High kicks for Fourways capoeiristas

Fourways capoeiristas, young and old, gathered at their studio to practise their beloved Brazilian martial art. Instructor of Capoeira Valente, Mark de Gouveia demonstrated different capoeira moves to the class. He provided words of encouragement to everyone participating in the training. Many students were called by a Portuguese nickname of their choosing. De Gouveia started the academy in 2014 in hopes of encouraging young and old to become a capoeirista and is currently one of the few capoeira centres in the country. He described the aspect of community as something that is fundamental to him and the academy. “I host a yearly event called Ubuntu Capoeira Festival in which people from Cape Town, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Botswana, Durban and Namibia [attend]. An event like this happens to get different groups and schools together to create a community. It’s just disappointing that we couldn’t host it this year,” he said. However, De Gouveia, who has been involved in capoeira for almost 16 years, still feels the South African capoeira community is still slightly detached since there are not many places in which capoeira is offered, making travelling difficult. Justin Weldon, who has been doing capoeira for four years is involved with the management of the academy alongside De Gouveia. He said that the Capoeira Valente community aims to have a more holistic and inclusive approach than in the sport’s origins of Brazil. “The sport is about throwing a move, the person seeing and moving out of the way while trying to do another move. It is the reason why many people could see capoeira as a dance. Everything is improvised, and that’s the beauty of it,” Weldon said. Matthew Inward, a resident in the Fourways area, who joined Capoeira Valente in February, plans to get his first belt at the end of the year. He described his experience of being in the sport as a sport which has a lot of movement that is crucial in his life. “I am a very down to earth person and really in tune with the earth and looking at the four elements, namely earth, wind, water and fire. For me, capoeira encompasses all of those,” Inward said. “A lot of other martial arts don’t flow like capoeira and are very stagnant and stiff. I think it’s a free-flowing environment with the music and community. I have also always been interested in Brazilian culture.” Weldon said the game of capoeira teaches one about community, alongside the skill, fitness and dexterity even though ‘there are moves we train that are meant to inflict pain, but we don’t focus on them’.