set up a boxing gym in the middle of a slave plantation.
So they got smart.
They disguised their training as a folk dance. They added the berimbau (that bow-like instrument I mentioned), drums, and singing. If a plantation overseer walked by, he just saw a bunch of "happy" slaves singing and jumping around. He didn't realize they were practicing how to break a man’s ribs with a headbutt or sweep a guard off his feet.
This is where the ginga comes from. The ginga is the fundamental rocking step of capoeira. It’s constant movement. In most martial arts, you have a static stance. In capoeira, you never stop moving because a moving target is harder to hit, and the momentum from the sway fuels the power of the kicks.
After slavery was abolished in Brazil in 1888, the government didn't suddenly embrace capoeira. They actually outlawed it. It became associated with "malandros"—street rogues and gangs in cities like Rio de Janeiro and Salvador. Capoeiristas would carry razors between their toes. It was gritty. It was underground. It wasn't until Mestre Bimba opened the first formal school in 1932—after showing the Brazilian president that it was a legitimate national sport—that it started to become what we see today.
The Two Faces of the Game: Angola vs. Regional
If you walk into a roda (the circle where capoeira happens) today, you’re going to see one of two main styles.
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Capoeira Angola is the old-school stuff. It’s slower, lower to the ground, and focuses heavily on tradition and "malícia" (deception). It was championed by Mestre Pastinha, who believed capoeira should be a philosophy of life. In Angola, you’re playing a game of chess. You’re trying to trick the other person into an opening.
Capoeira Regional, on the other hand, is what Mestre Bimba created. It’s faster. It’s more athletic. It incorporates moves from other martial arts like Savate and Jiu-Jitsu. This is usually what people think of when they see those crazy backflips and lightning-fast kicks.
Why Capoeira Kicks Are Actually Terrifying
There’s a common misconception that because capoeira is "non-contact" in many training sessions, it has no power. That's a mistake.
Think about physics.
In a standard roundhouse kick, you’re using your hip and leg. In the brazilian martial art of capoeira, specifically moves like the meia lua de compasso, you are using your entire body weight as a centrifugal force. You’re spinning on your axis, planting your hands for leverage, and whipping your leg in a massive arc. The force generated is massive. In a 2009 Fight Science segment on National Geographic, researchers measured the impact of different martial arts kicks. The capoeira kick was clocked at over 90 mph and delivered massive force, often exceeding that of a Muay Thai roundhouse because of the sheer momentum of the spin.
- The Martelo: A "hammer" kick. Simple, direct, and meant to end a fight.
- The Queixada: A circular kick using the outer edge of the foot. It looks graceful until it connects with a jawline.
- The Tesoura: Literally "scissors." You wrap your legs around an opponent's waist or legs and twist them to the ground.
The Music Is Not Optional
You cannot have capoeira without the music. Period.
The bateria (the band) controls the energy of the fight. If the berimbau player starts a slow, grinding beat, the two people in the circle have to play slow and close. If the rhythm picks up to a São Bento Grande, the kicks start flying.
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The songs aren't just background noise either. They are often sung in Portuguese and tell stories of famous mestres, the history of slavery, or even mock the people currently playing in the circle. If you’re being too aggressive, the singer might start a song about a "hungry snake" to tell you to chill out. It’s a living, breathing feedback loop between the fighters, the musicians, and the crowd.
The Mental Game: Malícia and Freedom
The most important word in capoeira isn't a kick. It’s malícia.
It doesn't translate perfectly to English, but it’s basically a mix of "cunning," "guile," and "deceptiveness." In the brazilian martial art of capoeira, you don't just win by being stronger. You win by being smarter. You feint a high kick to make them duck, then you headbutt them while they're down. You offer a hand to help them up, then sweep their legs.
It sounds "dirty," but in the context of its history, it makes sense. When you are the underdog—when you are the one being oppressed—you can't afford to play "fair." You play to survive.
This mindset is what keeps people hooked. It’s a full-body workout that also requires you to be a strategist. You're constantly reading the other person's eyes, their weight distribution, and the rhythm of the music. It's incredibly meditative because you literally cannot think about your taxes or your email inbox while someone is trying to (gracefully) kick you in the head.
Is it actually a "Martial Art"?
Some MMA purists scoff at capoeira. They say it’s too telegraphed. And yeah, if you try to do a slow ginga in the middle of a UFC octagon, you’re probably going to get tackled.
But look at fighters like Conor McGregor, Anthony Pettis, or Michel Pereira. They use capoeira-style movement and "capoeira kicks" because the angles are unpredictable. Most fighters are trained to block linear strikes. They aren't used to a kick coming from the floor while the opponent is looking through their own legs.
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How to Get Started Without Breaking Your Neck
If you’re looking at this and thinking, "I can't even touch my toes, let alone do a backflip," don't worry.
Most people who start capoeira are not acrobats. You don't need to be. The acrobatics (called floreios) are actually the least important part of the art. They’re the "flair." The real work is in the leg strength, the core stability, and the rhythm.
- Find a Group (Not a Gym): Capoeira is social. Look for a Grupo that has a lineage. Ask who their Mestre is. A good school will focus on the music and history just as much as the kicks.
- Focus on the Ginga: It will feel awkward for the first month. Your calves will burn. Your coordination will fail. Stick with it. The ginga is the foundation of everything.
- Learn the Songs: Even if you don't speak Portuguese, learn what the lyrics mean. It changes how you play the game.
- Buy the Pants: They’re called abadás. They’re stretchy for a reason. Don't try to do this in stiff gym shorts.
The Reality of the Modern Roda
Today, capoeira is practiced in nearly every country in the world. It’s a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage. But as it has gone global, some of the "edge" has been polished off.
In some big commercial schools, it’s become more of a fitness class. In others, it’s strictly about the "show." But the soul of the brazilian martial art of capoeira is still in the street rodas in Salvador, Bahia. It’s still in the small, sweaty basements where people are singing about the liberdade (freedom) they still feel they are fighting for.
It’s a conversation. When you enter the roda, you aren't "fighting" an opponent; you are "playing" a partner. You are asking questions with your movements, and they are answering. Sometimes the answer is a smile; sometimes the answer is a foot to the chest.
Actionable Steps to Deepen Your Practice
If you're already training or just starting out, here’s how to move past the "beginner" plateau:
- Record Your Ginga: You probably think you look like a pro. You don't. Record yourself and compare it to videos of Mestres like Mestre João Grande or Mestre Suassuna. Notice how low they stay.
- Isolate the Music: Buy a pandeiro (tambourine) or a berimbau and practice the rhythms at home. If you can't hold the beat, you'll never truly "flow" in the circle.
- Study the Portuguese: Understanding the difference between "I’m going to catch you" and "The sea is dangerous" in a song completely changes your situational awareness in a roda.
- Work on "Negative" Space: Don't just focus on the kicks. Focus on the escapes (esquivas). A master capoeirista is someone who is impossible to hit, not just someone who kicks hard.
Capoeira is a lifelong journey. You don't "finish" it. You just get deeper into the rhythm, the history, and the community. It’s a celebration of resilience. And honestly, it’s the most fun you can have while someone is trying to sweep you off your feet.
To truly understand the art, stop watching and start moving. Find a local roda, listen to the berimbau, and let the rhythm tell you what to do next.