Capoeira

Hoo-wee! Well, capoeira is indeed the workout I expected it to be! I liked it, and I think I showed an aptitude for it (I was secretly hoping I would). In fact, after showing us one move, he asked “Have you done this before?” Ha! That is an awesome compliment! I’m debating whether to sign up and go regularly. On the pro side, I was good at it, the people were nice, it’s definitely a good workout, and I need the exercise. On the con side, it’s $80 a month (for unlimited classes), and since I have no intention of giving up ballet (my true love), I’d have to be gone from home 4 nights a week to even make it cost-efffective. It’s also a bit of a drive during rush hour into a bad neighborhood. Also, it’s not really something I could just sample for a month, because there’s a $50 registration fee, so I’d have to be prepared to stick with it for a while (okay, I’m a cheapskate, but really . . .). Oh yeah, and I have blood blisters on both of my big toes. So I haven’t decided, but I think I’m leaning towards signing up. Comments and suggestions are always welcome, readers (all four of you).

Okay, so for your little blog virtual taste of capoeira, here’s about what it’s like. We start by running around the little floor. Yeah, like jogging. I was thinking, “oh, seriously?” Because in ballet there’s a lot of slow stretching first. Then we walked on our hands and feet, like in sort of a yoga “downward dog” position. Then we got in that position, walked our hands up to our feet, walked our hands back out, etc. Then we crab walked around. Then he taught us to “jenga.” I swear, that’s what I think he called it. Like the game. Anyway, I was the only real beginner, I think, although there were obviously some other newcomers. To jenga, basically you take a big lunge on the right foot, then take a large step to the left and shift your weight so you’re lunging on the left. Repeat one billion times. While swinging your arms at about shoulder height. Then the kicks and stuff work into that, like you take your back foot and kick it forward, then put it back, then squat down super-low and shift your weight to the other side. (You’re dodging, because after you kick the other guy is going to kick over your head.) Then there’s the kicking over the head manouever. You take your back foot, step forward (while the other guy is kicking forward at you), block with your forward hand, then spin around and kick your leg over the other person. We practiced that forever. (I think I might have been good at this because it’s a ‘grand rond de jamb en l’air’ in ballet*.) Then at the very end the teacher went around the circle and, one by one, kind of “sparred” in the middle with the students. It was cool, because there were some people who were really good, and they were doing these breakdancing-looking moves and stuff, but even the newbies got a chance, and he’d duck out of the way of their kicks and stuff.

Here’s my favorite part of capoeira -- I’ve kind of always wanted to try a martial art, but they’re all so . . . martial. I don’t actually want to hit anyone else or be hit by anyone else. Call it pacifism, call it wussiness, whatever, but I really am not into the whole idea of hitting each other for sport. Anyway, that whole “kicking over the head” business? It’s for real. You’re not actually trying to kick them in the head. You’re giving them ample time to duck and trying to be well clear of their cranium. I love it. It’s like I get to try a martial art but without the hitting! Cool.

* I don’t know how to spell in French, sorry. Ballet’s very auditory, so I’m totally guessing.