| The graceful martial art of Capoeira stands-out | | | | under oppression from South American masters. |
| from those of other traditional combat arts in | | | | Capoeira moves include acrobatic moves, feints |
| that it employs the use of percussive music and a | | | | and groundwork which in a way resembles the |
| capoeira match itself looks like a dance. Made | | | | urban art of breakdancing. The latter may in fact |
| famous in pop culture by the videogame | | | | may have been an offshoot of Capoeira with its |
| character Eddy in Playstation's Tekken and a 90s | | | | fluid gymnastics and reliance on percussive music. |
| movie "Only The Strong", there is some dispute | | | | Body-throws, elbow, fist and strikes using one's |
| to where it originated. Common belief is that it | | | | head are also used in Capoeira combat although |
| has its roots in Brazil in the 16th to 19th centuries | | | | to a relatively lesser degree than leg sweeps and |
| during the slave trade. Africans brought over by | | | | kicks which make-up the majority of attacks. |
| Portuguese slave traders were said to have | | | | Reason for this may be because a slave's hands |
| developed the musical, dance-like martial art as a | | | | are usually manacled and only the legs are free to |
| way to disguise their practice sessions from slave | | | | move around. Another possible reason may be |
| masters. The two "Capoeiristas" would be | | | | because punches and hand-strikes can disrupt the |
| surrounded by a 'roda' or a circle of spectators | | | | fluidity of the Capoeira player's movement and |
| who take turns playing musical instruments, singing | | | | are deemed out of place. |
| along as the participants engage in the dance-like | | | | There are two classifications for Capoeira- |
| spar. | | | | traditional and modern. The traditional and thus |
| The origins of the term "Capoeira" itself is unclear | | | | much older Capoeira Angola has generally sneakier |
| as there are many possible sources and several | | | | moves with players maneuvering their bodies in a |
| meanings. One is that it came from the word | | | | closer distance to each other and lower to the |
| 'capao' or castrated rooster. A pair of capoeiristas | | | | ground compared to the modern Capoeira |
| engaged in sparring in a way resembles a | | | | Regional. Capoeira grandmaster Bimba developed |
| cockfight. Another possible source of the term is | | | | Capoeira Regional to bring the art to its original |
| derived from two words from the South | | | | fighting roots, employing faster and more athletic |
| American Tupi-Guarani language- kaa and puera | | | | techniques. It's also associated less with Brazil's |
| which put together means 'formerly a forest' or a | | | | criminal elements. The controversial Capoeira |
| forest clearing. Such an area in the middle of a | | | | Contempor?a combines techniques from both |
| thick jungle would have been an ideal place for | | | | Angolan and Regional classifications, to the chagrin |
| escaped slaves to hide from their oppressors. | | | | of Capoeira purists who argue that each discipline |
| Whatever the true origin for the word, the martial | | | | should be practiced in their original form for a |
| art of Capoeira is widely accepted to be an | | | | student to be able to understand its principles. |
| Afro-Brazilian martial art developed by slaves | | | | |