Work Hard, Play Capoeira

	Photo: Abada Capoeira

Through the most stressful points of the last few years, when I felt like my cranium couldn't take the pressure or the "to do" lists from hell, lying on a mat and doing breathing exercises just didn't cut it.

I wanted something beyond the traditional feel-good remedies, and I found the perfect solution by chance when I stumbled upon Brazil's martial art, capoeira.

In a wood-floored studio with a handful of other students, I quickly learned that being a capoeirista (one who practices capoeira) means more than being able to walk on your hands or do a spin kick -- though you certainly do learn that.

Deceptive Dance

Capoeira's origin spawns a debate among some, but the most common explanation is that it was derived from African slaves who were brought to Brazil circa 1500. Since slave masters forbade any form of martial art, slaves would practice fighting techniques through what looked like an innocent dance.

After its inception, capoeira spread through the streets of Brazil until it was eradicated in the early 1930s through persecution by government authorities.

When the ban was lifted, however, Mestre Bimba created the first capoeira school in 1932 in Salvador, a city in northeastern Brazil. ...