Just wondering

[Giratorio]

I've read a lot of capoeira forums, blogs, random thoughts, etc. And so often they go on about "capoeira is great, it's my life, blah blah blee blee."

I know capoeira is good, and there are many perks to learning it. But my question for those actually reading this and for the even less who shall reply is; what do you want out of capoeira? What do you hope to gain?

This is something my professor always asks me, and i ask myself on a regular basis. Roughly, for me, I want to be a part of carrying on the traditions of my mestre, my mestre's mestre, and so on; and through these traditions and ways of viewing the game also learning to understand the world around me, the cosmos, and further. To be a gerneral and the master of where i stand. there are many things that i hope someday to gain from capoeira, and much of it i can't understand now. But it's my direction and path I'm choosing to take.

I want to be a capoeirista, an angolerio, manganga.

So, where is your path leading you?

[CapoEspaco]

This is a very very good Forum Post! Thank you for posting and for asking such an important question.

Being that I am still fairly new to Capoeira Angola, and to the FICA Style and Philosophy of Capoeira Angola, I have to be honest and say that my only current desire is to understand what the FICA Capoeira Angola is. . . sound weird? Well i'll explain, what i'm finding is that defining capoeira angola or capoeira in general is like trying to define love, its possible but your conclusion will not satisfy the masses. You said you want to be a capoeirista, an angolerio, manganga. For many different Capoeira Groups in the world that statement alone means something totally different. I love what capoeira has given me so far, I don't know if I will always love what it has to offer but I know that I will do my best to stick around through the good and bad times to find out what capoeira truly has in stored for me. . .

[Angolinha]

I kept thinking about these two questions which until answered would not let me sleep.

From capoeira I want songs to sing. I want to be a woman who speaks softly and carries a big stick. And superpowers. Small ones.

I hope to gain an opportunity to become a more generous soul. Although my first teacher said capoeira is not about money I do hope to gain a richer life physically, mentally, spiritually and socially because of capoeira. I hope to gain continued opportunities to share stories after playing in the roda. I hope to gain respect from capoeiristas and angoleiros worldwide by showing my respect first. I hope to gain a bit of knowledge of the traditions as well as the wisdom, craftiness, music and joy of the jogo. I hope to gain a greater and more sophisticated appreciation of the art. And I'm still working on that six pack.

[Detetive]

great topic Giratorio!

for me, apart from carrying on this wonderful art, spreading it where it hasn't come yet, keep my body and mind in shape with something that unifies everything parents should offer their kids a possibility to do and learn, what I want out of capoeira is actually capoeira itself - it's a way of living, a way to express myself, a way of moving, a way of thinking. What I want is more of that, like a child who grows up, I want to internalize capoeira, it's a world on its own to discover and a way to discover the world. It's a way to show respect and receive it, to share happiness and ambition. It's AXÉ. I know I will probably never be able to do a doble parafuso or mortal, maybe someday I won't be able to even do an armada, but I will still be capoeira - in the head, in the blood. Capoeira actually helped me get over a lot of things more easily, with a twinkling eye and a smile on my face - and capoeira has become a world wide family to me. And that's what I want it to continue to, give me strength, fulfillment, health and happiness. More to discover, more to learn everyday. The goal is to keep me moving on... balança pra lá e pra cá - capoeira parado não dá!

[Travado]

i want several things:

enhance my understanding of West African culture.

continue my studies of Martial culture.

become a better capoeirista.

document the evolution of capoeira throughout the United States.

pass this tradition on to my children and other young people in my community.

[El Abuelo]

¿Gain? Since i started practicing capoeira i have found IN capoeira; new friends (some of my BEST friends), my wife (evendo she no longer practices capoeira), a new place to express myself as a visual artist (my main mean of survival in the real "money" world), i have traveles to at least 20 different cities in three different countries meeting and practicing the art with new and interesting people.
I have gotten interest in themes like african and afro-american folcklore, religion an social issues, i have worried about learning more about the history of the decendants of slaves in my own country, making amazing discoveries.
I have felt fear, being humilliated in the roda by bullies, i have seen the nice and the ugly face of "malandragem" & "mandinga", i have feared for firends during difficult, risky sometimes even violent jogos, i have learned to respect my limits. Standed the pain of injuries, and the worries of seing a person i care about hurt.
I have felt the pleasure of coming out of the roda and seeing in everybodies face that i did acomplished something at least in that jogo that just finished. I have protected my self and my group.
Capoeira right now is for me a way of life, a world to discover, a risk to take... and i hope that it never ends being that way for me. That´s what i hope to keep gainning as long as this nice mulato lady hugs me in her arms.
Axé

[Tigresa]

What I hope to gain from capoeira are the secrets of the universe, the secrets being so blatantly paraded before my (still to be opened) eyes in every moment and in everything around me. If I can discover myself in relation to the world, using capoeira as a means, then one day as is the natural course of things I hope to pass on this knowledge to those I touch and nudge and connect with in my daily and non daily life. I couldn't put a name to what I want to be...I mean, you can be a great capoeirista without every practicing the physical form of the art...so to say I want to be a capoeirista seems a moot point. Maybe...I want to be a magician? Haha...someone who has a full sense of awareness of self (the physical, spiritual, mental) and awareness of the self as it is fitted into everything else (relationships).

Also, I am still discovering what it is I want from all of this and that is also part of the journey that capoeira has and is taking me on.

[benjamin]

There are two things in my life that have never left my side:
futebol and capoeira

i feel that they are my life. people who know me, know that in my life, these two things come first. they are my discipline to life, and allow me to remain focus. everything else is just detail. if we were to part, it would be because i fell out of love for them.
i once asked my uncle about love, specifically about how he and my aunt keep the love going, and he told me, "I wake up everyday thinking, 'how can i show my love to this person?' " -- i take that approach. some days i don't want to train. i never want to practice. but i do it, 'cause i want futebol and capoeira to know i love them both. it's part of the discipline.

to answer the question, i don't want anything from capoeira (or futbol), i only want to give them both my all, and love them until the creator decides that it's time for me to move on to something else. i know from experience that if i continue this path, both have (and inshalla) will continue to open doors and experiences beyond my imagination!

Axé

[XerifeBranco]

For me, its true...blah blah...I feel that I have already gained so much from capoeira, I try to ask not what I want to get, but more importantly "What can I give back?" I think you asked here what you could get, but actually answered with what you could give back (i.e. keeping it alive and learning about yourself and your world). You actually do not even articulate what you want, but easily state what you are giving back. This, in my opinion, is a big step on the long trek to becoming a Master of your life, or capoeira. If you want to BE capoeira, you have to give yourself to her...

[seventiesufy]

for me capoeira is more deep philosophy, i realize that roda is not only in where we clap,sing and plays, roda is a world and we're inside to struggling and fight with lazyness to conquer the life. i learn from every pieces i found in the world (even the first ginga i found it from internet), many grupos, many capoeiristas with many backgrounds.for me capoeira is journey to life not just movement and acrobatics,that send me to see what happend in other side of world, yeah i always love the words:Volta au mundo. Jon, Thanks for make the capoeira roda bigger and united!

[smiley]

What do I want from Capoeira? Nothing and everything!! I never expected anything from this beautiful way of life. I just know that I want to do Capoeira. I want to learn everything about it. I will never say its my life but I can tell you something. I see the world with different eyes since I started to take capoeira. I will never know the future but at this moment I do not see me ever stopping from this way of life which call Capoeira. There is so much of it. It is not just the roda, the practice, the music, the people ...it is what I feel when I wake up and I know today I am going practice, play or just see my fellow capoeiristas. So I can say I never expected anything from Capoeira. All I want is to be capoeirsta.