BISAO

I've been involved in martial arts for most of my life. I love the history, philosophy, technique and spirituality. I do not feel that you can separate these things. What initially got me hooked was when I saw a clip of the film "Enter the Dragon." Around the same time, there was this tv series called "Kung Fu" starring David Carradine which tells the story of a Shaolin monk called Kwai Chang Caine who flees China to live in the Wild West. My favourite parts were always the Shaolin temple scenes and all the philosophy that went along with it. Interestingly though, in one of the "Kung Fu" episodes, a stagecoach pulled into town and out jumped this well dressed black guy who subsequently became a target for the local trouble makers. The black guy defeated his attackers in seconds. Kwai Chang Caine had been observing this from a distance and asked him about his style. the man told him that he'd learnt it as a slave in Brazil.........Capoeira! I've never forgotten that.

I feel that I've been fortunate in having the traditional and spiritual kung fu training from a great Chinese master but at times I felt restricted but I just accepted it. When we were giving demonstrations we were never allowed to fully express ourselves and "let go" plus our egos were always kept in check. Eastern martial arts like to shroud themselves in secrecy and mysticism plus knowledge is passed on slowly but I just accepted it. I'd also heard stories about this fascinating martial art from Brazil but it wasn't really being taught here at that time. Years later when my teacher emigrated to Australia, I continued my training and looked at different martial arts. I was very disappointed and disillusioned about the lack of knowledge that many instructors had together with the depth of their training. Nowadays, times have changed and many people just want a "quick fix" and there are many martial arts based classes that cater for that need.

What got me into Capoeira? In April 2007 I saw this guy practising capoeira at work. I was so impressed that I arranged for an instructor to come in and teach some masterclasses. I notice that a lot of dancers use capoeira as a tool to improve their technique. I' m no different because I intially took it up to improve my movement because it is very different from what I'm used to.

With Capoeira I feel a connection that I've never felt before. I no longer feel the restrictions that I often felt in kung fu training and it really sets me free spiritually and emotionally. I primarily listen to R&B music but the Capoeira songs are always in my head and they really touch my soul and lift me. I sometimes imagine what it is like to be a slave in a Roda two hundred years ago..........Yep it's that deep!

To me Capoeira is more than just a martial art because it goes beyond physicality and technique. Yes, there are things that I will never be able to do but life's too short to worry about that. Capoeira embodies music, dance, self expression, freedom, unity, history, philosophy and spirituality - all the things that I look for. I feel that after all these years that I've most come full circle.