The Little Capoeira Book

With the signing of the Golden Law in 1888, which abolished slavery, the newly freed blacks did not find a place for themselves within the existing socio-economic order. The capoeirista, with his fighting skills, self-confidence, and individuality, quickly descended into criminality - and capoeira along with him.

According to one prevalent theory, capoeira was a fight that was disguised as a dance so that it could be practiced unbeknownst to the white slave owners. This seems unlikely because, around 1814, when African culture begin to be repressed, other forms of African dancing suffered prohibition along whith capoeira, so there was no sense disguising capoeira as a dance.

Students should seek out smoothness and harmony in their movements, and put aside the notion that they are studing a fighting style - this notion will only cause the beginner to tense up, and will cause his movements to be rigid, which is totally antithetical to capoeira.