Here is some big Capoeira Blog news…
I’ve been toying with the idea of starting up a CafePress store for a while now, but today I had some free time and decided to give it a shot.
I only have two designs in the store right now, but there are a wide variety of products to choose from.
T-Shirts and other apparel!
Other merchandise!
One design is the blog’s logo (which I think is a pretty cool and iconic capoeira design, which is why I chose it) with the words “Got Game?” underneath. If you’re ever walking down the street whilst wearing one of these shirts and someone says “hell yeah!” or “let’s play!” you’ll know they’re not some kind of psycho.
The other design is something unique and awesome. Show everyone that you’re down with the real gangsta of capoeira with this “Bimba Is My Homeboy” t-shirt (and sweatshirt).
Christmas is coming, and if you want to play Santa and get a gift for everyone in your group, why not buy a 10 pack of Magnets or Buttons?
This is my first time ever setting up a CafePress store, and I’ve realized that there are a few limitations. Basically you can only have one product of each style in a free store, which means there can only be one “White T-Shirt” or “Hooded Sweatshirt” at a time. Ergo, there can’t be a white t-shirt with Got Game and a white t-shirt with Bimba Is My Homeboy at the same time. You dig?
This kinda sucks, because it’d be great to have a wide selection of different designs available on different products, but it’s what I have to deal with for now. If things start to take off I will think about going for the Premium store, which allows you to have as many products as you want.
Now here’s where you come in!
Please let me know what you think of these designs, and the selection of products that I’ve unveiled. I purposefully started off slow (with only a few designs) to just get a feel for how the store works and for what people are interested in.
If you love or hate what I have to offer, tell me! If you have suggestions of other designs you’d like to see (I wanted to do a Pastinha Is My Homeboy shirt too, but I can’t with the product limits) let me know.
Most important of all, buy some gear! I’m sure we all need to buy something for the special capoeira someone in our lives, so why not buy from someone you know and love (that’d be me, btw)? 
There is a pretty good selection of products you can buy (it’s not just t-shirts; check out the Messenger Bag, Mug, and Mousepad which are pretty awesome) so look around.
And if anyone ever asks you where you got that awesome shirt, just point them to The Capoeira Blog!
Thank you so much, enjoy, and Merry Christmas!
Filed under: Media
Have you ever explained capoeira to someone only to have them say, “Oh, that Eddy Gordo stuff!”? I know I have.
Capoeira has a long history in video games, but it’s certainly been a pretty bumpy ride at times.
Some of capoeira’s appearances are more well known than others, so I’ve decided to compile a list of the games that I’m aware of (I’ve either seen them with my own eyes or been able to find videos). If you know of any that I’ve missed, please let me know.
We’ll start with the “mestre” of all video game capoeiristas…
Tekken (Eddie Gordo, Christie Monteiro)
Eddy Gordo (and all other capoeira characters in the Tekken series) was motion captured by mestre Marcelo Caveirinha of Capoeira Mandinga.
Eddy is by far the most accurate representation that capoeira has ever had in a video game, even though he still leaves something to be desired. Some of his movements are clearly breakdancing and gymnastics moves, and he always does his handstands facing away from his opponent (a big no-no in capoeira).
You’ll find more after the break.
My mom was cleaning out a closet over the weekend and she found my “senior project” from high school. I’d been looking for this project for a while, and I’m so glad she found it.
We had to do the senior project in my English class; it’s basically a binder that reflects on our high school lives. It’s great to read what I wrote 5 years ago (even though some of it makes me cringe).
Apparently I wrote a poem about capoeira. It’s no Shakespeare, but I’d like to share it with you.
Gravity defying flips and tricks,
White pants and “cords.”
This game is played by
Martial artists in accord.
The master and his students
Kicking and spinning.
Roots in slavery,
An art form ever changing.
So much Brazilian culture
Spread around the Earth.
In the hearts of many,
Ever since its birth.
My nickname “Faisca,”
“Paranue, paranue, parana.”
This makes Capoeira.
I wrote this 5 years ago, in the early stages of my capoeira journey. I don’t think it’ll be winning any creative writing contests, but it’s fun to “go back” and see how much of an impact capoeira had on my life back then.
Has capoeira inspired any of your creative endeavors? Writing, art, etc? If it has, please share it with us!
Photo by pKolari (Flickr)
Depending on where you live there may be a dusting of snow outside, people are preparing for a nice little vacation, and you can almost smell the turkey in the air already; well, in the United States anyway.
That’s right, Thanksgiving is upon us.
Thanksgiving is a time when we’re supposed to reflect on the things for which we’re thankful, when we should give thanks to the people and experiences that have touched our lives in some way during the past year.
My question to you in preparation of this time of thanks is:
What are you thankful for?
I’ve said it before but I’ll say it again (because I can’t say it enough), I owe a huge thank you to all of you out there in internet-land who have supported me while The Capoeira Blog takes its first baby steps.
I’m also thankful for my friends in the capoeira world, both in my group and otherwise, who have helped me to learn new movements (macaco, martelo rodado) and who have given me new insight into capoeira that I seen before.
Lastly, I’m thankful that by the time I finish this post I’ll be able to stop typing the word thankful over and over again.
Is there a certain person, perhaps an instructor or fellow student, who has helped you grow as a capoeirista? Do you owe a thank you to your ankle for healing and allowing you to keep practicing? Or maybe you want to say thanks to the pioneers of capoeira for giving us such a great gift.
So again, what are you thankful for? Leave a comment and let us know! This is a capoeira blog after all, so it would be cool if you could tailor your answer to a general capoeira theme. But please feel free to share anything you want.
I know there’s one thing that we can all be thankful about: capoeira provides us with an excellent way to work off that huge Thanksgiving dinner! Eat as much turkey and stuffing as you want, just make sure to add some extra armadas to your next workout!
Filed under: Videos
This is one of the best capoeira videos I’ve ever seen. It’s not the most amazing roda and it doesn’t show off the craziest movements, but the production value is awesome. The music is cool, the capoeiristas are quite good, and the choreography/cinematography is great.
The best part is that it’s Episode 1, so hopefully there will be more to come.
Filed under: Tips & Guides
Photo by jrsundsbak (Flickr)
One of the most common capoeira injuries is a sprained ankle. I think it’s inevitable that every capoeirista will twist an ankle at some point. Some sprains are worse than others, but they all tend to suck.
As you may know, your joints are held together by tough yet stretchy bands of tissue called ligaments. A sprain occurs when a ligament is overstretched; this can cause the ligament to form tears or be completely ripped apart.
There are numerous situations in capoeira where an ankle sprain could happen (just think of all the twists and turns we take and all the stress we put on our poor ankles during movements), and take it from me that it most likely will happen. I’ve sprained both of my ankles a bunch of times.
The worst sprain I’ve ever had (I’m still not fully recovered from it 2 years later) happened when I landed a backflip wrong. I was practicing on a bouncy gymnastics floor and I took an extra hop after landing a roundoff backflip. When I came down my ankle rolled and I heard a loud pop followed by excruciating pain.
It was not fun at all.
Luckily I knew how to take care of it until I was able to go see a doctor the next day. And hopefully when you’re done reading this, you will too!
Please remember, you should always seek the advice of a doctor for any injury, especially if it’s serious. I am not a doctor. This information is in no way intended to replace the advice of a health professional.
If you sprain your ankle, the most important thing to do is to remember the acronym P.R.I.C.E.
P.R.I.C.E. stands for:
- Protect your ankle from further injury by not using it as much as possible. This can be accomplished by taping it, using a splint (or air cast as seen in the picture above, which you can probably get from the emergency room for free), using crutches, etc.
- Rest your injured ankle for the first 24 hours (or longer depending on the severity of the sprain). You don’t have to avoid all activity (you don’t need to just lay in bed like a slug, you can move around), just avoid anything that would bear weight on your injured ankle. While you’re resting you can always stay connected to the capoeira world by reading The Capoeira Blog or sharing war stories with Capoeira Espaco friends.
- Ice your ankle as soon as you can after you sustain the injury, and then intermittently after for the first 24 hours or more. Use an ice pack wrapped in a towel to avoid frostbite or other damage to your skin, and be careful not to keep it on your skin for too long at one time (try 30 minutes on and 30 minutes off).
- Compress your ankle with an ACE bandage or other type of elastic wrap. This is where the air brace I mentioned earlier can also come into play. Make sure the bandage isn’t too tight, there should be enough room to slip a finger underneath the bandage. Wrapping too tight could cut off circulation and cause further injury.
- Elevate your injured ankle whenever possible (when you’re sitting on the couch or laying in bed) to about chest level. This will help to limit or prevent further swelling.
As I said before, it is always best to contact a doctor to be sure you receive the best care possible. If you hear a popping sound and experience terrible pain (like I did) you should definitely see a doctor as soon as possible.
If the sprain is less severe you could probably treat it at home, but if you don’t see any improvement after the first few days, or if the area is red and hot and you have a fever (you could have an infection) you should go to your doctor.
It is also important to avoid applying heat to the sprain in the first 24 hours because heat can increase swelling. Sometimes your doctor might recommend using heat after the first 2 or 3 days, but never do it initially (always use ice which prevents swelling by constricting the blood vessels).
Also take care to avoid drinking alcohol, taking excessively hot showers, or taking asprin. You can take Tylenol or Ibuprophen for the pain.
Depending on the severity of your sprain, your doctor might recommend physical therapy to rehabilitate your ankle. This should be done under the supervision of a professional to avoid any further injury. I went to physical therapy for a few weeks after my bad sprain, and the results were amazing.
Hopefully you’ll never have to use any of the information I’ve just given you. But if you do find yourself with a sprained ankle, perhaps now you’ll be better able to deal with one of capoeira’s most common injuries.
As always, if you’ve enjoyed this post and think others might find it helpful, feel free to Stumble it or add it to your Del.icio.us bookmarks. Also, if you have anything to add or want to share your own stories of pain and suffering, please do so in the comments!
