Synopsis
Capoeira, a fascinating hybrid of martial art, game, and dance, has long captivated practitioners in all those areas of interest worldwide. Originating in Brazil, the form has been traced back to the 16th century, created and developed by slaves brought from Africa. Written by a legendary master, Unknown Capoeira examines the form as the complete martial art, including its history, music, dance, and folklore. The game, or jogo, at capoeira’s center is presented in close detail, including demonstrations of the graceful moves and gravity-defying acrobatics that make up this rhythmical dance-fight in the roda, a circle made of capoeiristas within which capoeira is performed.
Designed as a comprehensive resource of linked information and techniques, so that the capoeirista or the researcher can benefit most from reading the whole book, Unknown Capoeira features special sections that outline the objective of each technique, how to practice each technique alone, the main points of impact, and the defense and counterattack strategies. The book is intended for capoeiristas of all skill levels.
About Mestre Ricardo Cachorro
Mestre Ricardo Cachorro holds a red-cord graduation from Grupo Bantus de Capoeira at Morro do Pavão e Pavãozinho—poverty-stricken slums in the middle of rich suburbs of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. He was the first Master of the YMCA Capoeira Group in Governor's Island in 1975. The following year, he became a certified Mestre from the first federation of capoeira of Rio de Janeiro and in the same year he introduced capoeira in a live TV show filmed in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, sponsored by the local YMCA. In the early 1970s the author joined the Olympic gymnastics team of Rio de Janeiro's Fluminense Football Club, where he specialized in floor exercises with special focus on acrobatic body mechanics.
Praise
"We had a lot of fun in Rio de Janeiro in the mid-1970s while we developed our capoeira. Ricardo became the first mestre of the YMCA of Governors’ Island and, in 1976, introduced capoeira to North Carolina, United States."
—Mestre Paulo Siqueira, Nzinga School of Capoeira, Germany
"Mestre Ricardo has a talent for sharing his technical knowledge of capoeira in ways that result in happy and interested students."
—Professor Geraldo C. Barbosa, cofounder of the YMCA of Governors’ Island