capoeira 2013: Christchurch workshop

The first Capoeira event of the year was held in Christchurch from 1st Feb- 3rd February.

On the Friday night we covered music. I learned the technique behind the pandeiro which for the first time has been instructed in a way that helped me understand how to use it right. I never used to shake it -no wonder I was out of time xp….

We also learned some songs and their meanings: (translations are not great, just to get an idea)

pumba voo pomba voo/pumba voo pomba gaviao pegou/ (*pumba voo pumba voo)

The pidgeon flew the pidgeon flew, the eagle swoops/strikes

jogo de dentre, jogo de fora/jogo bonito eo jogo de angola (*jogo de dentro, jogo de fora)

playing inside playing outside, playing a beautiful game of angola

Ai ai aide, joga bonita que o povo quer ver (*ai ai aide)

Abalou cachoeira abalou/ abalou deixa abalou (*abalou cachoeira abalou)

The waterfall falls/flows

Siri botou gameleira no chao/siri botou (*gameleira no chao)

Barauna caiu quanto mais eu/quanto mais eu quanto mais eu (*barauna caiu quanto mais eu)

O facao bateu eu baixo/a bananeiro caiu/ caicai bananeiro/* a bananeira caiu

Tim tim timIa vai viola/eh la vai viola/*tim tim tim la vai viola

mandar eu vou/ *cajue/Mandar vou la/* Cajue

Afterwards we hung out in the spa at our accommodation. It was lucky for me I managed to get away to go to sleep after some time… but the others stayed in the spa until 6-7am xp then we had training at 10am. Poor Caicai, Perere and Candybar (Pontual too but he still went to sleep before the others) though as usual (but more due to our accommodation being miles away from the training hall) we started late.

The morning started with movement class with Perere. We had lunch- I had a burger from burgers n beer for the first time.Then we learned some afro-dance. It was really interesting. I’d never specifically seen afro-dance before so it was challenging but fun at the same time to learn some moves. We had to learn a whole sequence and then perform it. And then do again at a faster speed… it was so much fun- I had a smile on my face the entire time. Thanks Olive for coming all the way to teach us.\

Then we had Leite Quente/John teach us some movement. I have realised I need to understand more names/movements from angola better. It is not something I have been able to cover much. We looked at sissuora(sp?) and learned about intention and challenge within movement.

We then were split up into musical skill levels. Mine definitely beginner. And even more gratefully the beginners teacher was Perere- He’s awesome and patient at teaching music. We practiced with pandeiro and birimbau. The stone was awkwardly too big to fit in the gap between the bow and the string which made it difficult to hold in the first place let alone play but Perere’s patience kept me from going mental.

We went back to Sabichona’s parents house where there were lots of people, people I knew- Unexpected, and great as it meant I got to hang out with some friends during my short visit in Christchurch. In the Roda I went up against candybar. He’s fun to play against and has a similar level to mine but secretly I do think he is better than me at capoeira. But then again he never managed to Rasteira me like he said he would haha.

christchurch roda/batteria

I got to eat hungi veggies for the first time and there was delicious bbq steak. I went for a walk with daggers, danced with spanish, Geoff and daggers, started a party in the lounge and while there was no train.. there were massages :D!! We played pool for a little bit and went to sleep at 3am.

The last thing of the event was a smooth transition as Perere went over different ryhthms on the pandeiro and customs for different games (angola/benguela and regional). It was very helpful to understand things that I felt we were assumed/supposed to know/understand but it made it so much clearer when he defined which was for what game and which order the instruments come into a game. I wish I had my notebook on me to write it down. So we then put that into practise (of course I screwed it up so badly Perere made us start over 3 times xp) and then we started a Regional Roda. We looked at the influence of the great Mestre Valdemar- he was famous for his leadership (respectable nature and personality), great voice and his great birimbau skills (and the quality birimbau he made too).

It was a great weekend away from mount Cook and again I learned very much! Axe.

 

Body Fest 2012

http://thebody.co.nz/

The bodyfest is underway. What is body fest? it is an event which celebrates all forms of dance, expression and movement.

Our capoeira group starred a spot in bodyfest at Eastgate mall on saturday morning. It was more public than I expected with the dancefloor right in the middle of the mall! We gave everyone a peek at what we do in a typical class and allowed beginners to have a taste of capoeira by having people participate. It was great!

It is a shame I am heading off to another place with Christchurch’s bodyfest just starting there looks to be a great range of activities, dancing, performances and events I would like to try out for myself…

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Capoeira training

I rarely make friday nights. But managed to make this one.

We practised:

A) meia lua de compassa.

B) Rasteira/ Role –>Camisada? (headbutt)

 

Doing Role/negativa/au and making the other player move.

On another note my room is near empty and looking just like when I first moved in- no bed/furniture, things in boxes and scraps of stuff here and there..

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Aruandê capoeira festival 2012 Dunedin

This weekend I went down to Dunedin and experienced my first Batizado.

On friday we had a good hard training. Mestre Demetrius, one of the honoured guests, made us do interesting warm ups and play some games. We had to play this game where we had to get the bottle in the middle of the room to our own teams side without being tagged. If you are tagged you have to do jumping jacks… We also had to do team work/obstacle activities and it ended in our team doing lots of push ups… aha..

Then we got to train with Mestre Zizu. He likes to play and have fun. He got us to spin a web and then have a Roda in it. We were not allowed to touch it during a game else more push ups.  Then we had to go up against Mestre Zizu. He did merely play with us. He was fun to play with and was really cheeky but always kept me on edge because I had no idea what to expect.

Then we had a demonstration at a cultural festival run by Otago university students. Mestre Zizu managed to get some pretty good audience participation in there so it was pretty successful. There was taiko, pacific island traditional dancing and maori singing and that was really awesome to watch.

Afterwards we went to a place called The church- which turns out it was a bar with church like architecture. There was so many of us but I managed to fit a game in with Seguranca. He plays tidy and big which makes it not easier but nicer to play with. There was more audience participation before we all broke into dancing late into the night.

The next day Mestre Demetrius and Zizu showed us some moves and got us to partner up. Hard hard training.. Yea!

There was more training and music and questions while we had the Mestres in our midst.

That evening we had the batizado. It was good. Those who are going to the second part of the event in Wellington will get to experience an epic event as supposedly even MORE people are attending that event.

I now have my capoeira name and my first belt. I would say my goal at having (basic) skill in capoeira is achieved- BUT it’s not over- there are more more more things to learn and one can’t know every single thing…

There was celebrations and a bit of fun afterwards.

The next day we did some music, capoeira songs (which I have mostly memorized) and samba. Aaa, samba was one of my favourite new things that I learned this weekend. It was cheeky, full of energy and spazz!

And then there was  the 4 hour drive home… So tired but was so good.

 

O this counts as a roadtrip! So another goal accomplished!

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Capoeira notes

Capoeira

SIDE A

decida basica

(turn facing oposite way)

handstand

down into headstand

face opponent into ginga

SIDE B

Meia lua de compassa

Negativa

Role

Ponche (bridge)

Queda de rins (capa je heins-pronunciation)

 

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Capoeira training Camp summary

au by adorinha

Day one

Music practice. We practiced singing.

Day Two

We went for a run around the block and did some stretches to warm up. After that we went over basics such as ginga, esquivas, and kicks. then we went over combinations and then had lunch. After lunch we did some music- I got to try the birimbau… for the second? time and sit next to the mestre.. I was terrible but I guess that is something I have to work on. It was challenging. we then did some more combinations before we had a roda. The mestre pulled  moves that i had never seen before and made it hard for me to counter/attack back. I felt embarrassed by this but after me he played these moves on others- he was trying to get us to be more creative and think outside the square. Expand our minds.

That night there was a party. Lots of dancing, a bit of fun and good food too- Fejoada (sp?)

Day Three

I got to participate in sambaderoda for the first time. We were all shown different samba steps. And then we had to get in a circle and the girls would go around and bow to the mestre. Then do a bit of a dance in the middle of the cirlce, bump bellies with another girl and that girl then enters the circle.

Then the men dance with the girl in the circle. Other men who want to dance have to rasteira the man in the circle and take their place. It is quite a spectacle and I think it was fun. I need to look into it a bit more as I have never heard of this ‘game’ before.

Afterwards we did some combinations before a short break. After break we did some maculele. I have only ever done maculele once before so this was challenging for me. We learned the basic movement, songs and rhythm. We also learned the starjump one (jump with legs outward and hit maculele above head),  spin strike outward, going on your knees-hit the ground and the running one (strike then turn to the right hit sticks for 5 beats)

Then we had a final Roda. I had to go first and we both were beginners so it was nerve-wrecking but always fun.

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Capoeira Song

This is the song I can’t get out of my head after a hard weekend of capoeira training

ohlanda a lua no ceu

ovinda o birimbau tocar

cinta pra a? enegia

que em capoeira

Just something Capoeira related I found

http://www.abadadc.com/paginas/musicas/abada_Cobra1.htm

 

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Capoeira songs

vou dizzer a meu senhor

que a manteiga derramou

camejere

(eu pisei ra holha seca)

Ouvi fazer chue chua

Eu bi cotia com

coco na dente

valha me de deus

senhor sao bento

 

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Goal 32# Be able to do the splits/Progress

Today after we did a bit of basics in Capoeira class, the teacher got us to practise doing the splits.

It is good to do it during/after class when my muscles are all warmed up and loose.

Today I was probably 10-15 cm from the ground… So close.

I find it easier to do the sideway splits over the scissor splits.

I should really do it everyday to get more flexibility but it is only best when warmed up.

Anyway that’s the progress report of the day!

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Capoeira Music

Capoeira is not just a martial art it is dance. It is an art. It would not be Capoeira without music.

Today I went to my first official music lesson. There are 3 capoeira training sessions a week. Plus more recently there have been music sessions  once a week.

Songs I now know/ am learning:

• Chama seu Bimba eeee/Chama seu bimba aaa

Note- I would only dream of being as acrobatic as the guy in the above video!

• E Quando gunga me chama que eu vou/ E quando gunga me chama que eu vou jogar

Yay for lyrics+video/music

• Balanca o coco simha/balanca o coco sinho/poe mandinga no jogo iaia/poe mandinga no jogo ioio

Couldn’t find a video. I know I probably am not spelling it right and do not have portugeuse keyboard so excuse the spelling mistakes.

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Capoeira training- Handstands and headstands

We did a few things in capoeira class today.

We practised all the basic kicks -meia lua de compassa, meia lua de frent, armada.

We practised esquivas- esquiva basica and esquiva lateral.

There were different combos combining the above and one player doing one set and the other doing another.

When doing hastera against meia lua de compassa I discovered timing is very crucial and there is only a tiny window of opportunity. You really can’t do it until their leg is past your head? but before it lands else they will be too stable for the hastera to work.

One of my goals is to become able to go from headstand into a handstand.

Today in class we practised handstands, headstands and going from one to the other. Handstands down into headstands… easy enough [takes soo much control not to drop oneself though!]. But then we tried the other way round. Headstands up to handstand… Oh man I could only get a couple of centimetres before I had to go back on my feet. Looks like I have set myself a tough physical goal here… well I have realised a challenge, and I accept!

I still need to work on having a straight leg when doing kicks, any capoeiristas got any tips/advice how I can get straighter kicks>?

 

 

note taking

capoeira- note taking

Since this week I have decided to take notes about what I covered in class. I aim to become better at recalling lesson material.

Also so that I can look back on my notes and remember, practise on my own and just think more about the moves, the combos and the things I got out of each class by having it noted down.

 

 

Capoeira training camp 2012: Motueka

This weekend I went with my teacher, Daggers, Sushi and rainbow dreads up to Motueka for a capoeira training camp.

We arrived friday midnight. Saturday was a pretty hard training with each of the teachers putting in their points and exercises for us to do. After training we went outside and had a Roda in the middle of town centre. We sang and played with lots of Axe. It was great.

Saturday night, with all the capoeira people gathering on such a rare occaission then of course there was a bit of a party. Lots of dancing, and having general fun. Was good to know there are guys out there who love to get on the dance floor and enthusiastically encourage others to dance! I don’t see that often but I admired that. I don’t know if I mentioned that I am almost always on the dance floor at parties ;p/

Sunday was not as hard out on the physical training side. There was lots of practise with music. It was my first time to hold onto musical instruments for capoeira. We learned some combos that helped think about awareness of defense, attack and offensive moves.

We had Roda once more before everyone returned back to their cities/homes. For us that was a long drive back to Christchurch.

Definitely was worth the trip there and back. My body has yet to recover but I really enjoyed it and look forward to improving my capoeira skills!

 

communal vs Individual

http://lang-8.com/65049/journals/1308095/

I have been very busy trying to get things done before I go away to capoeira camp this weekend.

I have written a short entry in lang-8. I have updated the 30 photos in 30 days challenge.

I cleaned the kitchen.. except for the dishes. I still stand on the fact that people get lazy / reliant [expect consistent behaivour] towards those that do clean dishes. I get the feeling a certain flat mate thinks I am lazy because I don’t want to clean other peoples dishes. Well I didn’t make that mess, so why should I clean someone elses mess!

I clean my dishes straight after I use them [within a time range of an hour or by at least the end of the day – when I am busy/preoccupied] which I do not feel is lazy. I DO my dishes.

I do not think he realises that he will create a dependence and expectation that since he has cleaned other flat mates dishes that it makes sense he will probably do it again. SO it creates an opportunity for others to be lazy and see what happens if they do it again. =he cleans them. I know he thinks he is a lazy flatmate [so he thinks this considerate act makes equal to not lazy, and what I have seen so far he isn’t lazy, just a procrastinator] but I worry that this is being taken advantage of… and that he will come to resent flatmates in the end.

I also prefer to wash my own dishes because I DON’T COOK. The most I ever use is a bowl a plate and a pot. I use lots of cups sometimes after I have done exercise. So I also feel that I may be pursuaded to feel lazy by not doing the dishes that are sitting next to the bench. But when there are MORE than the loads of dishes than what I have used.Which is why I don’t think it is fair to do it communally.

Well I still have a few more things to do before I go away so I’ll end it on this note. Very excited for the weekend ahead!