**Title: Challenging the Status Quo: Fist Fighting Skills in Cardio Capoeira (Word Count: 397 | Estimated Reading Time: 2-3 Minutes)**

 

**Title: Challenging the Status Quo: Fist Fighting Skills in Cardio Capoeira (Word Count: 397 | Estimated Reading Time: 2-3 Minutes)**

This blog post addresses a common type of fist fight that occurs at any time in multiple places worldwide within human civilization. Specifically, it questions the absence of fist fighting skills in Cardio Capoeira, leaving practitioners wholly vulnerable to the common two-fisted attack employed by aggressors ranging from the youngest of children to the most hardened of criminals. How would Cardio Capoeira practitioners deal with such real-world fist fights? This question forms the crux of our discussion.

**The Legacy of Kipura**

Throughout history, Kipura warriors have embodied the spirit of jagunjagun, skilled combatants revered for their prowess in warfare. The term "jagunço" in Brazilian Portuguese is believed to have originated from "jagunjagun," drawing parallels between the martial traditions of the Yoruba people and the legendary fighters of Brazil's rural regions.

Kipura warriors, with their mastery of fist fighting skills, upheld the legacy of jagunjagun, embodying bravery, discipline, and resilience in the face of adversity. Their influence extended beyond physical combat, shaping cultural practices and inspiring future generations of fighters.

**A Call to Action**

Despite the legendary legacy of Kipura warriors, the practice of traditional fist fighting skills has waned over time. In modern Cardio Capoeira, the emphasis on fist fighting techniques is effectively nonexistent, leaving practitioners wholly vulnerable to the common two-fisted attack employed by aggressors ranging from the youngest of children to the most hardened of criminals.

I invite practitioners of Cardio Capoeira to reflect on the origins of their practice and consider the preservation of traditional fist fighting skills. If you are a Cardio Capoeira practitioner, I encourage you to explore and integrate authentic fist fighting techniques from the same original Kipura from Kongo that gave you all of Brazil's fighting legends from before Ngola Janga who was either the first great leader and/or founder of the kilombo miscalled Palmares to Besouro and beyond. 

What is Kipura? Raphael Bluteau, a Catholic priest, is historically noted for mispronouncing "Kipura" as "Capoeira" and preserving the name "Capoeira" in his dictionary,  thus giving you and the rest of the world the misnomer "Capoeira". This misnomer significantly impacted the perception and terminology of the Alkebulan [ one of the original names for the continent miscalled "Afrika" and "Maure" by the Romans ] now miscalled Afro-Brazilian martial art. Kipura, an ancient and profound self defense Montu practice originating from the Kongo, embodies both combat and spiritual elements deeply rooted in Alkebulan miscalled  African traditions. Bluteau’s mispronunciation, however, introduced a term that, while now widely recognized, distorts the original essence and cultural significance of Kipura. This linguistic shift exemplifies the broader pattern of cultural misinterpretation and appropriation that often accompanies the spread of indigenous practices beyond their native contexts. 

Kipura warriors were as feared for their concussive, bone breaking, life taking open hand strikes, fists, knees, elbows, headbutts, weapon skills, and grappling as they were for their extremely high-velocity and often fatal kicks. Their techniques frequently penetrated the defenses of their foes in hand-to-hand combat, breeding extreme fear and reluctance among slavers to engage these warriors without overwhelming advantages. It became policy not to engage Kipura warriors without a minimum 5:1 numerical and weapons advantage.

Kipura warriors were admired for their musical, dancing, singing, artistic, building, planting, animal husbandry, healing, athletic, and poetic skills. However, they were most feared for the acuity and agility of their minds, surpassing that of their bodies, their unbreakable will, and their extraordinary spiritual devotion. This devotion was seen as both blasphemy and an unending threat to Catholicism.

Showcasing our history and these skills not only honors the legacy of Kipura warriors but also enriches the cultural heritage we are sworn to protect,  nurture and transmit.

If you are a Cardio Capoeira practitioner, I challenge you to demonstrate your fist fighting skills derived solely from Cardio Capoeira. Show us how these techniques are integrated into the older practices and curriculum of Cardio Capoeira in Brazil. Let us engage in a dialogue that honors tradition while embracing innovation.

**Recommended Reading:**

1. *Black Fist: The History of African-American Boxing* by Jeffrey T. Sammons (Published in 2004, 400 pages)

2. *Black Power: The Politics of Liberation* by Kwame Ture and Charles V. Hamilton (Published in 1967, 320 pages)

3. *The Hidden History of Capoeira: A Collision of Cultures in the Brazilian Battle Dance* by Maya Talmon-Chvaicer (Published in 2008, 288 pages)

These books offer valuable insights into the history and cultural significance of boxing, kickboxing, and Kipura, all written by Black authors with notable academic achievements in their respective fields.