O, meu irmão,
Que foi que tu viu lá
Ví Capoeira Matando,
Também ví Maculêlê

Capoeira combines my interests in other cultures with my desire to remain in strong physical shape. I have studied various martial arts, like most Capoeiristas, but remain faithful to Capoeira for its unique style and emotion. Beyond the physical aspects of the sport, Capoeira touches a place in me that remembers a more simple, natural man. A man that was a part of a tribe, a family of people who cared for him. A group of people who express themselves by singing and moving, who do not judge on how well you perform, but only if you are true to your inner feeling.

Many of those who grow up in America, whose families have lost touch with their culture, find themselves in a position where they don’t know where they belong. In many places in America it seems taboo to act naturally, to express what you feel inside. Capoeira teaches that your natural reaction is valid, if only the Capoeirista learns to control this emotion.

When I visited a friend in New York whose girlfriend was taking a Capoeira class, I decided to join her. This first class difficult despite my preparation with Tae Kwon Do. I returned to Florida to see if I could find another class. When I found the school in my home town of Orlando, I went to see their Batizado ceremony, or graduation, and I was entranced. I sped home, fed on this new energy, telling myself, this is what I wanted to study. I went to my first class with Mestre Lázaro. My favorite music, Reggae, was playing as we exercised. I looked around at the practitioners and saw how amazingly strong their bodies were. I have always been interested in exercises that don’t involve lifting weights, and in Capoeira there are plenty. The style of this martial art is like no other. Capoeira involves singing, playing instruments, a dance-like move called a ginga, dodging attacks and disguising counterattacks. As one of the Capoeiristas, or practitioners said to me after my first class, “it’s about moving around, it’s about dodging, not blocking. You use the energy of the music to feel the rhythm and express what you have inside. It’s about peace.” I couldn’t have said it better myself.