Jogo de Dentro and got chowed.

Yoh playing close has many advantages, as most Capoeiristas would know. But nothing could prepare me for what happened one lovely roda after training. All I remember was and au se mao into the roda [might I add it was pretty high :) ] and the quickest meia lua de compasso flashed across my face. Next was another one and and well after that i remember waking up outside with an ice pack over my head.

What can I say it happens to the best of us, but I would like to analyze the situation a bit more. Apparently I esquived(sp and grammer) pretty well, but on the 2nd kick it clipped the top of my head with the opponents calf. A simple tilt of the head would have saved me an agonizing head ache and nausea afterward. However further more if I did play close I probably would not have a jaw to speak of right now (ie if I got hit with the heal from a bad esquiva)

Emphasis on close play is not just for shows sake. It teaches you to control your game in confined spaces and honestly reduces your risk of nasty injuries. As far as i am concerned, bad technique results in bad habits and lead you to bad situations. This is why we train, not to become robots of the same style, rather we are searching for our own unique style, one that adapts accordingly to various circumstances that we face in the roda and life.

So the simplest way to avoid injuries, train to teach your body new habits, train to get out of bad ones, and if you are starting of, train to avoid them.

Nuff said y'all

Folha Seca!

My hommie Samurai has just posted up a little tribute to the peeps who assisted to start up Capoeira Folha Seca, proudly our school in Zimbabwe that is going strong. I could not but help remember the times we spent training together and the little that we knew we all taught to each other. Capoeira in that sense is truly unique because we all family. As cliche as that sounds, all capoeristas know they have a home where ever there is a Capoeirista. This fact is testament to that fact, we are bound by a strong cord that can't be broken. (hopefully that is)

In acknowledgment to Samurais post (link is to the right of this page) I miss our group and one day we shall all link up somewhere on this earth, (pray it be Brazil) where we shall relive those moments.