Miniland style Capoeira

In honor of this past weekend’s Batizado I thought I’d show some of my non-LEGO life in LEGO, if that makes sense. 😉 This is a small Capoeira scene I made a few years ago. The girl doing the cartwheel is me and the guy is my Capoeira Mestre Elias Fonseca.

If you don’t know what Capoeira is, its a combination of martial arts, gymnastics, and dance from Brazil. I’ve been playing Capoeira for years with Capoeira Quilombo de San Diego. This weekend we had our Batizado. This is our annual event where we induct new members into our group and we have our Troca de Cordas (changing of the cords). Just like in Karate, Capoeira has belts or cords that come in different colors.

Capoeira isn’t just about fighting. Elias is holding a berimbau and there is an atabaque (drum) in front. The berimbau and the atabaque are just two of the different instruments used in Capoeira. The berimbau is the most important instrument because it sets the tone of the game.

A true Capoeirista not only does the movements but also plays the instruments and sings the songs as well. That is what I love about Capoeira. It is a way of life more than just a martial art. 🙂

Here’s an example of a Capoeira game. This is of my mestre (teacher) Elias and our friend Jeromin.

Just in case you were wondering, yes, I can do pretty much all the moves they are doing in that video. If you ever get a chance, try Capoeira for yourself. 😉

Tags: atabaque, berimbau, Brazil, Capoeira Quilombo, Capoeria, Flickr, karate, LEGO, martial art, Miniland, San Diego, Youtube