Capoeira
Capoeira
Capoeira is an Afro-Brazilian martial art that combines elements of fight, acrobatics, music, and dance. Developed by enslaved Africans in Brazil, it is performed in a roda (circle) to live berimbau music.
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Capoeira develops full-body flexibility, rhythm, and creativity while connecting you to a rich cultural tradition. Learning the ginga (basic movement) and playing in the roda (circle) makes it as much a community as a martial art.
At a Glance
Who It's For
What You'll Learn
Ginga (base swaying movement)
Kicks and sweeps (rasteira, tesoura)
Acrobatic escapes — au (cartwheel), macaco (backflip)
Berimbau rhythm, atabaque, and pandeiro music
Roda (circle) etiquette, mestre (master) protocol, and improvisation
Your First Class
Wear comfortable white clothing if possible. Expect a warm-up with ginga (basic movement), kicks, and acrobatic drills. You will likely participate in a roda. Classes run 60-90 minutes.
Watch & Learn
Gallery
Legends of Capoeira
Mestre Bimba
Mestre Bimba rescued Capoeira from criminal stigma by creating Capoeira Regional — a more structured, combative style — and earning the first government license to teach the art openly. His legitimization of Capoeira transformed it from a persecuted street practice into a recognized Brazilian cultural treasure.
Mestre Pastinha
Mestre Pastinha dedicated his life to preserving Capoeira Angola — the traditional, ritualistic form of Capoeira rooted in African heritage. While Bimba modernized the art, Pastinha ensured its spiritual and cultural soul survived, becoming the philosophical counterweight that kept Capoeira whole.
Mestre Joao Grande
Mestre Joao Grande is widely regarded as the greatest living master of Capoeira Angola, having trained directly under the legendary Mestre Pastinha. Now based in New York City, he has spent decades preserving the traditional, ritualistic form of capoeira for future generations.
Lateef Crowder
Related Styles
Capoeira Angola
Capoeira Angola is the traditional, older form of Capoeira emphasizing low, strategic movements, deception, and close-quarters play. It preserves the rituals and music of the art's African roots.
Capoeira Regional
Capoeira Regional was created by Mestre Bimba in the 1930s as a more combative, structured form of Capoeira. It incorporates standing techniques, sequences (cintura desprezada), and athletic acrobatics.
Samba
Taekkyeon
Taekkyeon (택견) is an ancient Korean martial art characterized by fluid, dance-like footwork — pumbalbgi (품밟기) — low kicks, and leg sweeps. It is recognized by UNESCO as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
Popular With
Showman
Martial art is a form of expression.
Fitness Fighter
Pain is weakness leaving the body.
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