. . .and what is this thing anyway, this. . . capoeira?

Capoeira is easiest pronounced Kapo-way -ra with soft vowels and a rolled 'r'. It is an art form born in Brazil among Africans once enslaved in brutal conditions. For many it is a celebration of the fight against slavery and a reminder of the ongoing struggle against discrimination and oppression. For others it is a place and time for physical and mental expression that is free of the restraints they feel in day to day life. Capoeira means so much and so many different things to different people.

Practiced in an atmosphere charged with percussion and song two players out-move each other, they flow over and around each other weaving kicks and other attacks in constant dance-like motion. They tease and taunt each other and frustrate each others tricks. They joke and jibe with theatrics but are always on the lookout for that sudden attack. Capoeira commands respect and camaraderie among diverse people yet trust is not a virtue. Receiving your friend's blessing has more than one meaning.

Capoeira is a fighting art and a dynamic performing art. It is a vigorous sport and casual recreation. It is an art of powerful African-Brazilian percussion and song. Capoeira mixes fight and play, co-operation and confrontation, gymnastics and theatrics, malice and playful taunting, percussion and song into a dynamic cultural expression.