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Capoeira
Angola
The traditional game form is referred to as Capoeira Angola.
More precisely, Angola is the original capoeira form as
it was practiced hundreds of years ago and which wasn’t
influenced by any factors over the intervening years and
thus remained unchanged. The game itself is distinguished
by being played very slowly and at ground level. Always
adapted (fine-tuned) to the music it almost appears to lull
one to sleep or seems rather lazy. However, it is coined
by sudden attacks and malice. There are no jumps or acrobatics.
The techniques are limited and differ slightly from the
ones seen in Capoeira Regional. The rules and dress of Angola
are very traditional and must always be respected in a game.
The music and beat are slow and calm and create a unique
atmosphere which reminds of the roots and history of capoeira.
Mestre
Pastinha
Vicente Ferreira Pastinha
1889- 1981
Mestre
Pastinha (born Vicente Ferreira Pastinha April 5, 1889,
Salvador, Brazil - November 13, 1981) was a mestre (a master
practitioner) of the Afro-Brazilian martial art Capoeira.
The
son of José Señor Pastinha and Eugênia
Maria de Carvalho, he was exposed to Capoeira at the age
of 8 by an African named Benedito. The story goes that an
older and stronger boy from Pastinha's neighborhood would
often bully and beat him up. One day Benedito saw the aggression
that Pastinha suffered, then told him to stop by his house
as he was going to teach him few things. In his next encounter
with that boy, Pastinha defeated him so quickly that the
older boy became his admirer. [more
on Wikipedia
Nowadays,
Capoeira Regional stands out by the acrobatic elements and
the large variety of movements adopted from other martial
arts. The founder of Capoeira Regional was Mestre Bimba.
He not only combined the original form of capoeira with
other martial arts, but also developed the first structured
teaching system which was officially approved. Up to this
point capoeira had been illegal, due to its bad reputation,
constituted by its history of origins. In the last century
capoeira has become popular in many parts of the world and
can be found in many places.
Mestre
Bimba
Manoel dos Reis Machado
1900 - 1974
Mestre
Bimba (born Manuel dos Reis Machado November 23, 1900, Salvador,
Brazil - February 15, 1974) was a mestre (a master practitioner)
of the Afro-Brazilian martial art Capoeira.
The
son of Luiz Cândido Machado and Maria Martinha do
Bonfim, Manuel he was born at the "bairro do Engenho
Velho", Salvador. The nickname "Bimba" came
up due to a bet between his mother and the midwife during
his birth; his mother bet that he was going to be a girl
and the midwife bet he would be a boy. After he was delivered,
the midwife said... it's a boy, look at his "bimba"
(male sexual organ).
He
started learning Capoeira when he was 12 years old, with
a capitão da Companhia Baiana de Navegação
(Navigation Captain) from Estrada das Boiadas (present day
bairro da Liberdade) in Salvador called Bentinho, even though,
in those days, Capoeira was still being persecuted by the
authorities. [more
on Wikipedia]
