Work that Booty

An Afro-Brazilian art form, Capoeira is something I’ve only just discovered as a great work out that combines elements of martial arts, music, and dance.

Music is an integral part of Capoeira as it sets the tempo, style and the rhythm of the dance/battle.

At first, the training resembled kickboxing in the sense that you’re on your feet, you’re constantly moving and you’re learning fighting techniques – throwing some smooth kicks and blocks.

But Capoeira is in fact in a league of its own. Constant eye contact is the key to reading your opponent and anticipating his/her next move. Agility, rhythm, lower back strength, arm and thigh strength is crucial. Every movement should be as fluid as possible and you will find that it is quite acrobatic.

As a complete beginner, we started off learning a few basic moves from guarded defense blocks/ducks to leg sweeps, swinging kicks and head swings (the head swings were definitely interesting, but that was about as far as we could get).

Eventually, the goal is to participate in “Roda de Capoeira,” which is the circle of people within which capoeira is played. Within this circle, two players “battle” for a period of time until someone else “buys in” to take the place of one player and continue the “battle”.  I put the word “battle” in quotations because there is actually no physical contact, but the moves are done more theatrically, where players show the movement without completing it.

Ultimately, Capoeira is not about hurting your opponent, but demonstrating your skill and technique, how agile and smooth you can make each attack or block.

What made me decide to try it out?

“you’ll be working out parts of your body that you didn’t know you had and it seems to grow butts.”  – Organizer & Trainer Jun Trinh

Bingo. The perfect work-out to get your bod in shape for the summer.

LumDimSum Photo Gallery of my First Capoeira class:

Capoeira Trainer Jun Trinh

Capoeira classes are generally held weekly on Tuesdays and Thursdays

Thursdays:

• Location:  BBoy Studio on the 4th floor of 3.3 in Sanlitun.

For those who need further directions for Tuesday classes please contact Jun Trinh at juntrinh@gmail.com or by phone: 18600056983.