Sunday, October 28, 2007

Our First RODA!!!

Our good friend, Garran, told us about an upcoming weekend long capoeira event. He said there would be about 30 or so people coming from all over the United States and the world to participate. They had a Roda (pronounced Hoda in Portugese) on Saturday night in Davis Hall in the Gallagher-Bluedorn building. It was free to all who attended and was evident by the number of people who came! It was overflowing with people! I told Oliver about it and he was SOOOO excited! He's been watching Capoeira videos on YOU TUBE for a week straight! He'll watch the videos and then go into the living room to try and recreate what he just saw! It's so funny! He's actually really good at it!
Oliver LOVED it! It was like he was in a trance the whole time he was watching them! First they played the instruments, one of which was the berimbau, which was cool to see and hear. "Music is integral to capoeira. It sets the tempo and style of a game that is to be played within the roda." (Wikipedia) Then the capoeira class that studies at Little Brazil, did the Puxada de Rede, which is a dance based on a traditional Brazilian legend. Then they started sparring one with another. It was awesome to see them in such control of their movements and to see the different things they did! Oliver loved the flips of course! Then the class performed another dance called Maculele.
"CAPOEIRA is an Afro -Brazilian martial art, game, and culture created by enslaved Africans in Brazil during the 17th Century. Participants form a roda (circle) and take turns playing instruments, singing, and sparring in pairs in the center of the circle. The game is marked by fluid acrobatic play, feints, subterfuge, and extensive use of groundwork, as well as sweeps, kicks, and headbutts. Throughout the game, a player must avoid a sweep, trip, kick, or head butt that may knock him or her on the floor. Less frequently-used techniques include elbow-strikes, slaps, punches, and body-throws." (Wikipedia)
The different colored shirts represented the different levels in Capoeira.
The Green shirts are worn by the Instructors.
The Yellow shirts were worn by the Professors.
The Light Blue shirts were worn by the Contra Masters.
The Dark Blue shirts were worn by the Masters.
Oliver, Master Espirro Mirim (from Brazil), Eden
He is the man from the capoeira video on my blog.



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