What is our mission?

Due to its flexibility, capoeira, through the years, presented different ways of moving, quite different from what we know today. But the first reports of the word capoeira come well before the arrival of African slaves in Brazil. In the book “Art of grammar of the most used language in the coast of Brazil” (1595), the author, the Jesuit priest Anchieta, describes the word capoeira as a kind of dance/fight performed by the Brazilian natives. The way of playing varies according to the historical period. Hence the need to look carefully when using the word tradition in capoeira. In applying it, it is necessary to contextualize the historical period, as well as the style of the Master and the time in which he taught.

Capoeira has been building and rebuilding itself through the centuries. And in this respect, it differs from Asian martial arts, which have a precise origin and have been practiced millennially in the same way, accompanied by the same "rituals". As for music, it was not always part of capoeira; it began to be used eventually. And only in the early 20th century, it was definitely incorporated into the game. We can look at capoeira as if it were a kind of language.

Different languages are always changing and adapting to changes. With capoeira, it is the same thing, there are movements that are still performed today as many have ceased to exist over time. So again, the importance of using the word tradition carefully. Because without making reference to when, where, and to whom we are talking about, can easily create confusion of concepts and opinions. It's hard to tell where starts and ends the game, the fight and the dance in capoeira.