Batizado instructors from all across the eastern seaboard lent their time, expertise and energy to the students of Grupo Capoeira Brasil, North Carolina, located in Durham, NC.

Batizado’s are large events where new Capoeira, martial arts members are baptized. Capoeira is a highly popular form of martial arts that is taught in Brasil and throughout the world. At the Batizado ceremony members attend several workshops and seminars. During this several day ceremony new members receive their first cords, and old members will receive new cords depending on their progress. These Batizado cords are equivalent to those of karate belts.

Often many groups from more than one region will attend a Batizado, to support each other which, this helps to increase the games excitement and diversity.

On April 19th Grupo Brasil NC was particularly blessed to have its three founders present at this year’s ceremony: Mestres Boneco, Paulinho Sabia, and Paulao. They traveled from as far as Amsterdam and Paris to as close as destinations including: Los Angeles, California.

The lead teacher and Mestres of Grupo Brasil, North Carolina is Contramestre Caxias (Alex Filadelfo). Filadelfo has been teaching and practicing the art of Capoeira for over twenty years. As a youngster, he learned the game of Capoeira in the streets of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. After being exposed to the martial arts sport Filadelfo began an eight-year period of formal training. He built Capoeira groups in New York and several other U.S. cities. Currently, Contramestre Caxias devotes his time and expertise teaching and performing around the world.

More than a martial art, Capoeira is also a social event filled with tradition and history. Capoeira developed in the 1500’s by African slaves in Brasil, Capoeira, the thrilling Afro-Brasilian martial art concealed as dance, was introduced to the United States almost twenty-five years ago. Capoeira has become one of Brasil’s top national sports (second only to soccer) and it has become firmly established and loved in the U.S.

Capoeira combines floor movements resembling break dancing and agile acrobatic movements and kicks creating movements of grace and beauty. The “Soul of Capoeira” is the trance-like music of the berimbau, the musical bow of African origin.Capoeira has two forms, Angola (an-goal-la) and Regional (hey-zion-nal). Angola is the original form. Regional was developed much later.

Capoeira possesses a very unique style that brings together beauty and power. Capoeira helps to develop mental balance, physical conditioning, self-defense, and a profound sense of the art of music, all into one dance form. Capoeira can be done by anyone of any age or size.

Music and lyrics play a big part in the way the game or jogo (jo-go) will be conducted. Different rhythms call for a different speed and type of game. The lyrics are traditionally in Brazilian Portuguese.

The movements of the players are very different from most other types of martial art. A circle or roda (ho-da) is formed with the musicians at the forefront, also known as the pe da roda. This is where the dancers usually enter the roda with a cartwheel or some other type of break dance move. Once in the roda, the dancers (Capoeiristas) move and interact/react in various combinations of acrobatic and poetic moves.

To find out more about the art of Capoeira and how to get involved in your community visit: www.nccapoeira.com