HOLDS

A.A. Decânio Filho

Translation by Shayna McHugh

Vanessa,

Your email

< Great job on this text about holds!!! I will take it to the academy and put it on the wall.

I believe that people who are said to be capoeiristas and who use holds, in reality do not know Capoeira and its techniques and because of this fault, they use other resources. Many “mestres” say that they are making an innovation in Capoeira by inserting blows (immobilizations) of jiu-jitsu and even have the nerve to mention the name of Mestre Bimba, saying that he also introduced blows from other martial arts.

In my opinion, Mestre Bimba did not allow the principle characteristics of capoeira to be lost, these being agility, skill/dexterity, malícia… and none of these “mestres” who are call themselves important even arrive at the feet of the figure that was Mestre Bimba, because of his charisma, personality and intelligence that gave an impulse to Capoeira.

I believe that we must maintain tradition, and creativity can be used in the roda by means of the very freedom of expression that Capoeira allows, but not to discharacterize this ART.

Axé, camará!

Vanessa, Capoeira RAÇA (Itabuna/BA) >

made me return 60 years and remember the words of Bimba regarding holds:

The true capoeirista does not let himself be grasped…

He goes below… he dodges… he flees… he escapes…

Because

When free… the capoeirista leaps, descends, retreats in au…

When held he is immobile… vulnerable… without defense…

Free, the capoeirista leaps… descends and crawls… leaves in au…

Imprisoned, immobile, seized, he can be stabbed…

Strangled… kicked… stoned… shot… raped… violated…

In summary

FOOLISH IS HE WHO LETS HIMSELF BE SEIZED…

AND…

MORE FOOLISH STILL IS HE WHO SEIZES!