Like many martial arts, capoeira came into existence because of the limitations placed on the poorer members of society – in Brazil’s case, slaves who were forbidden from carrying weapons or practicing formal fighting techniques.
Couched in the movements of dance, the kicks, spins, cartwheels, and blocks of modern capoeira are generally backed by the beat of the single-stringed berimbau. The relaxed coastal city of Salvador is regarded as the activity’s heartland, and as well as the displays on the city’s streets, visitors are welcome at the various schools around town, either to watch or learn.
Capoeira is a Brazilian martial art that combines elements of dance, acrobatics, and music. It was created by enslaved Africans in Brazil and developed by their descendants. at the beginning of the 16th century. It is known for its acrobatic and complex maneuvers, often involving hands on the ground and inverted kicks. It emphasizes flowing movements rather than fixed stances; the ginga, a rocking step, is usually the focal point of the technique.
The most widely accepted origin of the word capoeira comes from the Tupi words ka’a, referring to the areas of low vegetation in the Brazilian interior where fugitive slaves would hide. A practitioner of the art is called a capoeirista
The dance and music was incorporated in the system to disguise the fact that they were practicing fighting techniques. After the abolition of slavery in Brazil, capoeira was declared illegal at the end of the 19th century. However, by the 1920s, authorities began to relax enforcement on its prohibition, and martial artists began to incorporate capoeira technique into their practices.
By the 1970s, capoeira masters started traveling around the world, helping the art become internationally recognized and practiced. On 26 November 2014, capoeira was granted a special protected status as intangible cultural heritage by UNESCO. Wikipedia