NOT.TELMO
Inktober is an annual personal challenge, first introduced by
Jake Parker in 2009 as a way to improve his inking skills and
develop positive drawing habits
, by drawing every day in the
month of October, following a topic each day.
I decided to take this year's challenge and connect it with capoeira.
When doing some kind of movement, sometimes we forget to breath, and the movement becomes stiff. We tremble and shake in our boots trying to get a hold of ourselves. A simple trick that sometimes help is to close our eyes and remember to breath.
Capoeira has a term named "dendê". It has different interpretation according to different people. In my interpretation, it refers heightened state of focus, entering in fluid state of mind, body and spirit, allowing smooth and free movement within one's capabilities.
In capoeira, as well as other martial arts, controlling the space is essential. During a Roda, the one who controls the center, controls the game. The one in the center has more space to play with than the one who is near the edges.
Capoeira was not always legal. After slavery was abolished in 1888, it was criminalized by the goverment under the pretense that it served "as a tool that enabled slaves to commit offences and criminal acts against their masters.". This mindset led the masses to believe capoeira practioners (which were mostly composed of brazillian natives and were street thugs and "cold-blooded murderes".
When Mestre Bimba created the Capoeira Regional style and presented it to the governor in 1930, capoeira became legal again.
Traditionally taught in capoeira, is also Maculêlê. It's a dance that can be done with either "facão" (the blade slaves used to cut the plantation) or sticks, in both hands.
This dance is usually accompanied by "congas" and/or "atabaques", and can be danced with a partner and in group.
While dancing with a partner, both clash each other's swords on every 3rd beat on a four scale, and on the forth beat they clash their own swords.
The other 2 beats are free for the player to do what they want, be it dancing or doing some acrobatics or clashing their swords on the ground
The origin of this dance is not defined, but there are theories. The one I liked most so far is the one of a young boy that managed to protect his village from invaders, and the people created this dance in his honour and memory.
Check this youtube video to this dance in action
Slaves' living conditions were reliant on the wealth and mood of their owner. Conditions were poor and unsanitary and finding a mouse or two probably wouldn't come as surprise, but it very likely built stress to those in the house.
Capoeira during slavery besides its cultural use, it also served, for slaves, as tool to blow stress away.
Capoeira is an art form where you use your body to express yourself. It's usually stressed during classes that moves should look good. Make it a show. Be attractive to the eye.
There are several types of games/rhythms in capoeira. One game in particular is called "Santa Maria".
The "Santa Maria" game is traditionally played with a reward (usually from the public) wrapped inside a rug or a player's t-shirt and this becomes a prize for the first player that grabs it with his/her mouth while playing Capoeira with the other.
Throws do exist in Capoeira, despite being very rare during a capoeira game. Personally I have never seen one in roda, but would love to :D
At the start of a capoeira roda, 2 players gather at the berimbau crouched. Here, they can gather their focus and pray for a good game.
It is commonly frowned upon the use of violence in capoeira games. A nice game of capoeira is based on playing with the other rather than against.
Capoeira allows the use of "rasteiras" (sweeps). They require timing and some skill, but they don't necessarily have to be followed through and break the game flow. It can just be marked (or placed) to let the partner know that "you got him" (or not), which allows the game to continue nice and smooth. In the illustration below, the capoeirista being "marked" is ready be swept and jump to his back, saving himself from a potential rasteira.
While researching for this topic, I learned that travelling across deserts are usually used for metaphors of spiritual searching.
Some capoeristas talk about the spirituality in capoeira, and that it happens inside the roda. When you are inside the roda, your core values, and the posture you take on life is revealed.
As a matter of interest, capoeira is not a religion, but due to its history and roots, it has a vague connection to Candomblé, which I will talk more about in later posts.
There is a term in Capoeira called "Corpo Fechado". Besides refering to how well you defend yourself in a roda, there is a also a legend behind it that is also connected to Candomblé, an afro-brazillian religious practice.
In capoeira history, a legendary capoeira Mestre known as Besouro was known for his "Corpo Fechado" and was immune to bullets and knifes. It's said that this spell can be achieved through certain Candomblé rituals and amulets, and can only be broken by a wooden dagger made out of the Tucum-tree.
There is a movie called "Besouro - The Assailant" that presents capoeira and uses Mestre Besouro as a protagonist. Have a look and enjoy
Slaves that were able to run away from their masters would often create or join "Quilombos": Autonomous communities, hidden from the public eye, consisting of run-away slaves and others persecuted by authorities.
The most famous "Quilombo" was called "Quilombo de Palmares", hosted around 30 thounsand people and lasted for almost a century under the great leadership of King Zumbi and Queen Dandara.
Needless to say, Capoeira was used by these communities to fight the oppressors
Capoeira is also about "Rock et Roll" (Bad pun intended).
There is no capoeira without the "bateria" (band). Only techniques being thrown around.
The beat played decides the pace and style of the game.
In a full "bateria", aka the musical instruments, you will find the following (but not limited to) instruments:
Sometimes, the main singer (usually high ranked capoeiristas) also give suggestions to the participants in their lyrics as to how they should play or what they should be paying attention to, which makes active listening also part of playing inside a roda.
Due to physical limitions, interest or any other reaon, some people only play capoeira music without playing inside the roda, but this is not to say that they are not capoeiristas! Movement inside the roda is only part of what capoeira really is!
Representation of Orixá Oyá/Yanŝa - Deiti of the winds and storms in Candomblé.
As I mention in a previous post, Capoeira is loosly connected to Candomblé. This can be seen in some capoeira musics, as well as in capoeira history. When slaves were brought to Brazil in the XVI century and later, they brought their religion.
Candomblé is a mix of three african religions and Orixás were humans who were deitifed by Oludumaré, the supreme ruler. Candomblé does not distinguish good and evil but rather that we should fully fulfil our destiny while we are alive, being aware that any evil we throw out, we receive it back.
Candomblé practitioners believe they have their own Orixá guiding and protecting them in their life, and that their personalities are strongly linked to their protector Orixá.
Oyá, Orixá of the Winds and Storms, is a fearless warrior and a hopeless romantic.
Capoeira has a term called "Malícia". It is commonly known as the cunningness or trickery one uses in their game, but this cunningness can be demonstrated in different ways.
Depending on the type of game you are playing, you might be testing each other out to "trap" the other player. Sometimes, once a player is unable to move, the game is taken as finished. Both players shake hands and the next pair enters the "Roda".
If you want to know more, I started reading this document which I found interesting about "malícia":
Capoeira involves a LOT of body rotations, either from a single movement of combinations. One movement in particular is called "Pião de Mão", where you spin your whole body in one hand!
Makes you wonder how one doesn't get "dizzy" from that kind of things, especially if you make multiple spins.
The main option to avoid getting dizzy is to practice, however there are some tricks you can use to balance this out. You can try to maintain a constant speed in your movement, keep yourself in one spot or fixing your sight in one spot.
In a Capoeirista's curriculum, is a folkloric dance called "Puxada de Rede".
After slavery was abolished in Brazil, black people could not find their place in the workforce. As a solution to this problem, they started dedicating their life to fishing and created this folkloric tradition knows as "Puxada de Rede".
Because life was hard and pulling the fishing net from the sea was even harder, they put some spice on it. They sang and synchronized to the "atabaque" beat, and celebrated after a successful haul.
Here is a video of this folkloric dance (it's also used as the backgorund music for this inktober's):
P.S.: This post is not about corals, how to fish, or how they connect to capoeira xD
Sleep is an important aspect of life, especially if you do sports.
Exercise depletes energy, fluids and breaks down muscle. Keep yourself hydrated and eating well is only a part of muscle recovery. Lack of sleep has a very high chance to create a state of fatigue, being easily unfocused and thus, becoming unable to retain and process information properly.
And because the illustration demands it, here are some cuddling benefits:
Capoeira games between people need time to develop, like food takes time to cook. During the game, the players discover each other and themselves, and learn to play together. The result can be a heart warming meal at the end of the day.
Thanks to Mestre Bimba's efforts, Capoeira became legal, but at the time it was still far from being what it is today. Seeing a razorblade or "navalha" in a roda or a street fight was unfortunately not a rare sight.
"Cordas" were not the first ranking system in capoeira. Instead, capoeiristas used colored silk scarves. This served as one of the protective systems against "navalhas". Due to the lightness of the material, in case a "navalha" hit the silk scarf, the "navalha" would slide through the silk, thus protecting the capoeirista from a fatal wound to the neck.
If you dig through capoeira history, you will come across many different components that makes it what it is today. If you continue digging through each of those components, you will start getting farther away from the surface level of capoeira knowledge and start to understand more of its essence and particularities.
Capoeira teaches values of community, non-violence and inclusion. It's great for building up friendships!
One theory as to how Capoeira came to be what it is today, is how the slaves danced while guards watched, and kicked when they looked away.
Capoeirista is not a fighter. He is above all, a musician. That's what stays even after you age.
"Ginga" in capoeira means "Sway" or "Float", because you balance yourself from one side to the other. The way you float in capoeira, is dependent on how you express yourself to the music
The item that could distinguish between slaves and non-slaves were shoes.
During the slavery period in Brazil, not all black people were slaves. Few were able to achieve their rightful freedom from their Masters.
In capoeira history, and in a few parts of the world where poverty and criminality is very present, it was very important to look for people reaching into their pockets during a roda as it sometimes could mean they had knifes inside.
Capoeira does not restrict the way you move and there are even games where you can embrace your inner animal!
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