History UsefulNotes / Capoeira

** T'challa of ''Film/BlackPanther'', use capoeira. This makes sense due to capoeira's African origins. His moves were choreographed by Marrese Crump.

* ''VideoGame/HonorOfKings'' features Mari Capoeirista, a [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin capoeirista]] from Brazil who has a toucan companion and carries an ''atabaque'' on her back. This example is technically an alternate skin for Mayene, but functions as a whole new character.

* Subverted in ''WesternAnimation/XiaolinShowdown''. Raimundo Pedrosa is from Rio de Janeiro, but surprisingly doesn't use this art. He does use it in the tie-in video game, however, where he's seen using more obvious kicks in his combos.

* In ''WesternAnimation/XiaolinShowdown'', if Raimundo isn't using Shen Gong Wu, expect him to be using this fighting style, which is pretty justified as he's ''from'' Rio de Janeiro. It's made far more obvious in the tie-in video game, where he's seen using more obvious kicks in his combos.

Capoeira is substantially different in execution to most other martial arts, to the point some believe it would be fitter to call it an "[[ShapedLikeItself art]]" without any adjective. Its way to spar is the ''roda'', a circle formed by practitioners singing and playing music where the goal is not destroying the opponent, but rather having the most awesome exhibition of skill possible at the music's beat. There is certainly an element of making the opponent look worse than you, which can involve striking, tripping and countering, but this is generally done in a hit-and-run way rather than an all-out exchange; there is no true way to "win" or "lose", and the interaction is more akin to a dialogue than a fight. Only some groups endorse beating the crap out of each other, and even they stress the importance of the dancing and acrobatic aspects, which are as important in capoeira as the martial side.

* KungFuClairvoyance: Despite the many flips and acrobatics, a capoeirista is instructed to ''never'' take his eyes from his opponent(s) and maintain the situational awareness at his maximum, all while doing its complicated moves. True capoeira is not called one of the most difficult martial arts for nothing.

* The Night Fox from ''[[Film/OceansEleven Ocean's Twelve]]'' uses capoeira to get past a laser security system, as seen [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kUPQfzAyVeI here]].

* CombatPragmatist: Capoeiristas outside the roda or other sanctioned fights can easily become this with techniques like ''telefone'' ("telephone"), in which you clap your hands on either of the opponent's ears to disorient them and potentially permanently ruin their hearing, or ''arpão de cabeça'' ("head spear"), in which you throw your whole body into a headbutt aimed at the enemy's head, chest, or [[GroinAttack groin]]. When in the roda never accept if the other person [[SchmuckBait offers you a "blessing"]]. Just to elaborate, the Blessing (or, in Portuguese, "benção") is an unbalancing pushing kick that is one of the most basic (and effective) moves in capoeira.

* ''Film/OnlyTheStrong'', generally the movie most U.S. capoeiristas cite as their introduction to capoeira. The actual performance of capoeira in the film has became pretty questionable, but it is nonetheless considered the gateway to its popular knowledge along with Eddy Gordo.
* 'In ''Film/TheBatman2022'', Selina Kyle/Catwoman uses capoeira in conjunction with taekwondo in her fight with Batman, but is quickly subdued after she telegraphs her attack from jumping off a wall.