Capoeira Mandinga Shanghai

Opa camaras!

Our friend Contra Mestre Espeto from Osaka will come to Shanghai on the 27th, 28th and 29th of March: it’s just three week from now!

It will be a full capoeira weekend with workshops on Friday evening, Saturday afternoon and Sunday afternoon. Further details will be communicated soon.

Price for the workshop will be 300rmb.

Capoeira Workshop Program^updated!

Please try to pay and confirm your participation as soon as possible.

Will be massive!

It could be that some capoeiristas from Beijing will come for this event: I’ll let you know how many, they’ll need a place where to stay.

Axé!

About contra mestre Espeto

CM Espeto has been training in the art of Capoeira since 1994. He first started Capoeira in anouther Capoeira group. Read the rest of this entry »

If you want to get a simple, stylish and cheap bag for your berimbau (Diego, Macaquinho and I already have one), with a special section for the cabaça, you can have it made to order in a Chinese market’s stall (baazaar) located in Lanxi lu (near Caoyang lu). It’s just 25 yuan !

Address: CaoYang TieLu NongMao ShiChang, Lanxi lu 55 (near Caoyang lu). Caoyang Lu metro station.
曹杨铁路农贸市场, 兰溪路55号 (近曹杨路), 曹杨路地铁张.

Map: GoogleMaps, or eDuShi (3d map)

You can go there by metro, line 3, CaoYang lu station, exit no.3.

Even if you can speak neither Mandarin nor Shanghainese, I have put a picture of the bag on the shop’s wall, so you can just point at it and A-yi will make it for you.

You can also call A-yi (6210696) or her son (15921716705) on the phone to order in Mandarin or Shanghainese.

Thanks Requebra for the help

Oi Camaras,

Starting from next week the schedule of the classes will change!
There will be an intermediate class on Wednesday starting at 20:15 in the other room of the same gym; Thursday will become beginner class.

New schedule:
Monday: 20:00-21:30 Intermediate class
Tuesday: 20:00-21:30 Beginner class
Wednesday: 20:15:21:45 Intermediate class
Thursday: 20:00-21:30 Beginner class
Saturday: 17:00-19:15 Open class

Only Wednesday class will be held in the other room with the wooden floor.

Again, everyone is invited to come to all the classes but beginners should give the priority to beginner classes; the ones with more than one year of capoeira should give the priority to intermediate classes.

Hope it’s clear.

• More information about classes (schedule, venue, cord system, etc.)

Axé

I heard so many times “I am not flexible” or “You know, I am not exactly the kind of big muscles guy”… And so what, it’s not a problem!

Capoeira is a Brazilian martial art: it is about dancing, is about music and finally it is about communicating.  There is no need to be sporty, flexible or whatever. Anyone can try, the only thing you need to do Capoeira is the urge and the desire to play! Let’s have a short comparison: When you start to learn piano no one is going to ask you to play the 9th of Beethoven. In Capoeira this is the same, we won’t ask you to do these crazy moves you can find on youtube. We start with basics like Ginga and by and by you will learn new moves. There is no competition between players, everyone learn at his own rhythm. Some are good at moves, some are good with music, some are good everywhere and some are bad. But no one will blame you for that. The only fact that you want to improve means something. And if you keep practicing, sooner or later, you will be good. Training is the only salvation for everybody.

When you look at the Roda, you can see 2 Capoeiristas playing. If you pay attention at their faces, at their attitudes you can clearly understand that these 2 people are enjoying. Even if there is no reward at the end, there is no competition spirit like you can find in other sports. But I tell you, these guys are not mad, they are just happy to share a good moment with a friend. When I started Capoeira few months ago, I was afraid to go in the Roda, I was enjoying Capoeira just by watching others playing. I was not sure from where this happiness, this good mood, was coming from. Then I entered the Roda, and started to understand a little bit. I am still a beginner but now I can put words on it. I think we can compare the Roda with a mirror. The Energy is coming out of the 2 Capoeiristas, they are pulling out this energy from their mind, from their moves, from the music and from the songs spreading this energy everywhere around them… With the clapping, with the voices, with the music, the Roda reflects all the energy to the Capoeiristas and when they are good, when the Roda is good, you can feel it floating in the air.

If you look at the people playing Capoeira in our gym there is women, men, young and older, sporty and not, flexible and stiff. At the end all these people come for the same reason: sharing a good time. I’ve practice a lot of different sports and I think this is the first time I find something where I can blossom so much. The spirit of Capoeira is magic. That’s why I am always asking people to come in the gym and have a try. I hope that every people I know can come training with  us one day or an other.

So what are you waiting for…

Enter your vote today! A new poll has been created for the capoeirashanghai@yahoo!group:

Starting from April we will add a class on Wednesday and there will be a new schedule with two beginner classes each week. If you will be in Shanghai at least until July, please select one or more answers in order to let me have a vision of who can train when.

To vote, please visit the following web page:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/capoeirashanghai/surveys?id=12879379

Obrigado!

Dear camarás and visitors, you might have noticed that Capoeira Mandinga Shanghai has an intense online activity. Here is a directory to staying in touch with all our massive capoeira activities.

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Unfortunately we have to announce the cancellation of the Brazil trip we were planning to have for July of this year. Due to this international crisis we are starting to notice a very low number of enrolment of people in all kinds of capoeira event. The capoeirando in Ilheus which normaly holds around 500 people this year had only 60! Considering that many of the participants of our event would be coming from USA, Europe and Asia (which are the most financially affected areas) and based on the response we have had up until now we think that canceling it is the best to to at the moment.

I apologise for the people that were already commited and want to tell you that if you are still planning to go ahead with your trip plans I will help you to connect with other events that will be happening in Brazil around that time.

On the other hand I am seriousely studing the possibility doing a small encounter at the California Brazil Camp in Cazadero this year and am already announcing an event that will take place in Ubatuba Brazil next year the weekend after carnival of 2010. That will be a music, dance and capoeira master camp. More info. Will be posted here in time.

Thank you for your interest and support.

Mestre Marcelo

Did you hear something about “berimbau blues”? No?! Just watch.

And what about electric berimbau…

or more cyber-punk things?

via capoeira forums

Capoeira Mandinga Shanghai 1st Batizado – September 2008

Watch more batizado videos!

Pulling out the arame

Photo by Nicolas “Virtual” Usé