This brief brief history of capoeira offers the reader some insight into the complexity of its evolution over the past several hundred years. In the early history of African slavery in Brazil, some of the slaves rebelled and ran away. With the help of natives they reached a remote place in the mountains where they formed an African community that lasted almost a century. More than 20,000 people eventually settled there, including Africans from stranger or enemy tribes as well as some Indians and whites. They all united to fight for freedom. The first forms of capoeira were probably developed there—a result of the cultural fusion of dance, rituals, religion and games. If this version of the story is correct, African influences were a blend from several tribes and traditions.

When the Africans came down from the mountains to trade produce, fruit and animal skins, they sometimes raided plantations to free more slaves. The result was a diminishing labor force for the Portuguese colonizers of Brazil. When Holland invaded Brazil in 1630, some of the slaves fought the Portuguese army. After the Dutch won the war, they sent various expeditions to capture Palmares. Capoeira was the key element in successful jungle warfare and ambush attacks against the invaders.

During this period some slaves were returned to the plantations, and secretly taught capoeira to the others. In the guise of music, singing and dance, they were able to practice an altered form of capoeira on Sundays, the day of rest.

When plantation owners learned about the tradition behind capoeira, it was outlawed and went underground. After the abolition of slavery in 1888, the majority of Africans stayed in Brazil and moved to the cities. Then the main goal of the “capoeiristas” became disrupting the political life of the country. The president created a special police force to control the situation, and a rigid penal code was initiated. Later, a law was enacted to expatriate any person who was a known capoeirista.

Eventually a capoeirista militia was formed. As the situation worsened, Brazil went to war with Paraguay with a black militia at the front. Suddenly the outlaws became national heroes.

The law that prohibited the practice of capoeira was still in effect until 1920, but capoeiristas had kept the tradition alive by presenting it as a folk art. Its practice had become more acceptable, and in 1937 Maestre Bimba, one of its most renowned masters, was invited by the president to demonstrate capoeira in the capital. He was then given permission to open the first capoeira school in Brazil. Years later the senate passed a bill establishing capoeira as a national sport.

Today capoeira is practiced by almost a million people in Brazil and has spread all over the world. In Brazil it is taught in elementary schools, universities, clubs and military academies.

The Editor