Capoeira Angola
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.
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Angola develops patience, strategy, and deep body awareness. It is ideal for those drawn to the cultural and philosophical roots of Capoeira.
At a Glance
Who It's For
What You'll Learn
Low ginga and ground movement
Malícia (deception and strategy)
Berimbau playing and ladainha singing
Sweeps and close-quarters evasion
Roda ritual and call-and-response
Your First Class
Wear comfortable clothing, preferably white. Expect slow, deliberate movement drills, ginga practice, and participation in a traditional roda with live berimbau music. Classes run 60-90 minutes.
Watch & Learn
Legends of Capoeira Angola
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.
Mestre Moraes
Related Styles
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.
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.
Popular With
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Martial art is a form of expression.
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