Capoeira
To Hit the Fools
Home

TO HIT THE FOOLS

 

A.A. Decānio Filho

Translation by Shayna McHugh

 

Bimba, when speaking about the efficiency of regional, always emphasized the surprise element as a decisive factor, evidenced in his expression:

 

“Regional does not serve to fight with one’s companions…

It is to hit the fools!”

 

BECAUSE…

All capoeiristas know their resources and limitations so well regarding dodging and defense,

While those who do not know its practice (the laymen or fools) can be surprised by their movements!

 

The first part of the sentence accentuates the importance of the companionship that must exist among capoeira’s students, more evident in other common recommendations of my time:

 

“The regional martial art does not serve for fighting with other regional players, it is good against the fools… with colleagues we play regional…”

“We must not fight under the berimbau, we must play!”

 

Obviously Mestre Bimba did not encourage “fights” among his students, even for the sake of not distancing the most timid students from the academy and thus losing the monthly income… The “esquenta-banho” (warming for the shower) served for the training of self-defense, of movements prohibited under the rhythm of the berimbau, for the training of new maneuvers, the draining of aggressiveness or personal differences, soon cooled by the cold shower under the jet of water from the pipe in the bathroom…

 

The Mestre would never accept the disunity and the confrontation of brothers who should form a single family, that of the sons of Bimba!