1. 1.Capoeira looks difficult, should I get my fitness up before starting?
   

Answer: NO. It’s true Capoeira is difficult and demanding, but Capoeira is also progressive. You will build on your strength and balance week after week by participating in lessons. You will learn context - specific conditioning exercises. The gym may make you strong, but without the context you will still have to learn capoeira right from the beginning

2. 2.Is this thing a dance, is this thing a fight, is this thing something in between?
   

Answer: The word capoeira is hard to define because it has a long history and a wide culture associated to it. Because of this range, it really does include everything and depending on the practicing group, you will encounter different focusses. Capoeira does resemble a dance because every movement has a counter, or an “answer”. So when it is performed well it looks choreographed because it is almost as if each player knows what the other person is about to do. It is NOT choreographed, you just learn to pick up on subtle cues over time. The movements themselves are based on attacks, taking opponents to the floor, tricks and feints. So in that sense it is not really a dance. Think about how Tai-Chi is based on people attacking you from all angles, but you do not actually hit anyone during your practice! Capoeira is a full contact fight if you want it to be, it is elaborate and beautiful if you want it to be, YOUR capoeira is anything and everything that you decide. And then there’s the Maculele, African dancing, and Samba de Roda that we also learn and pay homage to during events and special occasions. And that really is dancing!

3. 3.Is it for me?
   

Answer: If you can say yes to just one of the following (our members are diverse enough that different people do it for different reasons, which is kinda’ the point, so you don’t have to be involved in all aspects):

Do you want to learn to fight and improve your reaction times?

Do you want to learn to dance and/or like music?

Do you want learn cool moves and escapes within a performance context, with elements of acrobatics, gymnastics, and tricking?

Do you want to get fit and/or loose some weight?

Do you want to improve your flexibility, balance, and coordination- possibly to help you in other areas of your life.

Do you want to be part of a society that actively holds night club events, promotions, workshops, demos and performances?

Do you think you could benefit from being upside down more often? (I hear it’s very healthy, ahem ..)

Would you like to learn about your limitations (body and mind) and then push those boundaries until you are a changed person?

Do you want to meet some very cool people this year?

4. 4.What style of capoeira will I be learning with the Warwick Capoeira Society?
   

Answer: You will be learning CDO style which incorporates the fast, acrobatic style that you may associate to Mestre Bimba and Regional, AND incorporates the closer, catch and trick style that you may associate with Angola. And then there’s Mestre Suassuna’s own interpretation of capoeira to throw into the mix as well. It’s called Miudinho and from my biased point of view, it’s the most beautiful thing I have ever seen!

5. 5.What shall I wear to class?
   

Answer: Trousers with give. You know the type, cotton, polyester, anything that lets you move. Shoes are optional but you’ll want some tight fitting ones (google “feyue”) or they will feel restrictive. Please don’t wear shorts unless they are those tight ones that don’t let people see up them. It’s not so nice on your fellow capoeiristas. Wear a T-shirt. No long sleeves and especially no jumpers. You will sweat.

6. 6.Man, Woman, and Child?
   

Answer: With it being a Uni group I don’t expect to see anyone much under the age of 18 years. But officially yes: man, woman, and child. It’s not like salsa, where every woman needs a man to dance with, but a 50:50 split is quite common depending on the group.

7. 7.Where and When?
   

Answer: The home page of this website is a place you can always go to for updates and the current timetable. I suggest that you bookmark it! But more importantly than that, when you decide you want to be part of our fab-tastic team, email into the soc, and request to be added to the emailing list. Then you’ll always know what is going on and when.

8. 8.Nuts, I’ve missed the first lesson. Guess I’ll see you next year?
   

Answer: Don’t you dare! There is no schedule or syllabus or deadline when it comes to your personal training. We can start you up and wind you down anytime, beginning of term, end of term, middle of term. We even train during the holidays. After four years in the making we are a buzzing community of capoeiristas and we don’t stop for anything. Just email in and ask who is around and where they are meeting up (if classes are on hold for whatever reason).

9. 9.I’m not learning fast enough, I want MORE!
   

Answer: We are are part of CDOB. That means that if we didn’t exist, CDOB most definitely still would! They are huge now! So get onto to their website and find out when you can train in the local area with Instructor Mascote. Most classes are in Birmingham which is easy to get to from Leamington, Warwick, Coventry, Canley, and Tile Hill.