2010 Review
Feb 21st
For the UTS Capoeira Club 2010 has been mainly about the batizado & troca de cordão, i.e. the grading & changing of cords, which was held in October. This is a very important event in capoeira, as it gives all club members & capoeiristas a chance to get graded, change cords, and learn from their master and each other. This was the very first such event that the UTS Capoeira Club had organised, so it was a very special occasion for all of us.
Mestre Boneco, one of the best and most respected capoeiristas in the world, was invited especially from LA for this batizado. Leading up to the grading, he gave one week of intensive and informative workshops, in which most of the club members participated and learned a lot. Other guests from Sydney attended the grading, which was a great success.
A lot of work and effort was necessary to get this event set up, and organisation started already at the beginning of the year. Several fundraising parties were held, as well as a chocolate fundraising campaign. All club members helped in the organising and raising money to fund the batizado.
Other events throughout the year included several traditional “gincana” competitions, where new members are welcomed into the club and are given their white (or “raw”) cord, as well as a capoeira nickname. Many new beginners joined the UTS Capoeira Club in the course of the year.
To diversify the training some special training sessions were held at Five Dock Gymnasium. The focus of these training sessions was on acrobatic movements, such as back flips and somersaults. As the gym is equipped with professional gymnastics and acrobatics equipment these moves can be practised specifically there.
On a few occasions Professora Potiguara went overseas to take part in capoeira events and gradings in Brazil and the USA. Much knowledge and many new moves and techniques are always brought back from such events and are passed on the club members.
The club also represented well at the UTS Open day, amazing the crowds with their energy, enthusiasm and spectacular performance.
Until the next update…Axe!
Cientista
Batizado
Nov 18th
Firstly, thanks.
Thanks to Mestre Boneco for coming out to Australia for our batizado. It really meant a lot to us. Not only did we get a chance to meet and get to know you better, learn from your extensive experiences, we also got your blessing in the form of a recognition of our skills and commitment and validation of the group. This is no doubt, the first of many great batizados you will supervise from our quality group.
Thanks to Professora Potiguara, for taking the step and organising the batizado for us. Thanks for believing in us, and for giving us the confidence to learn more, to play more. I know that Capoeira isn’t about the colour chord you wear, but our batizado is about the recognition of all the hard work we have done, plus it really does feel good to get a new chord. I’m pretty sure I speak for all here.
I have heard many a master say (Mestre Boneco included) that as you learn more in Capoeira, you realise how much you still have to learn. The first step of course, is realising that this is true in life as well, not just in the roda. I now understand more about what this means, from listening to Mestre Boneco in the workshops, from training with my new chord and from reflecting on the batizado.
I once saw a Capoeira game between Mestre Boneco and Mestre Curumim. The anticipation, as a relative beginner, of watching these two great Capoeiristas go at it with amazing kicks, flips, twists, strength, agility etc was met with a game that even more impressive than all of that. In the entire game, not one kick was kicked, not one flip was flipped, in fact the most complicated move I saw was a ginga switch, and it was not a short game. This has impressed me for a number of years now, but I have finally understood why.
It takes decades to get to the stage where you can go into a roda and just ginga.
There is no way a beginner could enter a roda and not do anything, but Mestre Boneco can! We start with nothing, and we slowly build up our skills, adding kicks, acrobatics, movements, takedowns, etc. The next stage is using all the movements we know in appropriate places sand circumstances until we have mastered the movements and the art of Capoeira. Finally, the minimalist emerges. This is pure art, once you have mastered your particular art, you can start exploring just what you can accomplish with less and less, but only once you know all the fundamentals and complexities. The minimalist movement in art includes some of the most talented and technically gifted artists. The real skill is seeing what you can do without all of that. Minimalist painters know this when they paint a black square canvas. Authors know this when their book is finished, not when no more can be added, but when no more can be taken out. Poets know this when they write a haiku. Musicians know this when they write a song with one note (or even no music).
Less is more
Those who know nothing try to do everything, and those who know everything try to do nothing. A beginner in a roda will try doing all their moves that they know all at once, a Master will do the opposite, they will try and complete as many things as possible with the fewest movements.
I am nowhere near this stage, I am still developing my game, I still have many movements to learn, my technique is not perfect, and I have along way to go before it is. The point of this realisation, is that I now know what I am aiming for. I have a long term Capoeira goal. I know what kind of Capoeirsta I want to be, and will be. Not only has this cemented a long term goal, it has changed my short term goal. I will now try as hard as I can to know when to apply the right movement. The technique of the perfect rasteira is the first step in know exactly when not to apply the perfect rasteira!
So watch out in the roda, I will be trying to do less and less!
Coming in October!
Sep 25th
1st Capoeira Batizado & Encounter for Capoeira Brasil Sydney – Professora Potiguara, under the supervision of Mestre Boneco
This exciting event will run over the course of 5 days from the 19th to the 23rd October at different locations around Sydney and will include workshops by local and international guests on:
- Capoeira (kids and adults)
- Maculele
- Traditional Capoeira music – songs and instruments
- Brazilian dance and culture
Workshops will be held in the evenings between Tuesday 19th and Friday 22nd. The Batizado will be on Saturday 23rd from 11am.
The guest of honour is Mestre Boneco (www.capoeirabrasil.com) who will be leading the event. It will be an electric week having Mestre Boneco, one of the founders of Group Capoeira Brasil, here in Sydney as he teaches multiple workshops and leads the Batizado. The main event will be held on the Saturday 23rd of October and will be an exciting day for the members of Team Potiguara who will be receiving their new cords.
Guests are more than welcome to come along and participate in the workshops. Friends and family are encouraged to come along to watch and bring their energy to the Batizado which is sure to be a vibrant and electric finish to the 1st Capoeira Batizado & Encounter.
Leading up to the workshops and Batizado there will be a ‘Latin Party’ fundraiser held at UTS Glasshouse Bar on Saturday 9th October to help raise money to support this event. Tickets are $12 ($10 if you are a UTS student) and everyone gets a free drink on entry! The Latin flavoured beats will be provided by Tropicante Sound Systema. For more information and to RSVP see the Facebook event page.
Professora Potiguara and her team are excited to be holding their first event. We look forward to getting in the action in October and hope to see you there!
For more information contact Professora Potiguara (marianacapoeira@gmail.com) or Tristen (suadocapoeira@gmail.com)
1st Capoeira Batizado & Encounter for Capoeira Brasil Sydney – Professor Potiguara, under the supervision of Mestre Boneco
The event will run over the course of 5 days from the 19th to the 23rd October at different locations around Sydney and will include workshops by local and international guests on:
- Capoeira (kids and adults)
- Maculele
- Traditional Capoeira music – songs and instruments
- Brazilian dance and culture
Workshops will be held in the evening between Tuesday 19th and Friday 22nd. The Batizado will be on Saturday 23rd from 11am.
Locations: TBC
Costs:
The guest of honour is Mestre Boneco (www.capoeirabrasil.com) who will be leading the event. It will be an electric week having Mestre Boneco, one of the founders of Group Capoeira Brasil, here in Sydney as he teaches multiple workshops and leads the Batizado. The main event will be held on the Saturday 23rd of October and will be an exciting day for the members of Team Potiguara who will be receiving their new cords.
Guests are more than welcome to come along and participate in the workshops. Friends and family are encouraged to c
1st Capoeira Batizado & Encounter for Capoeira Brasil Sydney – Professor Potiguara, under the supervision of Mestre Boneco
The event will run over the course of 5 days from the 19th to the 23rd October at different locations around Sydney and will include workshops by local and international guests on:
- Capoeira (kids and adults)
- Maculele
- Traditional Capoeira music – songs and instruments
- Brazilian dance and culture
Workshops will be held in the evening between Tuesday 19th and Friday 22nd. The Batizado will be on Saturday 23rd from 11am.
Locations: TBC
Costs:
The guest of honour is Mestre Boneco (www.capoeirabrasil.com) who will be leading the event. It will be an electric week having Mestre Boneco, one of the founders of Group Capoeira Brasil, here in Sydney as he teaches multiple workshops and leads the Batizado. The main event will be held on the Saturday 23rd of October and will be an exciting day for the members of Team Potiguara who will be receiving their new cords.
Guests are more than welcome to come along and participate in the workshops. Friends and family are encouraged to come along to watch and bring their energy to the Batizado which is sure to be a vibrant and electric finish to the 1st Capoeira Batizado & Encounter.
Leading up to the workshops and Batizado there will be a ‘Latin Party’ fundraiser held at UTS Glasshouse Bar on Saturday 9th October to help raise money to support this event. Tickets are $12 ($10 if you are a UTS student) and everyone gets a free drink on entry! The Latin flavoured beats will be provided by Tropicante Sound Systema.
Professora Potiguara and her team are excited to be holding their first event. We look forward to getting in the action in October and hope to see you there!
ome along to watch and bring their energy to the Batizado which is sure to be a vibrant and electric finish to the 1st Capoeira Batizado & Encounter.
Leading up to the workshops and Batizado there will be a ‘Latin Party’ fundraiser held at UTS Glasshouse Bar on Saturday 9th October to help raise money to support this event. Tickets are $12 ($10 if you are a UTS student) and everyone gets a free drink on entry! The Latin flavoured beats will be provided by Tropicante Sound Systema.
Professora Potiguara and her team are excited to be holding their first event. We look forward to getting in the action in October and hope to see you there!
Capoeira Movie Night !
Jul 4th
Yesterday, Saturday 3rd of July, we held our first fundraising event to raise some money towards our batizado ! Everything was here to have an awesome night !
Great food, great people, great drinks and awesome atmosphere! Everyone pitched in to bring good food and drinks ! Our cooks of the night – Pena and Tatu – tamed the barbecue to cook great meat for us.
The best part of the night was yet to come. Jenny offered her house for us to organize this evening (thanks so much Jenny!) and we all watched with a projector on the living room wall a beautiful documentary about capoeira. We learned about the place of capoeira in the world, especially in Europe and in the United States.
After this great documentary, we watched some videos that were taken during the workshop with Mestre Paulinho Sabia last December. We watched ourselves play in the roda, and we were able to analyse our game in more details, see what we needed to improve and our behaviours in the roda. It was quite interesting to have this reflexion upon our game.
At the end of the night, a raffle took place, with some great prizes like capoeira t-shirts and accessories, as well as chocolate baskets … Yummy ! Some of us were lucky, some others weren’t, and got comforted by candies and chocolates !
In other words, this night gave us the opportunity to get together to share some capoeira moments, and, as Fogueira put it quite beautifully, it was a small ginga towards our batizado !
Many thanks to Potiguara, Jenny and Suado for the organization, and many many thanks to everyone who came last night !
Great times!
May 30th
Great times!
Last weekend, Mariana, and by association, us her students, were invited to attend Grupo Sinha da Bahia’s Batizado. It was a great experience. The part I liked the most was all the different groups there, I think it is an important thing to mix in different capoeira circles and experience different ways of playing. So thanks to Mestre Cicatriz for the opportunity to play with him and his students, and all the other groups who attended. It was really enjoyable! (The event t-shirts were also really cool).
On news of our group, Thursdays and Saturdays (in Newtown and UTS, Sydney) are jammed packed full (though there is still room if anyone wants to join the club). We not only have a large group of new white cords, but also a cohort of new beginners. It’s awesomely packed, and in my opinion (though I’m biased) Capoeira in Sydney is going strong, and I feel like we’re one of the best capoeira groups in Sydney. Thanks to all the beginners for coming and adding a great new dimension to our classes.
Now in the spirit of continual improvement in capoeira, I will try and write in Portuguese, and sorry if it is terrible.
Agora na espírito de contínuo melhoria em capoeira, vou tentar escrivar em portugês, e desculpe se isso é terrivel.
Na fin de semana passado, Mariana e nós, as alunas dela, eram convidado participar o Batizado de Grupo Sinha da Bahia. Era uma experiência legál. O parte gosto de mais era tudo os grupos diferente lá, acho tá uma goisa importante misturar em rodas diferente de capoeira, and para experiente modos de jogando diferente. Então, muito obrigada para Mestre Cicatriz para a opportunidade jogar com ele, e seus alunos, e todos os outros grupos que participaram. Foi massa! (O t-shirts do evento eram mutio legál tembém).
Em notícia de nossa grupo, quintas e sabados (em Newtown e UTS, Sydney) são bem apinhado (embora ainda tem espaço se alguém quer para juntar o clube). Não só temos um grande grupo de novos cordos brancos, mas tembém muito novos principiantes. É bem legál ser apinhado, e na minha opinião (embora estou tendenciosa) capoeira em sydney vai mutio forte, e sinto o que somos um dos o melhor grupos de capoeira em sydney. Muito obrigada para todo os principiantes para vindo e adicionando uma dimensão novo muito legál para nossa aulas.
Gincana
May 17th
On saturday (8th of may) we had a very special training, as it was the end of the beginner’s course. Everyone was gathered to celebrate this particular day.
First, there was a free trial class for new beginners, where we shared capoeira, worked on our basics and had fun, and where the beginners recieved their uniform !!!
Once this was over, it was time for the GINCANA – or competition as the Brazilians call it. We were all split into two teams, Team Awesome, and Team AweSSome, and we had to complete four tarefas, or tasks.
The first one involved synchronized moves (armada, queixada, maia lua de frente, meia lua de compasso) and basic combinations (armada/esquiva lateral, queixada/esquiva atrais, etc.)
The second one ground moves – rolê direto, negative rolê, desida trocando, au …)
And the third one singing. Each team was given a song that everyone had to learn and sing.
The beginners were the ones accomplishing all these tarefas, and the older students were helping them out. We also got to know them a bit more. It was very exciting to see all these capoeira personalities developing through their game and their understanding and apprehension of capoeira ! The two team captains lead us to our best, and everyone was really eager ! Then we had a big roda, were all the beginners played together and with the older students ! Last but not least, they all got nicknames !!
Welcome to Açai, China, Trovão, Amazonas, Canari, Boneca, Beleza, Formiguinha, Neve, Pequenha, Acarajé, Dendê !!!
Apressada
Suado Visits Capoeira Brasil San Francisco
May 2nd
I recently went to San Francisco, California to visit friends for a couple of weeks and managed to attend some classes with Professor Aranha and his team from Grupo Capoeira Brasil, SF. I had a great time training and learning with them all. They were all very kind and welcoming to me and went the extra mile to help make me feel at home.
Professor Aranha’s training style is very hard and fast. I almost died during the warm-up which was probably twice as bad considering the jet-lag I was suffering at the time. I really enjoyed the intensity of their training which I am sure is a reflection on the style that Professor Aranha plays with. Techniques and application was explained then no time was wasted before getting down to business, drilling the moves then working them through with a partner almost non-stop. The students were amazingly enthusiastic and excellent to train with. They push hard and are very eager to learn and grow as capoeiristas which was inspiring to see.
I learned a lot of new techniques and gained some new insight into the game of Capoeira by training with the crew from San Francisco. I feel my time spent with them was invaluable and I would like to thank Professor Aranha and his students for welcoming me into his school. I would also like to thank Minhoca and Koala for hosting me and taking such good care of me while I was there. It was an amazing trip and one that I will never forget.
Until my next Capoeira adventure. Thanks for reading.
Suado
For more photos please see Flickr gallery here.
Oregano gives us some Capoeira insight from her South American adventure
Mar 15th
Orègano wrote to us while she was travelling through Brazil to share her thoughts on Capoeira, food and life in Brazil. Thanks Orègano!!
“Hi everyone,
Here are some of my reflections of Capoeira and Brazil:
- You make instant friends with whoever you train with, its great
- Capoeria is much more fast
- Capoeira is much more male dominated (or we just have a fair number of women)
- Watching a really long roda of Angola in Salvador, wi…th games played by experts, has made me really like the style, and the humour (very important) of it.
- It is true that Brazilians (in general of course) are very friendly, every place I visited I had people helping me out, after only knowing them for a few minutes.
- It is true that Brazilians (in general of course) know how to dance, it is very pleasing 
- Not all Brazilians play capoeira (this is obvious, but still disconcerting when talking to some Brazilians and I know more about the sport than them)
- Everybody in the world needs to try Açai na tigela, and tapioca and macaxeira, my three favourites (tapioca is made from macaxeira flour)
- Salvador is the best city in the world with the best people (that one is for Mariana)
- Go Nordeste!
- Brazil is very big
- More when I get back
Miss you all,
Hope training is going good,
Orègano
xxoo”
Great class on Sat 23rd
Jan 25th
Class on Saturday at the UTS was a really good class I thought. There was a good energy and we worked hard on developping skills we have learnt in the past.
I particularly appreciated the comment Professora Potiguara made about space and distance in the roda. I think this is a constant consideration when we train and play capoeira. I think we sometimes get carried away with things like kicks and acro, and forget other really important things (fundamentals) such as timing and distance.
It was great to be reminded of things like that. It made a difference I think, cos during a game later on in the session, I took Suado down with a well timed and spaced Tesoura, it was cool to see that our training had paid off, plus it was just cool to take him down!
Axe
Cientista
Mestre Boneco’s January Newsletter
Jan 23rd
Check out Mestre’s Boneco’s January Newsletter!!!
Articles on their activities in LA, great Capoeira photos, training tips, songs and an awesome picture of yours truely, Professora Potiguara!!
