Capoeira!

Capoeira!!! "As if you needed another activity."

I know, I know ... but it's just so darn fun!  Okay, so backing up, what started as a 5 week Groupon deal resulted in me committing to joining a Capoeira studio for weekly classes.  For those of you who not know, Capoeira is a Brazilian martial art that involves music, dancing, sparring, culture, and gymnastics.  It dates back to African slaves who trained in secret, disguising their fighting techniques in dance and music.  It is incredibly fast paced, utilizing speed, power and creativity.  The SB Batuque studio Chris and I joined is a small space in Goleta that shares the week schedule with a ballet studio.  It's lead by a true character of epic proportions, Mariano Silva.  (Pictured below ... that was his outfit at this year's solstice.  If you care to look up more, they are all equally or more intense.  He may have the most continuous energy I've ever seen in a single human being...)

The long, long history of this art/sport is quite fascinating, and close to impossible for me to simply summarize here.  There was a period of time in history when anyone caught practicing Capoeira or fighting for any reason would be arrested by police, possibly tortured and mutilated.  It's a dark but rich legacy that we as new students are only barely scratching the surface of, and it's exciting.

Because Capoeira was so underground, it has become a tradition over time for students to receive a nickname (like a undercover identity) at their initiation ceremony (the Batizado) from a master.  I was given the name Allegria (Joy), Chris is Ferugen (Rust) and Ben is Sorriso (Smile).

Our timing when joining was a little strange, because we were swept up in the tail end of the training year just prior to new students receiving their belts.  So essentially, a bunch of folks on our same "level" have been training for nearly a full year, so we are not nearly as sharp as they are.  I feel particularly clumsy at times since this is also the first martial art I have ever tried out.  The music appeals to me greatly.  The people at the studio are friendly, laugh easily, and welcoming.  I am looking forward to getting to know everyone a little more.  The classes are intense and challenging.  Chris has discovered that going to them is having a positive effect on his Su Bak Do work, and I have found that no matter what is going on, I feel light, unstressed, and loose after every class despite how difficult it can be.  Sometimes my shoulder starts to bother me after too many cartwheels, so it is possible I will have to really take it easy during the current intense period of paddling.  So far once a week isn't toooooooooo bad.... hopefully I can stick with it long enough to be able to feel confident when I get to play in the roda.