Folkloreterm paper on capoeira Term Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Folkloreterm on capoeira - Term Paper Example This style is known today as Capoeira and reflects much of the Brazilian culture. This paper explores the rituals of Capoeira, revisits the history of the martial art and the country it originated from, takes a look the cultural aspect of the art, and explains the relevance of Capoeira to the style that is practiced today in the United States. The Ritual One of the interesting parts of this style of training is that the students usually learn to sing and play an instrument as a part of their training and development in Capoeira. Songs are sang in Brazilian Portuguese, which is why students are encourage to learn at least a basic understanding of the language. According to Lucia Viti (2003), the songs are used to set the pace of the fight. Chanting and clapping are also used to create rhythm and add excitement to the class. Some fights are aggressive and exciting, while others are low and intertwined. Capoeira contains a wide range of musical instruments used to mediate the mood or fe el of the class and widen the skills of the practitioner, particularly the advanced students. Some of the instruments allowed and commonly used in Capoeira are the drums, agogos, tambourines, berimbaus, the ago-ago, known in the United States as a cowbell. ... The Breakdown of the Classes, Fights, and Events The class is often broken down into two sections. In the first section of the class, the students are working on their technique, warming up, and learning concepts about the game. In the second section, the students get together as a group and form a ring. Two students are chosen to step inside the ring and perform. These students engage in a non-violent fight where they display their skill to the group. The other members of the group, still forming a ring, chant and sing while the two in the middle fight. The participants can be male or female and sometimes they are pitted against each other. To begin, the opponents squat down low to the ground to shake hands with each other. The ginga, or the swing, is the most basic move in and more or less the fighter’s stance. This would be equivalent to the sparring stance in Taekwondo or another sparring sport. This is acceptable, since this is not a contact sport. During the fight, the e valuation examines the fight itself and how it feels rather than focusing on the fighters. The fighters are considered successful when they follow the feel or rhythm of the music and atmosphere. According to Delmont (2006), â€Å"Festivals include baptism and graduation ceremonies, when masters from other cities come in to judge, give demonstrations, and teach classes† (____) Acrobatics are an important element that sets Capoeira apart from many other martial arts. Capoeira involves cartwheels and inversions often as a part of the intent of the fighters. The acrobatics display physical ability and serve a diversion to the opponent. Many fighters implement acrobatics into their fighting styles. Even instructors in their 50s