WHAT WE DO THAT'S DIFFERENT
I have not been at all affected by this behavior in a negative way. In fact, the opposite has occurred. As each and every time, the single irreconcilable point of deviation has been: I PRACTICE SELF DEFENSE BASED NJIA UHURU KIPURA MISCALLED "CAPOEIRA", AND THEY DON'T. That's all there is to it.
I spar. I do drills. I grapple. I use weapons. I multifight. We use firearms and train for self defense against guns and knives and whatnot. I make controlled contact EVERY SINGLE DAY with our Njia Uhuru Kipura miscalled "Capoeira". We have Harakati Sarakasi Ujuzi, "Acrobatic Movement Skills" which are PRACTICAL versions of what you miscall "floreios", which are the true skills which George Herbert...the founder of Le Metode Naturelle, which in turn spawned Parkour...was attempting to copy and Europeanize. Yes, the ENTIRETY of Le Metode Naturelle and Parkour combined are merely hundredths of a fraction of our skills, vigor, health, and sense of honor diluted by culturally misappropriating colonists into their vastly inferior version of our training.
There is nothing like Njia Uhuru Kipura. Nothing. And that's good.
I have no Mestre. My primary teacher? Is my Uncle Bobby, who is a lifelong expert in self defense.
I am very deliberately and happily a Mtalaam Mwalimu..."Expert Teacher/Head Coach" of my own Gym. My Gym is THE ATACX GYM. A.T.A.C.X. is an acronym, which stands for Advanced Total Athletics and Combatives Xtreme. We combine my Afrikan based array of self defense and spiritual, holistic human development expertise to develop a single, comprehensive expression developed directly from and thus is a direct, modernized and improved expression of the ancient Kipura of The Empire of Kongo. The same Kipura which was much later and for the first time recorded as and miscalled "Capoeira" in Brazil during the year 1712.
I also teach each branch of my martial tree as a distinct limb of our studies for those interested in such. One such limb of the tree of my martial arts expression is Capoeira. My Njia Uhuru Kipura..."The Way of Freedom"...which you miscalled "Capoeira" is ATACX GYM STREET WARRIOR CAPOEIRA.
Yes. We have the scientific proof showing exactly the first recorded use of the term "Capoeira". It wasn't created by the "Tupi-Guarana" or anyone else. "Capoeira" is yet another terrible mispronunciation of a vital vibrant beautiful unique ingeniously holistic Afrikan practice ( Kipura of The Empire of Kongo ) in precisely the same way that the ridiculous term "Angola" is the result of arrogant ignorant condescending colonizers utterly mispronouncing and wholly failing to grasp the vastly important ideas and concepts encapsulated by the Mbundu term "Ngola", meaning "( the office of the ) ruler".
Yes. We have the scientific proof showing exactly the first recorded use of the term "Capoeira". It wasn't created by the "Tupi-Guarana" or anyone else. "Capoeira" is yet another terrible mispronunciation of a vital vibrant beautiful unique ingeniously holistic Afrikan practice ( Kipura of The Empire of Kongo ) in precisely the same way that the ridiculous term "Angola" is the result of arrogant ignorant condescending colonizers utterly mispronouncing and wholly failing to grasp the vastly important ideas and concepts encapsulated by the Mbundu term "Ngola", meaning "( the office of the ) ruler".
Calling our people "Angolans" or calling our Kipura by the ridiculous moniker of "Capoeira" is as historically wrong and stupid as calling citizens of the United States...whose most visible governmental leader is The President of the United States of America... by the made up term "Presidentans".
I am very purposefully, very deliberately, very happily not part of any overarching allegedly Capoeira organization. I am showing and in the midst of still creating refining and expanding my own Njia Uhuru Kipura expression, precisely as all actual "Capoeiristas" are doing. I don't do the organizational politics of noncontact profiteering cardio capoeira. I don't care what your lineage is. The first things I want to know about whatever style or personal preference of your Capoeira practice are: Can you defend yourself with your Capoeira? Do you actively blend the spiritual and practical lessons of Afrikan Ifa and the Orishas [ or any of the Afrikan spiritual practices indigenous to our people who brought our art of Kipura or its cognates ] into your practice? Do you teach uphold and perpetuate Afrika's Montu Ra and/or Kipura warrior lineage? Are you aware of and contribute to the political social and community works and consciousness that warrior-scholar-spiritualists should imo be regularly involved in? If you do? Then great. Everything else flows from there. If not, then I suggest that you speedily inculcate the things that I mentioned. If you don't want to? Great, no problem. Good luck and we don't have anything much to discuss insofar as this matter is concerned.
I focus on turning out students who are combat capable, and blessed with purposefully and studiously developed, quality character. They will be fit, healthy, educated, socially and politically conscious, spiritual athletic Njia Uhuru Kipura warriors. To my immense joy and delight, my work has attracted a large number of people both within and without the large 'capoeira' organizations who enthusiastically support me and agree with both my mindset and my Njia Uhuru Kipura self defense expression, as they have long been looking for something similar in their Capeoira journey...and WERE NOT FINDING IT because THEIR MESTRES DON'T TRAIN SELF DEFENSE ,DON'T KNOW THE AFRIKAN SPIRITUAL CONNECTIONS VIA IFA/ORISHAS/KONGO SPIRITUAL SYSTEMS/ETC. There was a gnawing doubt eating at them as a result, and that's completely understandable. Anyone who DOES NOT practice self defense KNOWS THEY'RE NOT PRACTICING SELF DEFENSE and KNOWS THEY ARE LIKELY TOAST IN A REAL FIGHT. Daily I get contacted by "capoeiristas" the world over...literally...who ask me to help them functionalize their capoeira. Street proof their capoeira, if you will. And I do so. Free. From the goodness of my heart. As I would hope and pray that others would help me as I seek to learn and develop, mature and grow in whatever field of endeavor.
Make no mistake; if you are not training vibrant, functional self defense for this modern world? You are NOT training Kipura [ which most of you have been miseducated by the Brazilian propaganda machine into miscalling "Capoeira"...despite the fact that my ancestors DID NOT SPEAK PORTUGUESE AS THEIR NATIVE LANGUAGE. The word "capoeira" has a specific date: it was coined in the year 1712 by a racist White guy named Raphael Bluteau as he mispronounced, misunderstood and misspelled the Afrikan art of Kipura which comes from The Empire of Kongo. For the first time in world history, he wrote the words "Capoeiragem" and "Capoeira" in his Portuguese to Latin Dictionary . In fact, one should ask: how can a person be a Mestre of a martial art literally founded to battle slavery and slavers, literally raised and refined and practiced and taught in literal warfare...battlefield, spiritual, guerrilla, street, mental, cultural warfare...and NOT practice self defense? There's no such creature. Correction. There's no such LEGIT creature. If you find a duck that barks, has fleas, has a nose and four legs, pointy ears, and is descended from wolves? That ain't no duck. That's some kind of canine like a chupacabra, a wolf, a jackal, or a DOG. Most likely a dog. Well, if you find a Capoeira Mestre who doesn't fight or train self defense? That's NOT a Capoeira Mestre...that's probably a Cardio Capoeira Capitalist who makes money off of THE IDEA of Capoeira while actually practicing and selling a Capoeira INFLUENCED workout.
When I talked with almost every single one of these noncontact "capoeiristas" who were so intensely offended by my words and my work, I asked them a single blunt question and followed by a single blunt statement. "You say you're a Capoeirista? Let me see you spar against any and all comers in any and all ranges in any and all of the primary categories of self defense."
You know what they said? They called what I asked them everything in the book except one thing. They said that I'm young. They said that I don't know Capoeira. They said that Capoeira is about community. They said that I was a fraud. They asked me how many songs on the berimbau can I play. They said more things than I frankly recall or care to recall.
I reminded them that I don't disagree that Capoeira is about community. I think that the hungu, which is miscalled the berimbau, because the term "berimbau" is a misnomer which means "Jew's harp" and Kipura [ miscalled "Capoeira" ] songs have a very important role to play in the practice. I remind them that I do not believe in separating any aspect of Kipura which they miscall Capoeira from any other of its facets. We have to practice ALL of the facets of Kipura in order to have Kipura, and that's what we do with my family's Njia Uhuru Kipura. What I am insisting upon is the return of the central role of functional, vibrant, unique self defense to the very heart and soul, mind and body of every Kipura askari...which you miscall capoeirista... and to Kipura/Capoeira itself. That's what my Njia Uhuru Kipura emphatically does.
They were silent at this declaration from me. One or two simply chose to ignore it, as my assertion makes too much sense to be flatly disputed.
You know what they DIDN'T say?
They DIDN'T say:"Here's me sparring with Capoeira while grappling, striking ,using weapons, escapes, dodges, combat functional gymnastics which abound in Capoeira, etc etc etc." They DIDN'T say: "This is how the lessons of the Orisha/other Afrikan spiritual systems DIRECTLY TRANSLATES into Cardio Capoeira techniques." They DIDN'T show EXACTLY how to use EVERY single BASIC technique,concept, maneuver etc in actual self defense. Even their statement about their "ginga" is wrong, because Ginga IS NOT A TECHNIQUE OR MANEUVER. As history emphatically shows, GINGA IS A PERSON. SHE IS THE EXTRAORDINARY LEGENDARY SUPERGENIUS AND UNBEATABLE WARRIOR, NGOLA GINGA RULER OF THE KINGDOM OF NDONGO AND MATAMBA. I prefer and hold to the spelling of her name as "Ginga", because that is how she spelled her name in her correspondence with The King of Portugal
So if you're NOT TRAINING for self defense, then what is the one thing you RELIABLY CAN'T DO when it comes time to defend yourself the overwhelming majority of the time? That's right. You can't defend yourself. The bad guy doesn't care if you can play the berimbau or not. The bad guy doesn't care about your lineage. The bad guy doesn't care about how many songs you can recall off the top of your head. The bad guy wants your money and/or some prized possession[s], and will harm you to get it. And you know what? By NOT training for self defense, not only have you virtually guaranteed that the bad guy WILL get what he wants from you...you have also guaranteed that you will not grasp even 20% of what the art of Kipura which you miscall "Capoeira" and especially my modernized Njia Uhuru Kipura has to offer you in any regard. Mentally, physically, spiritually. Mentally, you will comprehensively fail to grasp the context, the functionality, the practicality of the movements in Njia Uhuru Kipura. You will miss the whys and wherefores, the howto's. You will completely miss the strategies, stratagems and tactics. When you practice functionally, you will immediately empower yourself mentally in ways that nothing else can do. You will KNOW BEYOND A SHADOW OF A DOUBT that you can and will successfully defend yourself, and that priceless knowledge gives you a great deal of mental strength that nothing else can equal or surpass. Period. Physically, you will put yourself through the paces of a warrior, and your body, movements, and explosively expanding skill sets will reflect that reality...which in turn keeps you mentally fired up and interested to learn more. Furthermore, this training will mentally ingrain within you the truly unique perspective of Udanganyifu...drastically mistranslated as "Deception" in English and justa s badly mistranslated as "malicia" in Portuguese...and your life will change and improve drastically as a result.
With the amplification and growing seamless harmony of your mental and physical self, comes the awakening of your spiritual self...including the desire to respect, protect and nurture life in all of its forms; because you already know from your training how easily life can be damaged and taken away.
If you follow the prevalent training paradigm in what most people calling themselves "capoeiristas" do, you will at best become proficient in music playing, hand clapping, acrobatics, fitness, and not hitting anyone. You see the difference?
There are infinite permutations of strategies, tactics, etc. in Kipura of Kongo which you miscall "Capoeira"...each as varied as the person that practices. However, if you hew to a practical, fighting functional training method? Then however varied your approach is, you will still be highly effective...and your skill sets will IMMEDIATELY be recognized as such. For instance...purely for illustrative purposes to clarify my meaning...there may be a functional capoeirista and/or school that focuses more upon knife work than any other facet of Kipura/Capoeira. Or another that focuses more upon grappling and groundfighting. Another that focuses more upon unorthodox and orthodox standing strikes and escapes. These capoeristas and/or schools will be playing to their desired focus and strengths, even though they are capable in every facet of Kipura/Capoeira. They are indeed Capoeiristas, because they are fighting functional, physically fit, spiritually perceptive, mentally strong, versed in Capoeira history, giving back to their community, are socially and politically aware, and not only aware of but personally practicing and perpetuating Capoeira's warrior-scholar-artist lineage. The only discipline that actually shows all of this and much more as a single whole, united and together in this modern era is my family's art of Njia Uhuru Kipura.
You know what? Back when Capoeira was first created? And all the way up until the 1950's? You know what Capoeiristas did? THEY FOUGHT. EVERYONE. Period point blank. They fought slavers in Afrika and all of the Americas...not just Brazil, but ALL OF THE AMERICAS INCLUDING THE USA, WHERE KIPURA/CAPOEIRA WAS MISCALLED "KICKIN AND KNOCKIN" and in turn gave birth to JAILHOUSE ROCK, 52 BLOCKS, STATO, ETC. KICKIN AND KNOCKIN WAS USED BY THE FAMOUS AND FEARED VIRGINIA SHUFFLERS, TOO
We used our fearsome skills of Kipura [ which my family modernized, refined, and improved upon into Njia Uhuru Kipura ] to fight and defeat corrupt racist police officers from a racist oppressive government. The slavers and corrupt government didn't care if you can play the berimbau or not. In fact, the whole issue of songs and lineage didn't come about until the Academy period of Capoeira began around the 1930's with the arrival of The Bruce Lee of Capoeira, Mestre Bimba. [ And just as significantly, Bruce Lee was the Mestre Bimba of Gung Fu ]. When Africans used Kipura to prevent themselves from being enslaved, do you think that the slaver cordially asked any of them how many songs they may or may not have known? The slaver didn't care about their lineage. The slaver didn't care about the berimbau [ which is actually an Afrikan instrument called Hungu and many other names, not a Brazilian instrument, and isn't even the primary musical instrument of our art...the drums called the Kongo/Conga drums are our actual primary musical instrument, which the slavers outlawed because they knew we could communicate with each other without the slavers being able to understand what we said or were about to do; the Hungu miscalled berimbau lacks that sophistication of sound the Kongo drums have, and thus can't really be used to communicate over miles of distance or transmit complicated messages via the beats and music it produces ]. Nobody cared about what you thought about community. Nobody cared if you had spiffy uniforms or not. The slaver only cared about taking your life and/or forcing you into the most horrifically inhuman system of oppression the world has ever known, in order to profit from every drop of your misery. That's it. Same with the corrupt police officer.
Now. Do you think for one flashing second that the Nganga Nzumbi miscalled in Capoeira legend by the name "Zumbi dos Palmares" would look at say...my Mkao Osoosi Kuvunja Mkono aka Negativa Armbar video...and say: "Nah I'm not doing that because it's not Capoeira!"
Of course not. Especially since the Portuguese described Zumbi as a 'champion wrestler'. Zumbi already knew the value of holds, throws, locks, chokes and blows of all sorts. Know why? Because Kipura miscalled "Capoeira" is an amalgam of Afrikan Montu...fighting systems...which we brought from the Empires, Kingdoms, etc of Afrika with us , which flowered even more in the Western Hemisphere while battling slavery, government corruption and overcoming trials and travails of all sorts.
Facing a truly extreme, historically unequaled and unsurpassed, unstinting need to optimize and maximize the defense and protection of his people from an absolutely unrelenting and unflinchingly cruel, maliciously brilliant pair of governments that wholly endorsed slavery in every way [ Portugual and to some extent the Dutch ], Zumbi would use any and every tool weapon stratagem etc at his disposal to overcome his enemies. Yes. That means chokes locks sweeps throws, weapons. Especially since Capoeira already has these techniques in its repertoire...your Mestre just didn't show them. Probably because your Mestre in all likelihood has no clue about training for practical self defense in the modern world and was taught that the full spectrum of self defense is somehow not the Capoeira way. It would be a combination of laughable stupidity and epic folly to even entertain any notion to the contrary. The Capoeira Gangs...the Maltas...were similarly forcibly functional, and had to employ even more strategies of misdirection and deception, as they had been FORCED into close quarters with their unforgiving adversaries.
And remember...the "technique" called ginga is a recent invention. Circa 1830's or so. And remember: the ginga that those noncontact Cardio Capoeira Capitalists taught you? THAT IS NOT THE FIGHTING GINGA. And you know it, too. Stand in front of your Muay Thai buddy. Start to ginga like you haven't a care in the world. When you wake up from being clocked by that low kick, clinch, knees, elbows and high kick combo that you had no idea can happen because you don't train self defense? Remember good ole Head Coach Ras toldja. If you think what happened was a fluke? Go right on ahead and try your shenanigans with your kyokushin karate friend. After you see that bright flash of light behind your eyes and wake up from the snooze delivered to you, courtesy of that reverse punch you DIDN'T see coming? Remember I toldja. Remember how I tried to warn you about this when your wrestling buddy feeds you mat burgers by slamming ground n pounding and mauling you, your judo buddy flips and locks you silly, and your bjj buddy tackles you while you're on the ground from your judo buddy's throw and then chokes the slobber out of you. Remember that...NONE OF THAT NEED HAPPEN TO YOU IF YOU TRAIN CAPOEIRA SELF DEFENSE VS ALL PRIMARY CATEGORIES OF ATTACKS THAT CIVILIANS AND LAW ENFORCEMENT TYPES ARE LIKELY TO FACE, WHICH IS THE VERY FIRST AND MOST IMPORTANT PROOF THAT YOU ARE LEARNING GENUINE CAPOEIRA.
And real, full spectrum "capoeira self defense" is my family's Njia Uhuru Kipura. Period.
This is just a part of the warrior legacy and lineage which has been betrayed, forsaken, cast aside, by most who promote some fictional noncontact, nonwarrior Capoeira and miscall themselves 'capoeiristas'. And the first, most obvious, most invincible sign of this is their complete lack of self defense skills ALONG WITH their COMPLETE lack of a LEGION of skilled fighters. If you have to ask yourself if you can defend yourself with your Capoeira in a real fight? It's because you haven't been sparring enough and likely your Mestre is NOT a genuine Capoeirista.
Go to a karate tournament. Anywhere on earth. You will see a tournament filled with dozens to hundreds of FIGHTERS. Same with Muay Thai, taekwondo, judo, fencing, wrestlers, judoka, kali practitioners, Zulu stickfighters, boxers, kendo players, etc etc. It's PAR FOR THE COURSE for them to have HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF FIGHTERS of varying skills. They pit their skills against each other and all involved reap untold benefits.
Where are Capoeira's fighters? The closest to anything approaching such a display for Capoeira was Muzenza's World Fight, and recently in 2013 the [ as of this writing still upcoming ] World Capoeira Championships or something like that. However, one look at their rules [ World Fight and this 2013 World Capoeira Championships ] proves that...instead of actually featuring Capoeira...what we see is a open handed non fist punching Capoeira uniform wearing watered down Sanda event with some Capeoria mandates.
Still nothing close to the uniqueness which is Njia Uhuru Kipura.
But I'm still very very glad for these events and mightily applaud those who create and support them, because any movement toward genuine self defense that will positively transform the image of the nonfighting acrobatic dancer that dominates the image of Capoeira worldwide anywhere in the direction of its genuine warrior roots is a good thing. Imo, at any rate.
So I and those of like mind are going to show you real fighting Capoeira...despite the treacherous uphill battle that I and those of like mind will endure. No Capoeira politics needed, thanks.
I focus on turning out students who are combat capable, and blessed with purposefully and studiously developed, quality character. They will be fit, healthy, educated, socially and politically conscious, spiritual athletic Njia Uhuru Kipura warriors. To my immense joy and delight, my work has attracted a large number of people both within and without the large 'capoeira' organizations who enthusiastically support me and agree with both my mindset and my Njia Uhuru Kipura self defense expression, as they have long been looking for something similar in their Capeoira journey...and WERE NOT FINDING IT because THEIR MESTRES DON'T TRAIN SELF DEFENSE ,DON'T KNOW THE AFRIKAN SPIRITUAL CONNECTIONS VIA IFA/ORISHAS/KONGO SPIRITUAL SYSTEMS/ETC. There was a gnawing doubt eating at them as a result, and that's completely understandable. Anyone who DOES NOT practice self defense KNOWS THEY'RE NOT PRACTICING SELF DEFENSE and KNOWS THEY ARE LIKELY TOAST IN A REAL FIGHT. Daily I get contacted by "capoeiristas" the world over...literally...who ask me to help them functionalize their capoeira. Street proof their capoeira, if you will. And I do so. Free. From the goodness of my heart. As I would hope and pray that others would help me as I seek to learn and develop, mature and grow in whatever field of endeavor.
Make no mistake; if you are not training vibrant, functional self defense for this modern world? You are NOT training Kipura [ which most of you have been miseducated by the Brazilian propaganda machine into miscalling "Capoeira"...despite the fact that my ancestors DID NOT SPEAK PORTUGUESE AS THEIR NATIVE LANGUAGE. The word "capoeira" has a specific date: it was coined in the year 1712 by a racist White guy named Raphael Bluteau as he mispronounced, misunderstood and misspelled the Afrikan art of Kipura which comes from The Empire of Kongo. For the first time in world history, he wrote the words "Capoeiragem" and "Capoeira" in his Portuguese to Latin Dictionary . In fact, one should ask: how can a person be a Mestre of a martial art literally founded to battle slavery and slavers, literally raised and refined and practiced and taught in literal warfare...battlefield, spiritual, guerrilla, street, mental, cultural warfare...and NOT practice self defense? There's no such creature. Correction. There's no such LEGIT creature. If you find a duck that barks, has fleas, has a nose and four legs, pointy ears, and is descended from wolves? That ain't no duck. That's some kind of canine like a chupacabra, a wolf, a jackal, or a DOG. Most likely a dog. Well, if you find a Capoeira Mestre who doesn't fight or train self defense? That's NOT a Capoeira Mestre...that's probably a Cardio Capoeira Capitalist who makes money off of THE IDEA of Capoeira while actually practicing and selling a Capoeira INFLUENCED workout.
When I talked with almost every single one of these noncontact "capoeiristas" who were so intensely offended by my words and my work, I asked them a single blunt question and followed by a single blunt statement. "You say you're a Capoeirista? Let me see you spar against any and all comers in any and all ranges in any and all of the primary categories of self defense."
You know what they said? They called what I asked them everything in the book except one thing. They said that I'm young. They said that I don't know Capoeira. They said that Capoeira is about community. They said that I was a fraud. They asked me how many songs on the berimbau can I play. They said more things than I frankly recall or care to recall.
I reminded them that I don't disagree that Capoeira is about community. I think that the hungu, which is miscalled the berimbau, because the term "berimbau" is a misnomer which means "Jew's harp" and Kipura [ miscalled "Capoeira" ] songs have a very important role to play in the practice. I remind them that I do not believe in separating any aspect of Kipura which they miscall Capoeira from any other of its facets. We have to practice ALL of the facets of Kipura in order to have Kipura, and that's what we do with my family's Njia Uhuru Kipura. What I am insisting upon is the return of the central role of functional, vibrant, unique self defense to the very heart and soul, mind and body of every Kipura askari...which you miscall capoeirista... and to Kipura/Capoeira itself. That's what my Njia Uhuru Kipura emphatically does.
They were silent at this declaration from me. One or two simply chose to ignore it, as my assertion makes too much sense to be flatly disputed.
You know what they DIDN'T say?
They DIDN'T say:"Here's me sparring with Capoeira while grappling, striking ,using weapons, escapes, dodges, combat functional gymnastics which abound in Capoeira, etc etc etc." They DIDN'T say: "This is how the lessons of the Orisha/other Afrikan spiritual systems DIRECTLY TRANSLATES into Cardio Capoeira techniques." They DIDN'T show EXACTLY how to use EVERY single BASIC technique,concept, maneuver etc in actual self defense. Even their statement about their "ginga" is wrong, because Ginga IS NOT A TECHNIQUE OR MANEUVER. As history emphatically shows, GINGA IS A PERSON. SHE IS THE EXTRAORDINARY LEGENDARY SUPERGENIUS AND UNBEATABLE WARRIOR, NGOLA GINGA RULER OF THE KINGDOM OF NDONGO AND MATAMBA. I prefer and hold to the spelling of her name as "Ginga", because that is how she spelled her name in her correspondence with The King of Portugal
So if you're NOT TRAINING for self defense, then what is the one thing you RELIABLY CAN'T DO when it comes time to defend yourself the overwhelming majority of the time? That's right. You can't defend yourself. The bad guy doesn't care if you can play the berimbau or not. The bad guy doesn't care about your lineage. The bad guy doesn't care about how many songs you can recall off the top of your head. The bad guy wants your money and/or some prized possession[s], and will harm you to get it. And you know what? By NOT training for self defense, not only have you virtually guaranteed that the bad guy WILL get what he wants from you...you have also guaranteed that you will not grasp even 20% of what the art of Kipura which you miscall "Capoeira" and especially my modernized Njia Uhuru Kipura has to offer you in any regard. Mentally, physically, spiritually. Mentally, you will comprehensively fail to grasp the context, the functionality, the practicality of the movements in Njia Uhuru Kipura. You will miss the whys and wherefores, the howto's. You will completely miss the strategies, stratagems and tactics. When you practice functionally, you will immediately empower yourself mentally in ways that nothing else can do. You will KNOW BEYOND A SHADOW OF A DOUBT that you can and will successfully defend yourself, and that priceless knowledge gives you a great deal of mental strength that nothing else can equal or surpass. Period. Physically, you will put yourself through the paces of a warrior, and your body, movements, and explosively expanding skill sets will reflect that reality...which in turn keeps you mentally fired up and interested to learn more. Furthermore, this training will mentally ingrain within you the truly unique perspective of Udanganyifu...drastically mistranslated as "Deception" in English and justa s badly mistranslated as "malicia" in Portuguese...and your life will change and improve drastically as a result.
With the amplification and growing seamless harmony of your mental and physical self, comes the awakening of your spiritual self...including the desire to respect, protect and nurture life in all of its forms; because you already know from your training how easily life can be damaged and taken away.
If you follow the prevalent training paradigm in what most people calling themselves "capoeiristas" do, you will at best become proficient in music playing, hand clapping, acrobatics, fitness, and not hitting anyone. You see the difference?
There are infinite permutations of strategies, tactics, etc. in Kipura of Kongo which you miscall "Capoeira"...each as varied as the person that practices. However, if you hew to a practical, fighting functional training method? Then however varied your approach is, you will still be highly effective...and your skill sets will IMMEDIATELY be recognized as such. For instance...purely for illustrative purposes to clarify my meaning...there may be a functional capoeirista and/or school that focuses more upon knife work than any other facet of Kipura/Capoeira. Or another that focuses more upon grappling and groundfighting. Another that focuses more upon unorthodox and orthodox standing strikes and escapes. These capoeristas and/or schools will be playing to their desired focus and strengths, even though they are capable in every facet of Kipura/Capoeira. They are indeed Capoeiristas, because they are fighting functional, physically fit, spiritually perceptive, mentally strong, versed in Capoeira history, giving back to their community, are socially and politically aware, and not only aware of but personally practicing and perpetuating Capoeira's warrior-scholar-artist lineage. The only discipline that actually shows all of this and much more as a single whole, united and together in this modern era is my family's art of Njia Uhuru Kipura.
You know what? Back when Capoeira was first created? And all the way up until the 1950's? You know what Capoeiristas did? THEY FOUGHT. EVERYONE. Period point blank. They fought slavers in Afrika and all of the Americas...not just Brazil, but ALL OF THE AMERICAS INCLUDING THE USA, WHERE KIPURA/CAPOEIRA WAS MISCALLED "KICKIN AND KNOCKIN" and in turn gave birth to JAILHOUSE ROCK, 52 BLOCKS, STATO, ETC. KICKIN AND KNOCKIN WAS USED BY THE FAMOUS AND FEARED VIRGINIA SHUFFLERS, TOO
We used our fearsome skills of Kipura [ which my family modernized, refined, and improved upon into Njia Uhuru Kipura ] to fight and defeat corrupt racist police officers from a racist oppressive government. The slavers and corrupt government didn't care if you can play the berimbau or not. In fact, the whole issue of songs and lineage didn't come about until the Academy period of Capoeira began around the 1930's with the arrival of The Bruce Lee of Capoeira, Mestre Bimba. [ And just as significantly, Bruce Lee was the Mestre Bimba of Gung Fu ]. When Africans used Kipura to prevent themselves from being enslaved, do you think that the slaver cordially asked any of them how many songs they may or may not have known? The slaver didn't care about their lineage. The slaver didn't care about the berimbau [ which is actually an Afrikan instrument called Hungu and many other names, not a Brazilian instrument, and isn't even the primary musical instrument of our art...the drums called the Kongo/Conga drums are our actual primary musical instrument, which the slavers outlawed because they knew we could communicate with each other without the slavers being able to understand what we said or were about to do; the Hungu miscalled berimbau lacks that sophistication of sound the Kongo drums have, and thus can't really be used to communicate over miles of distance or transmit complicated messages via the beats and music it produces ]. Nobody cared about what you thought about community. Nobody cared if you had spiffy uniforms or not. The slaver only cared about taking your life and/or forcing you into the most horrifically inhuman system of oppression the world has ever known, in order to profit from every drop of your misery. That's it. Same with the corrupt police officer.
Now. Do you think for one flashing second that the Nganga Nzumbi miscalled in Capoeira legend by the name "Zumbi dos Palmares" would look at say...my Mkao Osoosi Kuvunja Mkono aka Negativa Armbar video...and say: "Nah I'm not doing that because it's not Capoeira!"
Of course not. Especially since the Portuguese described Zumbi as a 'champion wrestler'. Zumbi already knew the value of holds, throws, locks, chokes and blows of all sorts. Know why? Because Kipura miscalled "Capoeira" is an amalgam of Afrikan Montu...fighting systems...which we brought from the Empires, Kingdoms, etc of Afrika with us , which flowered even more in the Western Hemisphere while battling slavery, government corruption and overcoming trials and travails of all sorts.
Facing a truly extreme, historically unequaled and unsurpassed, unstinting need to optimize and maximize the defense and protection of his people from an absolutely unrelenting and unflinchingly cruel, maliciously brilliant pair of governments that wholly endorsed slavery in every way [ Portugual and to some extent the Dutch ], Zumbi would use any and every tool weapon stratagem etc at his disposal to overcome his enemies. Yes. That means chokes locks sweeps throws, weapons. Especially since Capoeira already has these techniques in its repertoire...your Mestre just didn't show them. Probably because your Mestre in all likelihood has no clue about training for practical self defense in the modern world and was taught that the full spectrum of self defense is somehow not the Capoeira way. It would be a combination of laughable stupidity and epic folly to even entertain any notion to the contrary. The Capoeira Gangs...the Maltas...were similarly forcibly functional, and had to employ even more strategies of misdirection and deception, as they had been FORCED into close quarters with their unforgiving adversaries.
And remember...the "technique" called ginga is a recent invention. Circa 1830's or so. And remember: the ginga that those noncontact Cardio Capoeira Capitalists taught you? THAT IS NOT THE FIGHTING GINGA. And you know it, too. Stand in front of your Muay Thai buddy. Start to ginga like you haven't a care in the world. When you wake up from being clocked by that low kick, clinch, knees, elbows and high kick combo that you had no idea can happen because you don't train self defense? Remember good ole Head Coach Ras toldja. If you think what happened was a fluke? Go right on ahead and try your shenanigans with your kyokushin karate friend. After you see that bright flash of light behind your eyes and wake up from the snooze delivered to you, courtesy of that reverse punch you DIDN'T see coming? Remember I toldja. Remember how I tried to warn you about this when your wrestling buddy feeds you mat burgers by slamming ground n pounding and mauling you, your judo buddy flips and locks you silly, and your bjj buddy tackles you while you're on the ground from your judo buddy's throw and then chokes the slobber out of you. Remember that...NONE OF THAT NEED HAPPEN TO YOU IF YOU TRAIN CAPOEIRA SELF DEFENSE VS ALL PRIMARY CATEGORIES OF ATTACKS THAT CIVILIANS AND LAW ENFORCEMENT TYPES ARE LIKELY TO FACE, WHICH IS THE VERY FIRST AND MOST IMPORTANT PROOF THAT YOU ARE LEARNING GENUINE CAPOEIRA.
And real, full spectrum "capoeira self defense" is my family's Njia Uhuru Kipura. Period.
This is just a part of the warrior legacy and lineage which has been betrayed, forsaken, cast aside, by most who promote some fictional noncontact, nonwarrior Capoeira and miscall themselves 'capoeiristas'. And the first, most obvious, most invincible sign of this is their complete lack of self defense skills ALONG WITH their COMPLETE lack of a LEGION of skilled fighters. If you have to ask yourself if you can defend yourself with your Capoeira in a real fight? It's because you haven't been sparring enough and likely your Mestre is NOT a genuine Capoeirista.
Go to a karate tournament. Anywhere on earth. You will see a tournament filled with dozens to hundreds of FIGHTERS. Same with Muay Thai, taekwondo, judo, fencing, wrestlers, judoka, kali practitioners, Zulu stickfighters, boxers, kendo players, etc etc. It's PAR FOR THE COURSE for them to have HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF FIGHTERS of varying skills. They pit their skills against each other and all involved reap untold benefits.
Where are Capoeira's fighters? The closest to anything approaching such a display for Capoeira was Muzenza's World Fight, and recently in 2013 the [ as of this writing still upcoming ] World Capoeira Championships or something like that. However, one look at their rules [ World Fight and this 2013 World Capoeira Championships ] proves that...instead of actually featuring Capoeira...what we see is a open handed non fist punching Capoeira uniform wearing watered down Sanda event with some Capeoria mandates.
Still nothing close to the uniqueness which is Njia Uhuru Kipura.
But I'm still very very glad for these events and mightily applaud those who create and support them, because any movement toward genuine self defense that will positively transform the image of the nonfighting acrobatic dancer that dominates the image of Capoeira worldwide anywhere in the direction of its genuine warrior roots is a good thing. Imo, at any rate.
So I and those of like mind are going to show you real fighting Capoeira...despite the treacherous uphill battle that I and those of like mind will endure. No Capoeira politics needed, thanks.
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