This book is Study guide for Capoeira Angola, an Afro Brazilian martial art form. This book is not intended, on its own, to teach Capoeira Angola. It is a reference for understanding how some of the basic movements of Capoeira are done when you are not able to attend classes. This book was created with children and beginners in mind. It can be a resource for kids who need help remembering the names of the different Capoeira movements. It can also be used as a study guide to help students of all ages remember the various movements and think about their potential uses. Learning Capoeira is like learning how to swim. You can read books about how to swim, but you must get in the water if you really want to understand how it’s done. Reading this book will help guide you, but you must go to a class to truly learn Capoeira Angola (or any type of Capoeira). I hope this book will help you develop an understanding of how Capoeira works.
There are a couple of things you need to keep in mind when reading this book. The first thing is, when you are looking at the illustrations, you have to imagine that you are looking in a mirror. About 95% of the illustrations in this book are set up this way. So, when you’re looking in a mirror and you raise your left hand, your mirror image will be raising the right hand.
This is how I teach the movements in my class, and it is the way I was taught Capoeira. Some people have a tendency to want to turn their backs and face the same direction as the instructor so as to mimic what they are seeing. However, the best way to learn these movements is by facing the illustrations as if they represent your opponent as a mirror image. This way, you learn to see what is happening from a defensive or offensive position.
Please look at the example on the next page. Remember! Reading this book will not make you an expert in Capoeira. Capoeira takes years of practice and this book is meant only to help the process along. It is a tool comparable to using the right pair of athletic shoes to play basketball or the right pair of cleats to play football or baseball. Tools can be useful, but if used incorrectly, they can be quite destructive! Please support your local Capoeira family, institution, or organization! “Guidance is impossible without a guide.” Find a Capoeira teacher!
