When I visited Brazil first in 1996, I was introduced to a lovely sport/dance called capoeira. It is a combination of martial art, dance, gymnastics and music. Men and women in white danced it with blurrying speed there on a beach in Bahia. Given my flexibility (ummm, picture an oak tree), I knew it wasn't for me, but when my kids were 2 and 1/2 years old, I brought them to their first class here at Capoeira Uru Brasil. It is a smallish academy that welcomed kids of all ages (the mestre, or master, of the academy sometimes brings his 1 /2 year old to play) and also trains adults of all levels.
My kids are now 6 and have yellow/green cords. In December they will have a batizado and move up a cord to one that is more yellow than green--right now they are more green than yellow. The two boys you can see best here (this is purposefully blurred) are already adult green cords at age 12. They are really good. And funny--they are willing to twist their bodies into any new position, and they laugh as they crash over or into each other. All of them are helpful and sweet to one of my kids who is doing a make-up class that day and seems more than a little impressed. And lost.
My favorite capoeira video is a little far away from my kids' capabilities. Maybe someday. Two men and capoeira. These people can move.
And my kids sing this song every time they come home from class:
Um, dois, três, quatro
Capoeira é um barato
Quatro, três, dois, um
Pode jogar qualquer um
-from Matematica de Capoeira by Chacal Mobilia, Rio de Janeiro
(One, two, three, four
Capoeira is the best
Four, three, two, one
Any one can do it )
except in Portuguese, it rhymes! ;)
