Capoeira is a Brazilian martial art discipline. It is also a popular dance form. It was developed by Brazilian slaves of African origin. It is a good combination of music, dance, and acrobatic skills. A capoeira session has exciting movements like head butts, sweeps and fast kicks.

Capoeira is a name derived from Portuguese. There is a dispute among the historians regarding the origins of this martial art. Some say that it was prevalent in Africa and the slaves brought it to Brazil. Others opine that Capoeira was indigenously developed in Brazil by the African slaves. Historical evidences are not available to support any of these theories. Actually, the African slaves developed this martial art from various traditional dance forms. The slave masters had banned the practice of any form of martial art among the slaves so that they were not able to revolt. So, the slaves decided to train their body and mind in the guise of dancing. Gradually, this form of recreational dance developed into a full fledged martial art.

Traditional music is an integral part of Capoeira. The practitioners get accustomed to the traditional beating of drums. Both slow and fast tempos are used in this martial art form. Songs are sung during Capoeira sessions which inspire the exponents. Generally, these songs are about history of the sport and its heroes. Music is a driving force for the practitioners of Capoeira.

The essence of Capoeira is not about injuring the opponents. It is more about evading blows with fluid body movements. Swings and high kicks are effectively used for this purpose. The other body parts in this action include the torso, the arms etc. Feet are frequently used for attacks in Capoiera. The use of punches is very rare in this martial art form. The basic purpose of Capoeira is self defense. So, the practitioners are given extensive training in taking evasive actions. Capoeira sessions have a good mix of attacking moves and defensive moves. This unique form of martial art also has trickery moves to fool and surprise the opponents.

The most ancient form of Capoeira was called Angola. Capoeira Regional is a recent form. Capoeira Contemporanea is for the exponents who practice both Regional and Angola forms. Capoeira is gaining popularity in countries like USA because of its recreational values. It is also a wonderful way to keep ultimate fitness. Modern Capoeira has gone multi-cultural. It is still able to retain the typical Brazilian flavor.