capoeira agora blog
About the author (click to expand)
Justyna has a broad experience in sport, training intensively from a very early age. She has spent over a decade practising basketball. She has qualified as a tennis instructor. The past over eleven years, she has committed to Capoeira.
Throughout the years, she gained experience in teaching. She has also learnt to deal with difficulties of intense regular physical training. Injuries, combining the passion for sport with everyday life, being taught in the past by not-so-good-teachers with a superiority complex - all contributed to her determination not to give up. After years of practising Capoeira, she’s eventually found true happiness in it. It brought balance to her life. She reached another level in her Capoeira journey.
Justyna believes that this art form is for everyone. It can be understood by anyone who studies it. Many of us, regardless of our roots, have suffered oppression in life in one form or another. Therefore, we can relate to the origins of Capoeira. We can feel the freedom associated with it.
In her blog, Justyna wants to bring readers closer to the various aspects of learning the art of Capoeira and challenges one comes across during the physical training. In addition, she writes about various events, she participated in. Capoeira prose poems are also to be found.
She hopes that readers will find the posts included here, helpful and motivating.
So what with those belts?
Tuesday, July 26th, 2011 | 23:30
I was as confused as you possibly are.
First of all, at the beginning, I hardly questioned anything. I don’t know if some of you felt or feel similarly, but I was just taking everything in Capoeira as is – that’s how it is here, so obviously it’s like this everywhere…
As a teenager, I used to train basketball for a club and the game had rules. Whether we went to play with another club, or inter-school matches, in another town or abroad, or whether my club’s senior team played a league or international match, I could follow, I could enjoy watching, I understood the rules. Only the NBA had different rules, but it was still easy for me to understand them without anybody really explaining anything.
I used to train tennis. Well, not so much, but I did a coaching course and I could have taught anybody anywhere in the World should I choose it, as the rules were the same everywhere.
I saw Capoeira first time in Brazil. A couple of men doing queixadas while I was enjoying a salad buffet in some churrascaria (I’m vegetarian). Of course at that time I had no clue what they were doing. I didn’t even know how to spell Capoeira. Once I found out what it was and attended regular training after returning to London, I believed that Capoeira would also have the same rules everywhere. How wrong was I?
Anyway, getting back to belts….
In basketball, when you score from the game, you get two points. If you scored from beyond the 6.25 line, years back, you knew you would get three points, etc.
In tennis you start counting at 15, then 30, 40 and game.
You know who’s number one or who’s at the top of the league or World ranking.
Well, not so easy in Capoeira. There are different grading systems in Capoeira. Not only some styles don’t use belts, but even those that use, have different colours. If they use similar colours, then the combination would be different.
Another example, Capoeira master’s belt is white, but then you will often see a Master choosing to wear a black leather belt instead, to keep the trousers up.
What is going on?
After years of training, you will learn that the belt is really symbolic. However, respect and code of conduct is very important in Capoeira and being aware of who’s a higher grade than you, could be in some way beneficial.
So, the question is, if your school follows one belts’ system and let’s say there is no brown belts there and you meet somebody in a roda wearing brown belt, how do you know who’s older in Capoeira?
If you are lucky to meet somebody from another association that uses the same belt colours as you, but was graded within a different grading system, how do you know if he’s your level or maybe one of you is ‘older’?
Finally, even within the same association, the same grading system, belt is not equal to a belt.
In my understanding cordão is your ‘reward’ for your training or work in Capoeira that you put in within your Capoeira group with the same teacher that you train with. The belts are granted solely by your teacher’s opinion. Some teachers will give you cordão for free. Some will charge you a fortune despite you working with the school very hard and paying a lot for your training. The teacher might like one student more than another, so the students would get different belts, even though they train similarly.
Is this wrong? I feel it is. Can you do anything about it? No. Capoeira is a relatively new art form and it feels like no rules are official, including the grading system.
What’s more, if something happens on your Capoeira journey and for whatever reason you need to change a teacher, your belt literally means nothing. You feel robbed and cheated and you have to start all over again (unless you never wanted a belt anyway).
Well, I’ve seen it all, and much more, and what I can tell you is, if you like Capoeira, find a teacher that you like, a group that you like and enjoy it. The benefits of training and the beauty of the art form are far grater than the belt and opinions of those few people that might cast a shadow of a doubt on your study of Capoeira.
Respect yourself first of all, respect the others, be loyal (as far as the respect for you allows you), be patient and you will enjoy the benefits of Capoeira and its beauty.
Axé,
Posted by Estagiária Justyna Józefiak
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Capoeira journey, part III
Saturday, July 16th, 2011 | 21:00
I love Capoeira. Those words are repeated a lot amongst those who practise it. But since day one I saw it while travelling in Brazil, I felt somehow connected with it and my journey, that is in its twelfth year, started. The art form looked so beautiful, that I had no idea that the journey will follow such a bumpy road.
Having various injuries never stopped me and I feel it should never be a reason for anyone to stop. Injuries, blisters, tight muscles, are normal if you are active physically. I have been practising sport from a very early age and I have been struggling with injuries and bruises as long as I can remember. You just have to learn how to deal with them and learn about your body and understand it as best as you can.
Anyway, injuries are the smallest bumps on the road.
I’m not Brazilian and I started practising Capoeira in my late twenties. I have come across many obstacles. I have kept fighting. There are many special moments and because of them I feel it’s worth the fight. After all, Capoeira is an art and it IS for everyone.
Where do I find the motivation to keep going? I don’t know. I never questioned my passion, I only questioned people. Sometimes because of that, I had doubts.
For over the past eleven years I committed most of my time, my life, my money to something that is not even part of my roots. Do I question that? Sometimes. But I have learnt a little bit about another country, another nation, another culture and I met some inspiring people. I never questioned that.
If you are one of the lucky ones that stepped on the Capoeira journey and connected with it, if you ever have doubts, take it as a lesson. I constantly need to find a way to get round the bumps on the road, but I learn from each lesson as it comes along. I have yet to learn a lot, but one thing I am sure of, that I feel good, I feel fit and I feel happy when I see the smile on my students’ faces. So I keep the journey going.
Axé,
Posted by Estagiária Justyna Józefiak
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Training Capoeira on Mondays
Friday, October 29th, 2010 | 23:00
So you have had a great weekend with your friends and you are quite reluctant to go to work on Monday… You wish the weekend lasted longer… Monday comes, and as it is the first day of the working week, it is not the best day to feel motivated to do anything else. You just want to finish your work and go home. You know that there is a Capoeira class on Monday night, but you feel like you will skip it today… but should you?
Over the years of teaching and training, I noticed that Mondays are not very popular days for training. Probably often due to the fact that most of us feel like I pictured it in the introduction above. The question is though, should you skip the Monday training? In my opinion, don't.
It will be initially difficult to get over the tiredness, which might come on Tuesday or Wednesday, but with time, you will see the great benefits of training on Monday nights (if your working pattern is Monday-Friday). Why is that?
Capoeira, amongst many other things, is about discovering and working on your weaknesses. If you are usually not too active on Monday evenings, or you think that if you do anything on Monday evening, you might be too tired later on in the week, my advise would be – challenge it. Challenge yourself.
If you have been training Capoeira for a while, you know by now how great you feel after a class. The exercise and the music add up to a great relaxation, despite the physical effort. Your mind will feel relaxed and physical exercise will help you to sleep at night. You will feel like that on Mondays too. And it will energise you for the whole week. The feel-good factor will give you not only more energy, but also courage to face the tasks throughout the week, whether it will be at work, at the school or in life. In no time, if you skip your Monday training, you will miss it, as you will notice the difference in your energy level in the week, which will be much higher with your regular Monday training.
Have a great weekend and a good training session on Monday.
Axé,
Posted by Estagiária Justyna Józefiak
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Learning the handstand / bananeira*
Sunday, February 27th, 2010 | 13:00
Handstand requires constant practice. Like with anything in life, and in Capoeira, the more you practise the better you get. Some people are more talented than others, but don’t get discouraged. Be patient and keep going, it will take how long it’s necessary, and you will get there. Once you achieve a level, which you are happy with, you can’t stop. You need more practice to keep the level you have reached. There is always something more you can improve or learn. It’s like never-ending journey.
Before you start make sure you’ll warm up. Start with warming up and stretching your neck by rotating the head forward, moving your head side to side and up and down. Rotate your arms in all directions, then your wrists. Stretch your wrist by putting hands on the floor while squatting and gently put your weight onto your hands. Change the position of the hands so your fingers will point away, towards you and to the side. Repeat with your palms facing up. Stretch your legs as well. For example, while sitting on the floor try to reach to your toes keeping your back and legs straight. Ah, and don’t train your handstand with full stomach!
Start your handstand training next to the wall for support. Put your hands on the floor shoulder wide with fingers apart. Kick off the floor towards the wall with the second leg following. If you can’t reach to the wall, ask your spotter to help you with your first leg (the one that leaves the floor first) and bring it to the wall, and then you’ll follow on your own with the second leg.
When upside down, look to the front – in Capoeira handstand (bananeira) it’s crucial you’ll keep an eye on your plying partner, as otherwise they might try to, for example, to dissemblance you with cabeçada! If you want to look at the floor, do it just with your eyes without tilting your head backwards. Otherwise your back will arch and it will be much harder to balance.
You arms should be straight. Keep shoulders close to your head and push them up (similarly how you do it when you shrug). Imagine you are pushing the floor away and you want to keep it as far from your head as possible, rather then lifting your body.
Keep your body firm. Keep your glutes, stomach and legs tight. Floppy body will come down as quickly as it went up.
With time, when your arms start getting stronger and you’ll understand the basics of the movement and your body memorises what to do (only achievable by frequent practice), try to hold for longer, then try slightly further away from the wall. Balance without actually touching the wall, but stay still close, in case you’ll kick too hard, so you will not fall over.
When you finish your training stretch in order to cool down. If you’re aching after your training, it’s only a sign that you have engaged your muscles, which you don’t normally use. (You will normally ache a bit the next day but the worst will come day after). Don’t stop the practise though. The pain will decrease with frequent and regular training, as your muscles gets stronger.
Remember your recipe for success is to be patient and keep practising! Good luck!
*Please note that the instructions above are to help you with your training. You need to make sure to perform your training in safe environment with the spotter to support you. Capoeira Agora cannot be held responsible for any accidents occurred during your training. By reading this article you agree that any advice you follow is at your own risk.
Axé,
Posted by Estagiária Justyna Józefiak
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Learning Capoeira acrobatics
Sunday, November 22nd, 2009 | 18:00
There are as many upright Capoeira movements as there are upside down moves. Whichever Capoeira style we talk about, it does include some acrobatics.
Acrobatics are any movements that require special skills, such as balance and agility. Bananeira (handstand), au (cartwheel), macaco (monkey jump) are all amongst acrobatics. You’ll learn it step by step from the very basics during the regular Capoeira lessons. A Capoeira teacher should break the movement down into learning stages, so the student gets confident with each level before moving to the next.
It is important to understand the movement and give your body a chance to learn the technique and to remember all what at the end will create the desired Capoeira move, which one can use appropriately in the roda within the ‘conversation’ of the game, while maintaining the fluency of the game.
Attempting acrobatics without preparing your body step by step can lead to learning the movement wrongly and wrong habits are more difficult to correct than learning the correct move from the beginning. What’s more important however, that one can get seriously injured and can jeopardise any training for months to come.
Train acrobatics only in safe surroundings with somebody experienced with you. There is a lot you can do however, to prepare your body better for the acrobatics training at the comfort of your home, without any necessity of a big space or assistance.
Stretching, flexibility, balance and strength are all important in your acrobatics training and you can safely train those at home. Remember to warm up before doing any muscles exercises. Training acrobatics requires patience and discipline. Do your stretching and flexibility training regularly and you will see how much easier it will be to attempt acrobatics during the class.
While training in the class, also remember to warm up before the training and cool down after.
The more you train regularly, the better results you will get, so don’t skip your Capoeira lessons!
Axé,
Posted by Estagiária Justyna Józefiak
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Capoeira journey, part II
Sunday, October 18th, 2009 | 14:30
I often get a question, how much should a person train to improve their Capoeira.
The answer, as with anything in Capoeira, isn’t simple. I have mentioned on many occasions before – what you put into the training, you will get back. Capoeira is very just in this respect and will never disappoint you; people in Capoeira will let you down, but Capoeira will not.
If you train every day, you will improve faster. If you train once a week, you will still improve, but over a much longer period. I advise training with your Capoeira academy at least three times a week and then assign some time outside the school days and do some stretching, reading and practice music, playing Capoeira instruments and singing Capoeira songs and you’ll be just fine.
Learning Capoeira is not just about the physical exercise – reading, listening, watching, playing music, etc. are also very important aspects of the learning process and will add up in your training. The better you understand the history of the art form, the better your game will be in the roda. The better you play music and sing, the better your rhythm and balance will be in the roda. All this will come together one day and something will ‘click’ inside you and you’ll really feel what it is about.
Capoeira is like an addiction, the more you ‘dig’ into it, the more you want it. Answer to one question will create three more questions. It’s never ending process of learning and looking for answers. You learn when you start, you learn when you teach, you learn with every class, every roda, every student.
At Capoeira Agora we take the moment as it comes, we appreciate it, enjoy it and learn from it. Mestre Liminha described a Capoeira game in his song as ‘jogo de agora’. You look for protection in the given game...
You are a person that the past has made you. You play with what you learnt in the past. At the same time, the game of now will teach you something new, however good or bad experience it would be, you can turn it into a valuable lesson, which you can refer to in the future.
Axé,
Posted by Estagiária Justyna Józefiak
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Encontro de Associação de Capoeira Senzala de Santos,
Maçanet de Cabrenys, Spain
Friday, September 25th, 2009 | 23:30
Encontro in Maçanet was one not to be missed. The event was shorter, but participants could have learnt much more than during some other longer events. The learning was of a different dimension. The classes were focused not only on training our bodies and musical skills, but also our minds, touching a lot on the philosophy of Capoeira and the Capoeira game.
Contra-Mestre Ceará, yet another time, found a beautiful spot in his current home land Catalunya, and organised, together with Mestre Beija-Flor, an event where everybody felt good, during and after the event.
Trobada Capoeira 2009 was attended by the great Mestre Sombra of the Associação de Capoeira Senzala de Santos (Brazil) Mestre Beija-Flor of Associação de Capoeira Paname (Paris), Contra-Mestra Maria Pandeiro of Associação de Capoeira Dandara (Bremen), Contra-Mestre Ceará of Associação de Capoeira Canigó (Girona), with their students, as well as by the members of the Oslo Capoeira Klub (Norway), Associação Essencia da Capoeira (Orleans) and Associação de Capoeira Agora (London).
Combined with the local art festival and placed in a picturesque village near the Pyrenees filled with the hot Catalan sun, the Capoeira encounter was a very calm, yet dynamic, inter-Academies, yet family like event.
Excellent food and surroundings, peacefulness of the nature and people getting-by with their everyday life, were adding a wonderful balance to the intensity of the training, information coming in and queries discussed.
With the morning and late-afternoon training sessions, evening rodas and various performances for the MaçArt and the local people and the Festival’s visitors, despite spending there just 2.5 out of 4-days, I felt inspired, motivated, energised with plenty of learning opportunities, yet having time to reflex in the sun in the afternoons, exchange thoughts with the Masters and catch up on much needed sleep and relaxation, making the most of the short break away from London with my Capoeira family.
It was a great pleasure for Capoeira Agora to be invited and take the part in the encounter. We wish Contra-Mestre Ceará and Mestre Beija-Flor best of luck with their future work and look forward to the future events.
Capoeira for me, is a unique art form and, despite many obstacles, thanks to the support of the Associação de Capoeira Senzala de Santos, it is my life. My aim is to pass this uniqueness to my students so they to feel about Capoeira in a similar way and enjoy every moment with it and that’s also what our name stands for.
Associação de Capoeira Senzala de Santos is a unique group of people and Academies strongly bonded. With regular workshops with our visiting friends - the Masters and teachers from those Academies, and with regular events in Europe and Brazil, our students have plenty of opportunities to experience that special bond, which makes our Association tick and worth the pain and blisters.
Check out our noticeboard for our upcoming Capoeira events.
Axé,
Posted by Estagiária Justyna Józefiak
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Capoeira Sainté Festival in Saint Etienne, France
Monday, August 3, 2009 | 02:00
The event at Saint Etienne was like no other. Yet again, the energy level at the reunion of the Associação de Capoeira Senzala de Santos was very high and one could see some quite amazing Capoeira games there. There was also lots of good Brazilian music and dance.
Monitor Thiago, with the help of his father and Mestre – Mestre Valtinho de Associação de Capoeira Valtinho da Senzala, got the balance just right. We had lots of valuable training sessions with the great Mestre Sombra, but also those who had enough energy to carry on, had a chance to play some forro, samba and pagode. Dancers were always also present on the dance floor. After many hours of putting the energy in, there was also time to relax on the dance floor afterwards for everyone on duty.
Capoeira training sessions with Mestre Sombra are lessons like no others. His fascinating blend of energy and calmness makes the learning experience an unforgettable one. New questions about the art form are born and some previous ones are answered and I always finish them with anticipation, when we’ll have the next opportunity to learn more.
Monitor Thiago’s student are very friendly and welcoming. On the day of the grading ceremony, his Capoeira friends prepared for him a special performance and his students, together with Mestre Valtinho, performed afterwards. The big group of children, students of Monitor Thiago, sang their hart out to a beautiful toque do berimbau, moving the whole audience.
Batizado was full of energy and good Capoeira and smile was present on everyone’s faces.
Monitor Thiago, in recognition for his hard work with Capoeira Sainté in the past five years, received his next cordão – Monitor.
Congratulations Monitor Thiago! Capoeira Agora wish you all the best in your further work with Capoeira and look forward for your next events.
To see more of Monitor Thiago work, you can visit Capoeira Sainté website at capoeirasainte.free.fr.
Axé,
Posted by Estagiária Justyna Józefiak
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Capoeira Dandara Festival in Bremen, Germany
Sunday, June 14, 2009 | 11:30
The Festival of Capoeira Dandara of Contra-Mestra Maria Pandeiro in Bremen was filled with light-hearted and friendly atmosphere. Event was attended by Capoeira enthusiasts and great professors and Masters of Associação de Capoeira Senzala de Santos from around Europe and Brazil, including the great Mestre Sombra.
We worked hard during the Capoeira workshops, learning a great deal from the best, having lots of fun at the same time. The energy level during the workshops was very high, and reached its peak during the Batizado on the last day of the Festival.
Before the grading ceremony, Contra-Mestra Maria Pandeiro, together with her Capoeira Dandara students, performed for the wide audience. The Batizado itself, started with the children’s grading. They were quite amazing and one could easily notice how much admiration for CM Maria Pandeiro and enthusiasm for Capoeira they had. They were also very good. Even the little ones, managed to follow their game with the visiting Master or teacher very well, showing results of their work during the regular classes.
The same goes for the adult students. Even though tired and aching after days of workshops, smile and skills were shining through generously in the sea of adrenaline.
Even though I was aching myself and tiredness knocked in, I couldn’t wait to get to my class and continue practising with my students what I learnt during that enjoyable Capoeira Festival.
We wish CM Maria Pandeiro and Capoeira Dandara further success and look forward to their next Capoeira events.
Further details about Capoeira Dandara and CM Maria Pandeiro work can be found on www.capoeira-dandara.de.
Axé,
Posted by Estagiária Justyna Józefiak
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Marinheiro só
Wednesday, May 27, 2009 | 21:30
When I stepped into the Capoeira river I suspected that on the way I will get to some sort of a big sea. I was wrong. It wasn’t any sea out there waiting, it was a great ocean.
I have been floating on its waters for a while now… Sometime I come across some pirates, sometimes across some friendly sailors, sometimes across a deserted land, another time across a land full of lively villages.
The ocean is intriguing. It is beautiful, but at times unfriendly and dangerous. Sometimes cooling, sometimes very rough. One day it's shimmering like a gold, but on the other side it’s black. It’s not only vast, it’s also deep.
It survived many a time rough challenges of the mother nature and it will carry on surviving… It seems untouched by anything… strong in its powers, speaking to those who want to hear. The longer you are on the ocean, the more you learn to listen and understand it and realise that you are still at the beginning of the stream.
Axé
Posted by Estagiária Justyna Józefiak
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Roda de Capoeira
Sunday, May 17, 2009 | 13:00
What is a ‘roda’?
Literally ‘roda’ in Portuguese means ‘wheel’, ‘circle’.
In Capoeira a roda is a place where Capoeira game happens. It’s not a physical place, it’s a circle, created by musicians and people watching a game of Capoeira between two players in the middle of that circle.
When you hear ‘there is a roda…’ it means you will see the above and hear the music.
While teaching, I often receive a question from Capoeira beginners: ‘when one is ready to play in a roda and to have a good game in a roda’?
The answer is not straightforward, because it depends how much one will train and how much they remember from the classes. Maybe some 10 classes and one will be able to follow a game with just a few movements. When one enters the roda first few times, often forgets everything they have learnt in the class. Give it three months training twice a week and participating often in rodas and one will be much more confident in a game and will take initiative. Train less and it will take longer.
Remember however, that one never stops learning Capoeira and throughout many years of training they will have many good and bad games in their opinion, which won’t necessary be good or bad in opinion of their teacher or those who watch the roda.
You can have a great Capoeira game with just a few movements. All comes down to observing and understanding Capoeira art form. Regular training, patience in learning and loyalty to your school are crucial in achieving that understanding and learning to observe.
Carry on training, be patient, enjoy the moment and don’t look how others progress. Capoeira is as unique as you are. How much you will give to it, you will get back. Sometimes in life you give and you don’t get much or anything in return. That unbalance will upset you or influence your health. People in Capoeira, like in life may disappoint you and upset that balance, but Capoeira never will. Train for yourself, because you like it, be patient and your hard work will be rewarded.
Axé
Posted by Estagiária Justyna Józefiak
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Capoeira journey, part I
Sunday, May 3, 2009 | 16:30
To practise Capoeira you don’t need any reasons at all. It’s good for you and it will enhance your life. Full stop.
Like with anything else in life, it’s easy to find a reason not to do something… a headache, a hurting finger, work commitments, being too stiff, too old, too whatever. For every reason ‘against’ practising Capoeira, I could give you ten ‘for’, but I would consider it a waste of time. If you want to believe in your reasons ‘against’, I probably wouldn’t succeed changing your mind. I can only say – give Capoeira a try and be patient.
Capoeira is like a long journey, which will enhance your life, or if you let it to, I would even dare to say – improve your life. It is good for your body and mind, as long as you have a good guidance throughout.
Find a school and a teacher that appeals to you. They should be not just a place and a person. At the school you should find lots of positive energy, which will motivate you and make hungry for more knowledge. The teacher should be also your friend, who respects you as you respect them.
Capoeira is about balance in many of its aspects. It’s a phenomenon that has taken world by storm in the recent years and the balance is sometime interrupted.
Capoeira is a young art form comparing to some other martial arts. You will see some common things in various academies (= Capoeira schools), but even more differences. There are also as many teaching methods, as there are teachers.
Once you find a school and a teacher that you want to carry on with, be loyal.
In your Capoeira journey, your teacher will encourage and advise you to participate in workshops with other teachers and masters. Your regular training however, should take place at your chosen school, with your teacher, otherwise, you will be confused about the art form and you won’t progress well.
There is as much philosophy to Capoiera, as there is training. Keep it in mind. It’s not just a physical exercise and it is for everyone.
Have a great journey! Boa viagem!
Posted by Estagiária Justyna Józefiak
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Welcome to Capoeira Agora blog
Saturday, May 2, 2009 | 22:54
The aim of this blog is to bring Capoeira art form closer to our readers. We will post various tips about learning the art form and insights into the Capoeira world. You will find here some posts about Capoeira lifestyle, as well as recommendations of what to see regarding Capoeira and Brazilian culture and reviews.
We look forward to your comments.
Let the journey commence…
Axé
Posted by Estagiária Justyna Józefiak
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For more information on upcoming classes and events or if you have any other queries, please contact Capoeira Agora via email, phone or post and we will get back to you soon.