CAPOEIRA IS BETTER THAN BRAZILIAN JIUJITSU FOR SELF DEFENSE FOR WOMEN PART 1: DEFINE THE PROBLEM, KNOW THE STATISTICS

 CAPOEIRA IS BETTER THAN BRAZILIAN JIUJITSU FOR SELF DEFENSE FOR WOMEN PART 1: DEFINE THE PROBLEM, KNOW THE STATISTICS

This blog is very important and will be broken down into 4 parts: Part 1: Define the problem, Know the statistics., learn the dangers of right wing politics, politicians and policies

 Part 2: The role of the Orisha in reaching, healing and motivating victims 

Part 3: Train to Physically Defeat The Enemy

Part 4: Escape, Evade, Elude

This is part 1, where we define the problem, know the statistics, and grasp the role that right wing politics, right wing politicians, and right wing policies play in destroying our women and girls.

The self defense skills of Kipura miscalled "Capoeira" by Raphael Bluteau in the year 1712 [ thus giving the world of colonizers for the first time a word they could collectively use to describe the vexing practice of Kipura warriors who constantly defied them and would aid massively by achieving permanent victories against the enslavers that destroyed their armies and eventually help cause the end of legal European chattel slavery in 1888 as Brazil was the last European controlled or influenced country to end its legal practice of chattel slavery and these Kipura warriors would help end legal slavery in the Arabic World around 1981 ] are vibrant and very much needed in the modern world more than ever. In order to do this, we must examine Kipura, its most powerful, functional, full spectrum descendant in the form of the self defense and whole human development system of Njia Uhuru Kipura as created by Mwalimu Mtaalam Ras Fletcher, modern Cardio Capoeira and modern Brazilian Jiujitsu.

But first, we must provide specific data and details of the problem, the better to understand its scope and  severity, then create and rapidly apply solutions.  After this information is presented, the role of  self defense teachers and practitioners will be made clear; as well as whether or not your teacher and chosen self defense practice will be helpful to you and/or your loved ones in these situations.

The July release of one of Brasil's most critical reports on violence, The Brazilian Public Security Forum's Yearbook, gave horrific statistics painting a grim picture. Based on the provided statistics and calculations:

- Out of 74,930 total victims, approximately **66,463** were women. This figure includes both girls and adult women, given that 88.7% of the total victims are female.

- Black victims, encompassing both genders, numbered around **42,560**, representing 56.8% of the total victims.

- Victims aged zero to 13, covering both boys and girls, were about **44,958**, indicating that more than six out of ten victims fall within this age range.

- Offenses carried out by individuals known to the child victims numbered approximately **49,958**, as nearly two-thirds of the occurrences happened in domestic settings and were perpetrated by acquaintances.

To further break down the numbers:

- The exact number of **Black girls and women** raped can be approximated by applying the percentage of Black victims to the number of female victims, resulting in **49,953**. This number is an estimation combining the percentage of women victims and the percentage of Black victims, assuming that the distribution of victims by race is proportionally similar across genders.

- The number of **White girls and women** raped would be the remainder of female victims minus Black female victims, which approximates to **37,751**.

- Given the complexity of overlapping categories (e.g., age, gender, race), and without specific data segregating all these dimensions, these figures are derived based on available overall percentages.

- It's also noted that **29,972** offenses against children aged zero to 13 were carried out by known perpetrators, aligning with the statistic that nearly two-thirds of the cases occur within households by acquaintances.

The problem of femicide...murder of women and/or girls...and sexual violence against women and girls in Brasil...especially Black women and girls, and most significantly POOR Black women and girls...is large, stark and grim.

Between 2021 and 2022, the number of femicides - the murder of a woman due to her gender - also rose. Aside from the 1,437 women that died for the simple fact of being women - most at the hands of partners or former partners - there has been an increase of more than 16 per cent in attempted femicide. Victims are primarily Black and young. Moreover, the report shows a significant increase in sexual harassment and other sexual offences. Juliana Brandão, a researcher at the Brazilian Public Security Forum, points out the responsibility of schools to provide relevant education on the matter. the report "Visible and Invisible: the victimisation of Women in Brazil" shows that 18 million women over 16 experienced some form of violence in 2022, which, compared to previous surveys, brings to spotlight the fact that all forms of violence against women have increased.

The report's assessment of the causes of this concerning scenario pointed to extreme racist, sexist, right wing politics, politicians,laws, racist police and businesses as well as the draining of financial resources to combat violence against women by the federal government over the past four years.

But wait. It gets worse. 

 In 2022, around 7.4 million Brazilian women suffered some type of physical violence, such as punches, slaps and kicks. This represents 14 women assaulted per minute. So, approximately 20,160 women are assaulted per day if 14 women are assaulted per minute. Yes. You read that right.

Let that marinate. Really consider that. By the time you finish reading this blog I'm writing? At least 60-98 girls and women will be assaulted so bad that they ACTUALLY REPORT IT, and the [ usually male ] police officers will actually receive it. That means about TRIPLE THAT NUMBER WERE ACTUALLY ASSAULTED BUT DIDN'T REPORT IT because they're too young to know what to do, don't have the resources to go report the crime, can't protect themselves from being brutalized or killed for reporting the crime, already know the police won't help them, or some even more horrific combo or set of circuitos. 

When considered alongside other types of violence, such as sexual and psychological, the data is even worse: 18.6 million women were victims of violence last year, which represents 28.9% of the female population.

The USA isn't exempt,  either.  Every 68 seconds another American is sexually assaulted. 1 out of every 6 American women has been the victim of an attempted or completed rape in her lifetime (14.8% completed, 2.8% attempted ). So, approximately 76,147 girls or women are assaulted per day in the United States. That's about 27.7 million girls and women per year...who actually get up the strength to REPORT the crime. Probably double that number actually experienced sexual assault, but didn't report it.

Cardio Capoeira Mestres in the USA and Brasil know that these problems are going on. They know. They may not know the exact stats like I do, BUT THEY DO KNOW THERE'S A BIG PROBLEM. Unfortunately, zero practitioners of the popular form of Capoeira for exercise are helpful in these circumstances...despite the fact that 100% of these teachers and practitioners are aware of the epidemic of violence aimed unceasingly at women and girls; especially Black girls and women; and most of all for poor Black girls and women. 

Whereas for centuries before,  when Kipura was practiced exclusively in the Alkebulan miscalled African communities,  Kipura acquired the nearly superhuman distinction of being the only art in human history to destroy the European,  Arabic AND Asian enslavement trade. And in this process, literally become the most powerful rape defense system in the history of the world. 

I said. Kipura warriors defeated enslavement over 2/3rds of the known world. And in the process, Kipura girl and women warriors learned to defeat 2/3rds of the rapists and femicidalists of the world...

...after the utterly horrifically brutal, racist, corrupt, plundering, rapist, torturing, murdering, illegal 1964 Military Government of Brasil literallymurdered and assassinated its way to power [ energetically supported by the UK and my birth country of the USA ]. This same Military Dictatorship did everything it could to wrest Kipura from the grasp and control of our Alkebulan miscalled African community. They tormented, imprisoned, persecuted and murdered by malicious neglect Mestre Bimba, shattering his Capoeira Regionale group. They tormented our practitioners so much that they literally shutdown the practice of Capoeira Angola...and successfully orchestrated the murder of Mestre Pastinha by malicious neglect and persecution from all sides. They then exported the name of Kipura to Capoeira controlled mostly by White middle class patriarchal businessmen whom the government en masse christened as Mestres [ despite the fact that they're unbelievably unqualified ] whose primary recommendations were that they're White, sellouts for or total conformists to Brazilian Military Dictatorship requirements and propaganda, and they're White. They, in good merchant fashion, saw business opportunities and stridently gave not a single damn about the authentic art, its Alkebulan miscalled African practitioners, and...as zealous proponents of The Patriarchy...they were utterly blind to and more importantly viscerally opposed to the crying need to help protect girls and women from male predators. Plus. Did I mention that this Alkebulan miscalled African system? Was directed by conservative racist White guys. That's like putting Trump's Whitest, most racist sexist incompetent criminal conservative ignorant reactionary intolerant hateful Republican government appointees as the leaders of the Bloods, Crips, Soul music, Gospel music, jazz, USA reggae, Black History and hiphop. Then claiming that only these White guys who Trump appointed are the legit teachers. This gutting of Kipura, and the deliberately malicious ingraining of rape culture vs girls and women...was as baldly evident, in your face, pityless, merciless, and evil as that.

Its no wonder then, that...since that date around 1967 in Brasil...zero of the Cardio Capoeira instructors in or outside of Brazil offer comprehensive, highly effective, highly reliable modern solutions for this problems specific to self defense for girls and women drawn exclusively from Kipura miscalled Capoeira techniques, and constantly tested vs modern criminal assaults. Zero. Out of nearly one million cardio Capoeira teachers Brazil, and about ten million worldwide. 

All that above means? The Cardio Capoeira teachers are not helping girls and women to defend themselves in the modern age ON PURPOSE. 

Let that sink in

But then? Here I come. Mwalimu Mtaalam Ras Fletcher.  Many Cardio Capoeira teachers are mad at me...and their students love me...because I'm forcing the game to change. I state fearlessly loudly and clearly that we as self defense instructors and especially practitioners of Njia Uhuru Kipura must come in and fix this problem. It's ours to fix. We must do and succeed at this work. Now. Today.

 Here in this blog series we will show practical combinations of culture, spiritual practice, self defense skills and application, but first? We must give all these things a direction. A logical progression. A framework. That prioritizes, contextualizes, urgently energizes, rehabilitates and functionalizes all that has gone before, functionalizes and makes instantly effective and hugely impactful every technique and practice we engage in today. This moment. Right Now. And both directs and makes even more effective, more impactful, more functional, rehabilitates ever more, everything that was lost, scattered, diluted, etc in original Kipura of Kongo. 

We need Strategies. Specifically my Tier 1 Strategies for beginners. What are my Tier 1 Strategies? Glad you asked!

The first Strategy we should teach is PREVENTION. We are trying to PREVENT the problem from occurring in the first place. This means teaching all our children, especially our daughters and women [ family members, friends, colleagues, students, etc ] how to better assess a person or persons to determine their worthiness as an intimate partner/partners. This requires street knowledge, good old common sense, practical psychology and practical sociology; the kind of things that experienced people who have lived, made mistakes and learned from them can teach the youth.

The second Strategy requires AVOIDANCE. This is when we've recognized someone is a problem, this person or persons who is/are problems recognizes us and wants to make contact with us, but we avoid any contact. Usually walking away is the most effective way of doing that. We must remember this person/people and take every precaution to not encounter them again. If possible, don't walk down that street, travel that road, etc where we encountered that person or persons again, or if we must? We let our friends know about that person or persons, and we don't ever walk down that road at the same time we last met them [ perhaps they leave that location at a different time, or are no longer at that location on different days? ] and we never ever walk down that road alone or...if the legal option is available...unarmed.

But those of us who are from the streets know that usually trouble cannot be avoided by we poor people or we who used to be poor know that we can't avoid trouble forever. As a Black man, I know that the very color of my skin can and does invite trouble from certain people simply because I exist. No matter how law abiding or troublemaking I am, some people will take it upon themselves to threaten me just because they hate Black people. 

Same thing with women and girls. There are people who target women and girls...especially girls, as they are deemed the least capable of mounting successful defenses...purely because they exist. These horrible predators most especially target Black girls, and most consistently: Black poor girls. Ages 0-13. 

Worst of all, this targeting and exploitation of our girls is usually done by a trusted family member or friend of the family.  I said. Most of these sexual predators are family or friends of the victim. 

Simultaneously with the increased targeting of our girls comes the increased successful and doubly increased ATTEMPTS of femicide...the murder of a woman just because she is a woman. This means that we could be looking at a horrific situation wherein the mother of the girl fell in love with a man who moved her into his home...away from friends and family...wherein he became abusive, once he knew that she could not escape his wrath. The mother endures this abuse daily, which takes a terrible psychological toll on her, forcing her to badly misassess her situation. She is literally a prisoner of domestic war being waged upon her, although she doesn't see it. 

She hopes that acts of intimacy she endures with her partner will excite kindness and love from him, even though somewhere deep within her heart she knows that's probably unlikely. She also knows that the policia civil are unlikely to help her, and she may no longer have the help of her family available...or she's so psychoemotionally damaged and humiliated by her current ordeal that she can't or won't ask.

 And then? Most horrific of all? She gets pregnant. Gets abused more when she's pregnant, and he likely openly cheats on her while she's pregnant. Telling her she's fat and ugly, when she's not at all. She's pregnant and beautiful and bringing a blessing into this world. He then begins to sexually abuse their daughter, and she's  both psychoemotionally distraught and helpless; she can't protect herself or stop him.

What do we do then?

We help her to reconstitute her psych, heal her emotions, and escape. With her daughter[s] or children. Which oftentimes means fighting and calling the policia civil, and always means the victim[s] leaving the situation or forcing the situation to leave the victim[s]. Always one or both of the two.

I have found through experience that spiritual practices can actually reach individuals like this when no other approach can or will, and then set them on the road to self protection and child protection. In fact, the Orisha have already reached women and girls in this position. 

This is yet another area that the wisdom of the old Black people...preto velhos...have drawn from Alkebulan miscalled Africa and which used to be one of many important requirements to be a Mwalimu...teacher...of Kipura that no longer is required, because the oppression leveled against Kipura miscalled Capoeira in Brazil from the time of Dictator Vargas through the 1980's under the military dictatorship stripped many many many important things from the practice and lifestyle of Kipura. 

Happily, we of THE ATACX GYM have retained these practices and built holistically upon them as well as synergized them with the latest in cutting edge science [ I am pursuing two doctorates in these requisite fields so I...Mwalimu Mtaalam Ras Fletcher...am actually a scholar, an authority, an expert in these fields ]   but this vital combination of knowledge of this facet of the Orisha and functional real world self defense skill is not in Cardio Capoeira aka capoeira for exercise  because they have lost the authentic art in their pursuit of cardiovascular exercise. 

And of course, absolutely and most definitely none of the above exists in Brazilian jiujitsu. 

There are more Strategies, history,  techniques,  revelations etc that I will share with you in future blogs on this and other topics.  Stay tuned!

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