Corda System
Grupo Capoeira Luanda uses eight different colors in their adult 18+ graduation system. They are: White, Yellow, Orange, Blue, Green, Purple,
Brown and Black. Beginner students (before becoming Graduados) have transitional cords between the main cords, for example: Yellow and White cord.
The strongest color should be on the top, as shown in the image.
White (Beginner/Iniciante): Students begin their Capoeira training at this level. The Corda Crua, translated as Raw Cord,
signifies that rather than being seen as inexperienced, students are seen as being full of potential for growth.
Yellow/White (Aluno Batizado): Typically this is a cord given to students to welcome them to the world of Capoeira.
Yellow (Aluno): At this level students begin to demonstrate an understanding of the Capoeira game, and have a basic knowledge of the
movements, such as kicks and ground techniques, as well as music. Students know the choruses to many songs and are starting to practice instruments.
Orange/Yellow (Aluno): Transitional cord.
Orange (Aluno): At this level students have a much deeper understanding of the Capoeira game. They now begin utilizing many different
kicks and acrobatic movements. At this level, students are also capable of singing solos during a roda and playing many different instruments.
Blue/Orange (Monitor): Students earn the title of Monitor at this level. Monitors study class from an outside perspective as they themselves
begin learning how to teach, and may even be able to teach under the supervision of their instructor. They also aid any lower-ranked students in need of
assistance. As Capoeiristas, students at this level now fully incorporate a large variety of kicks and acrobatic movements, have a large repertoire of songs,
and can play any instrument.
Blue (Graduado): At this level, students earn the title of Graduado, which means "Graduated". In a sense, this is a new beginning
for students, a new "Corda Crua", because, as mentioned before, assessments are based more on teaching ability, which is a new step for students.
They must learn to share their own knowledge with other students. It is for this reason that students at this level are encouraged to begin teaching a class of
their own.
Blue and Green (Graduado/Instrutor): A Graduado who begins teaching class earns the title and respect of an Instrutor (Instructor).
Green (Instrutor): At this level, Capoeiristas continue to improve on their skills overall, which now includes the ability to teach. They are
very strong in the roda, and are equally as strong when teaching a class. Their strength comes from their ability to incorporate Malicia, or deviousness, into
their game. It's malicia that gives Capoeiristas their ability to surprise and confuse their opponents.
Green/Purple (Instructor): Transitional cord.
Purple (Professor): To reach this level, Capoeiristas must not only have proven themselves to be skilled martial artists, but also proficient
teachers. Professors are regarded very highly, as they have come very far and have devoted their lives to being part of Capoeira. Their malicia skills continue
to increase, since they now have the ability to apply the knowledge they've gained within the roda to their dealings in the outside world, and vice-versa.
Purple/Brown (Professor): Transitional cord.
Brown (Contramestre): Contramestre are not only some of the most important figures of their group, but in the world of Capoeira itself. They
are the right hand of the Mestres within their group, and are so esteemed and honored that, even at this level, they are respected as Mestres. Formidable players
in the roda, Contramestre can seamlessly combine all of their skills into a fierce and relentless game.
Black (Mestre): This is the apex for students of Capoeira; the highest and hardest level to achieve. Once graduated to the black cord, the
capoeirista is then titled "Formado", or formed. They must earn the title of Mestre through more years of practice, teaching, and spreading the art of
capoeira. Mestres are legendary for their skill, wisdom, and tact both inside and out of the roda. They have solidified their Capoeira games by consolidating all
of the physical skills they've learned through their years of training with the cunning and trickery they've learned through their life experience. Mestres
comprise the top echelon of all Capoeira groups, and it is therefore their right to oversee and supervise the on-goings of the group they lead.
Capoeira Luanda Links
Mestre Jelon
capoeiraluanda.com
Contra-Mestre Guerreiro
capoeiraluanda.com.br
Professor Esquilo
miamicapoeira.com
Professor Macarrao
luandacalifornia.com
Professor Tiba
tibacapoeira.com
Professor Alegria
alegriacad.com
Professor Chuvisco
chuviscocapoeira.com.br
Instructor Morcego
masscapoeira.com
Instructor Gafanhoto
site address coming soon
Instructor Sabia
sabiacapoeira.com
Instructor Gaviao
capoeiradenver.com
Instructor Feijao
austincapoeira.com
Instructor Caranguejo
capoeiratexas.com
Instructor Dudu
duducapoeira.com
Instructor Ratinho
capoeira-luanda.org
Instructor Pescador
capoeiraluandamd.com
Capoeira History
If you ask ten people to describe Capoeira, you will most likely hear ten very different answers. Capoeira has been described as a martial art, a
dance, an art form, a form of self-defense, or any hybrid of these. Many people often use more than one of these definitions in the same breath when
describing this form of movement that combines spins, turns, precisely-aimed kicks, evasive defense moves, and breathtaking acrobatics into a rich fabric
of motion, percussion, and song. Whatever terms may be used when one tries to define Capoeira, there is some truth in all of them. Mestre Jelon Vieira, a
leading Mestre (“master”) of Capoeira in Brasil and the United States, has described it as a dance which is a fight and a fight which is a dance.
Capoeiristas, anthropologists, historians, and others have developed several theories about the exact geographic and cultural origins of Capoeira. Amidst
this diversity of opinion, at least one point agreed upon by everyone is that Capoeira is a product of the extensive slave trade between Brazil and Africa.
Part of the difficulty in discovering the origins of Capoeira can be attributed to the fact that few documents about slavery in Brazil exist today. Two years
after the official abolition of slavery in 1888, all documents related to the slave trade were ordered burned by the government as an attempt to erase slavery
from the face of Brazilian history. As a result, the true story of Capoeira will probably never be known.
It is generally agreed that the seeds of Capoeira were sown by the African slaves taken from the region of Angola. The original movements were based on a
courtship dance called “The Zebra Dance,” in which men would engage in mock fights for the right to marry. In Brazil, this ritual dance evolved into a form of
self-defense whose movements emphasized attacks with the head and feet, including head butts, sweeps, and kicks from a handstand position. Portuguese slave
owners outlawed its practice because they recognized that Capoeira was used as a form of resistance. However, instead of being suppressed, Capoeira’s movements
of attack and defense were blended with dance steps and acrobatics so that the plantation overseer would instead see a strange but harmless dance. The slaves
also began using musical instruments, such as the berimbau and the atabaque, as a way to disguise Capoeira. Different rhythms were even created to alert
capoeiristas of approaching danger and avoid being caught.
Capoeira developed as a result of the institution of slavery, and those who practice it today are aware of its history of oppression. A federal statute even
prohibited the practice of Capoeira until 1890. Even after the abolition of slavery, Capoeira was looked down upon by many as a game of the street. Although it
was practiced by some whites and members of the upper classes, most capoeiristas were working-class blacks and mulattos. It was not until the 1930s that Capoeira’s
shady reputation began to improve when Manoel dos Reis Machado, better known as Mestre Bimba, opened the first Capoeira academy in 1932. Mestre Bimba is considered
one of the founding fathers of Capoeira’s modern era and the creator of the style known as Capoeira regional, which incorporated movements from other martial art
forms such as boxing and jujitsu.
Other famous Capoeira Mestres (“masters”), emerged during this period, including Vincente Ferreira, also known as Mestre Pastinha, the father of Capoeira angola,
a style of Capoeira distinct from but complementary to Capoeira regional. Because of Mestre Bimba, Mestre Pastinha, and others, Capoeira’s movements, songs,
rhythms, and rituals were preserved, popularized, and transformed into a formal discipline and a respected art form. What was once considered to be a disreputable
pastime is now a nationally recognized sport that has spread from Brazil to the rest of the world.
In Brazil, Capoeira is rivaled in popularity only by soccer. Capoeira schools can be found throughout the entire country, attended by both male and female
students. It can also be found throughout the Americas, Europe, and Asia, practiced by people of all ages, races, and nationalities. Capoeira has found considerable
success in the United States. Capoeira made its debut in New York City and San Francisco during the mid 1970s through the work of Jelon Vieira, Loremil Machado,
Bira Almeida, and other Brazilian mestres who introduced this unique art form to a generation of Americans only familiar with Asian martial art forms like Tae Kwon
Do or Karate. Although it may not be as well known or widely practiced as other martial art forms, one can find Capoeira schools in almost every state in the
country, and its popularity is growing. Today Capoeira can be found on television, in Hollywood films, and music videos, and has influenced other dance styles
such as breakdancing.