**English Text:** **Title:** "Empowering Cardio Capoeira: Responding to Crisis Scenarios with Skill and Strategy"

 

**Title:**

"Empowering Cardio Capoeira: Responding to Crisis Scenarios with Skill and Strategy"

**English Text:**

Dear Cardio Capoeira Practitioners,

Imagine you're driving in congested traffic. The traffic has come to nearly a standstill. Suddenly, a driver honks repeatedly, loudly, and very aggressively. He then maneuvers dangerously behind you in the static traffic. He's honking his horn loudly and rolls down his window, shouting profanities at you, demanding you drive faster. But you can't drive faster because the traffic is at a dead standstill in front of you. The aggressive driver gets out of his car, wielding a knife. As you roll up your window, he starts puncturing your tires with his knife. You can't afford to pay for new tires. He's also trying to damage your car's tail lights, which could cost you a thousand dollars in mechanic fees and traffic tickets combined. Then he starts banging on your rear passenger door and window, utterly terrifying your daughter and her friend (you're dropping them off at school) in the back seat. What do you do?

Now, consider walking with your family when a gunman appears, demanding your belongings. How would you handle this street robbery?

Picture yourself in a store, patiently waiting your turn at the cashier, when an irate customer pushes ahead, threatening violence. The irate customer uses his shopping cart to bang aside your shopping cart and rudely cuts in front of you in line. Your daughter jumps in fear and clings to your leg. The man tells your daughter to shut up and stop crying, or he'll give her a good reason to start crying. Then he aggressively tells the cashier to ring up his purchase so he can go. How could you de-escalate or protect yourself and others?

Lastly, envision returning to your car in a dimly lit parking lot. Three tough individuals block your way, demanding money to move. Three young guys who think they're tough are sitting on your car. They won't get off your car and won't let you get into your car unless you pay them 20 dollars each. What would you do?

In each hypothetical scenario, the behavior of the aggressors varies, but the potential for danger is real. Reflect on your training in Cardio Capoeira. How would your skills in agility, awareness, and strategic thinking aid you in diffusing or escaping such confrontations?

I am Mwalimu Mtaalam Ras Fletcher, Founder and Creator of both The ATACX GYM and Njia Uhuru Kipura [translated from the language of Swahili, Njia Uhuru Kipura means "Kipura's Way of Freedom"]. My students and I practice against these specific scenarios at least twice per week, as part of our general comprehensive self-defense training against threats presenting themselves in a plethora of scenarios on a daily basis. In my 49 years of watching Cardio Capoeiristas practice, I have never once seen them train to prepare themselves to deal with these scenarios above, which are very common in Brasil and all over the world.

We encourage you to share your thoughts and strategies in the comments below. Please follow all my social media provided in the links below. Stay vigilant, stay safe, and keep practicing. 

**WEBSITE/SITE:** https://sites.google.com/view/atacxgymcapoeira/home  

**YOUTUBE:** https://youtube.com/c/ATACXGYMCAPOEIRA  

**INSTAGRAM:** instagram.com/atacxgymcapoeira/  

**TWITTER:** https://twitter.com/atacxgym  

**BLOG:** atacxgymcapoeira.blogspot.com  

**FACEBOOK GROUP PAGE:** https://www.facebook.com/groups/capoeiraselfdefensethatworks/  

**FACEBOOK PERSONAL ATACX GYM PAGE:** https://www.facebook.com/AtacxGymStreetWarriorCapoeira  

**Word Count:** 471 words  

**Estimated Reading Time:** Approximately 3-4 minutes

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