For Bengalureans who are on the lookout to learn something new – a new artform, a new sport, a new fitness routine, a new language – lies a hidden gem, a single martial art practice, that is a fusion of above mentioned all: capoeira. A fusion of dance, art, music, culture and fitness, capoeira evolved from being a survival tool among the Afro-Brazilian community to a globally-known art form. In Bengaluru, Ravi Suchak – teacher and founder of Capoeira Academy – is the force that drives the capoeira enthusiasts in the city to bring the art form to the forefront.
Although the art’s history is debated, Suchak states, “Enslaved Africans in Brazil would imitate what was around them – including animals. That’s how capoeira came up. During war, it was used it as a self-defence tool without weapons. It started as a martial art and later, it evolved by adding music and dance into itself. Then acrobatics came in,” Suchak explains.
Art or a sport?
There is an ongoing debate about whether to label capoeira as an art form or as a sport. However, with its no-contact element and the wide range of aspects one can choose from – acrobatics, dance, music and fitness – categorising it is irrelevant. “One may come to learn a specific aspect of capoeira and may end up liking more than that,”says Suchak.
Whether you are a beginner or a capoeira veteran, Suchak welcomes everyone. “I break down the team into different batches: beginner, intermediate and advanced. We start with a warm-up, to make sure none gets injured during class. Then we get into the techniques of it. We learn a bit of acrobatics, dance and toward the end, we play it as a game,” he adds.
Key elements
Just like a band, capoeira also uses a line of musical instruments including berimbau, the main instrument which resembles a bow and arrow, alongside drums, tambourine and other percussion instruments. Surrounding the instruments stand people forming a circle. The participants sing and play songs which are in Portuguese. Capoeira differs from other martial arts: although it involves contact in practice, it focuses on counter movement rather than direct physical contact, making it a conversation through movements. “If A is hitting the other person, the other person responds to it with an escape move. It’s a strategy game like chess,” Suchak says, adding, “At that point, it looks like a dance.”
According to Suchak, capoeira also mirrors a person’s personality through the game, revealing whether they are dominant or non-dominant. Besides that, it helps in relieving stress and building confidence. Looking ahead, with capoeira gaining momentum among people, he says, “If someone takes over after me, they will have their style; as of now we have three different formats but it keeps evolving.”
(Capoeira Academy India is situated in New Thippasandra)