History UsefulNotes / 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.

* Cal of ''Series/FirstKill'' occasionally uses this in conjunction with kickboxing.

* The Franchise/{{Pokemon}} Hitmontop, known as ''Kapoerer'' in the original Japanese, was inspired by a capoeirista. As of Gen 6, its idle animation shows it doing the ginga, a triangular step motion that is fundamental to the art. Of note is that is the only Pokémon to learn the unique move Triple Kick, a flashy but unreliable attack that may be a nod to [[AwesomeButImpractical some of the less practical maneuvers in capoeira]] (though the move was given to [[EldritchAbomination Phermosa]] in Gen 7).
** The Dancer Pokémon, Quaquaval, is mostly based on [[{{Samba}} sambistas]] and other Brazilian carnival performances, but has two physical attack animations that resemble basic capoeira kicks, namely the armada and the benção. Its [[SignatureMove Aqua Step]] is also reminiscent of a more complex capoeira kick.

* 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.

* DanceBattler: Capoeira is pretty much ''the'' go-to example of this trope in real life, as the art was designed to disguise battle techniques behind flashy movements (that may or may not have inspired breakdancing, no less). Furthermore, a traditional sparring circle, called a ''roda'' ("circle"), is performed to music and is as much about looking impressive and showing off how clever you are as it is about landing blows. More often than not, it's not even about landing blows so much as it is about showing what you've learned and having a good time though some groups will want to be sure that you do land (and receive) some blows.

* DanceBattler: Capoeira is pretty much ''the'' go-to example of this trope in real life, as the art was designed to disguise battle techniques behind flashy motions (that may or may not have inspired breakdancing, no less). Furthermore, a traditional sparring circle, called a ''roda'' (circle), is performed to music and is as much about looking impressive and showing off how clever you are as it is about landing blows. More often than not, it's not even about landing blows so much as it is about showing what you've learned and having a good time though some groups will want to be sure that you do land (and receive) some blows.

* DanceBattler: Capoeira is pretty much ''the'' go-to example of this trope in real life, as the art was designed to disguise battle techniques behind flashy motions (that may or may not have inspired breakdancing, no less). Furthermore, a traditional capoeira roda (sparring circle) is performed to music and is as much about looking impressive and showing off how clever you are as it is about landing blows. Some groups, however, will want to be sure that you do land (and receive) some blows.

* AwesomeButImpractical: How it is seen among many people, at least those who don't see it as DifficultButAwesome. In actuality, capoeira leans towards the latter, being a legitimately versatile fighting style, but it does require an unusually long time and effort to master compared with other martial arts.

** T'challa of ''Film/BlackPanther'', use capoeira. This makes sense due to capoeira's African origins.

* ''Film/{{Black Panther|2018}}'''s lead character shows some capoeira moves. His fighting style was choreographed by Marrese Crump.

[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/batuque3kl_capoeira.png]][[caption-width-right:350:Zum, zum, zum, capoeira mata um]]

Its origins are hazy and debated, but it emerged as a fighting style among the Angolans enslaved by the Portuguese in UsefulNotes/{{Brazil}}. According to legend, the elements of dance existed partly so that the slaves could mask it as a cultural activity unrelated to fighting, while the kicks and leg sweeps would have been emphasized so slaves could fight with their hands chained. It evolved to be a favored fighting style among criminals, and at various times in Brazilian history, it has been declared illegal to practice. As a result, much of the known history is based on stories and legends.

* MoodMotif: The music played during the roda determines how the game is played. Slower music results in a slower, more strategic game, typically with a lot of ground fighting, close fighting, and elaborate reversals. Faster music results in a more acrobatic and high-flying match and usually involves more distance so as to not harm your partner. These styles are known as Capoeira Angola and Capoeira Regional respectively.

* The Handstand Franchise/{{Pokemon}} Hitmontop, known as ''Kapoerer'' in the original Japanese, was inspired by a capoeirista. As of Gen 6, its idle animation shows it doing the ginga, a triangular step motion that is fundamental to the art. Of note is that is the only Pokémon to learn the unique move Triple Kick, a flashy but unreliable attack that may be a nod to [[AwesomeButImpractical some of the less practical maneuvers in capoeira]] (though the move was given to [[EldritchAbomination Phermosa]] in Gen 7).

Its origins are hazy and debated, but it emerged as a fighting style among the slaves of UsefulNotes/{{Brazil}}. According to legend, the elements of dance existed partly so that the slaves could mask it as a cultural activity unrelated to fighting, while the kicks and leg sweeps would have been emphasized so slaves could fight with their hands chained. It evolved to be a favored fighting style among criminals, and at various times in Brazilian history, it has been declared illegal to practice. As a result, much of the known history is based on stories and legends.

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.

* ComicBook/{{Batman}} has mastered all forms of belligerent discipline, so it's safe to assume capoeira is among them.

* ComicBook/Batman has mastered all forms of belligerent discipline, so it's safe to assume capoeira is among them.

* CoomicBook/Batman has mastered all forms of belligerent discipline, so it's safe to assume capoeira is among them.

* ''VideoGame/FatalFury'' and ''VideoGame/TheKingOfFighters'' feature several: Soiree Meira, Momoko, Richard Meyer, Bob Wilson, and Zarina. Yashiro has some acrobatic kicks that resemble capoeira, and while Duck King's style is stated as "Breakdance Martial Arts", he uses several capoeira moves.

* The Franchise/{{Pokemon}} Hitmontop, known as ''Kapoerer'' in the original Japanese, was inspired by a capoeirista. Of note is that is the only Pokémon to learn the unique move Triple Kick, a flashy but unreliable attack that may be a nod to [[AwesomeButImpractical some of the less practical maneuvers in capoeira]] (though the move was given to [[EldritchAbomination Phermosa]] in Gen 7).

* Xever Montes/Fishface from ''WesternAnimation/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles'' is from Brazil and uses capoeira in conjunction with a pair of butterfly knives, making him more than a match for the turtles on more than one occasion. After his mutation, he gains a pair of robotic legs, making his capoeira even more difficult to deal with.

* DanceBattler: Capoeira is pretty much ''the'' go-to example of this trope in real life, as the art was designed to disguise battle techniques behind flashy acrobatics and dance motions. Furthermore, a traditional capoeira roda (sparring circle) is performed to music, and is as much about looking impressive and showing off how clever you are as it is about landing blows. Some groups, however, will want to be sure that you do land (and receive) some blows.

* '''Capoeira Estilizada''': another obscure school founded by Mestre Carlos Senna in 1955 after a falling out with Mestre Bimba. Also known as Capoeira Senavox, it was for a time considered the "third" school of capoeira alongside Regional and Angola. It introduced the regular use of the abadá as uniforms for capoeiristas, the salve greeting that begins and ends capoeira sessions, a ranking system that uses coloured fita (tape-like string that is tied around one’s waist), its own system of classification and rules for competition. Senna's style was described as a more "stylized" version of capoeira compared to the other main two, with a military-like rigidness on its training and rodas that appealed to the Brazilian armed forces and sympathizers to the military dictatorship in Brazil in the 1960s and 70s and there were even thoughts and designs to truely "sportify" it, but once the legitimacy of the regime eroded, so did his style's popularity and relevance with it. Today it lives on through some of Senna's students like his son Yoji Senna, but they seem to have let go of the rigidness that distinguished the style before.

* DanceBattler: A traditional capoeira roda (sparring circle) is performed to music, and is as much about looking impressive and showing off how clever you are as it is about landing blows. Some groups, however, will want to be sure that you do land (and receive) some blows.

* MoodMotif: The music played during the roda determines how the game is played. Slower music results in a slower, more strategic game, typically with a lot of ground fighting, close fighting, and elaborate reversals. Faster music results in a more acrobatic and high-flying match and usually involves more distance so as to not harm your partner.
* NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast: Usually inverted; ''apelidos'' o nicknames given to capoeiristas tend to be unimpressive or just plain silly sounding, as they always came from a physical characteristic, an habit or any remarkable element of the person. However, this is not obstacle for the nicknamed to be real badasses. Perhaps the most known example of this inversion was the capoeirista Passarito (literally, "little bird"), real name Wilson Oliveira, who had a legendary feud with Carlson Gracie, and who some sources say as well to be a judo, boxing and/or wrestling champion.

* ''WesternAnimation/BobsBurgers'': "Sexy Dance Fighting" focused on Tina trying to learn capoeira. "Capoeira" in this instance consisted primarily of the dreamy instructor Jairo hitting people in the face with his ponytail while yelling "[[CallingYourAttacks Ponytail!]] and tripping people while saying "Brazil."

* The Franchise/{{Pokemon}} Hitmontop, known as ''Kapoerer'' in the original Japanese, was inspired by a capoeirista. Of note is that is the only Pokémon to learn the unique move Triple Kick, a flashy but unreliable attack that may be a nod to [[AwesomeButImpractical some of the less practical maneuvers in capoeira.]]

* '''Capoeira Estilizada''': another obscure school founded by Mestre Carlos Senna in 1955 after a falling out with Mestre Bimba. Also known as Capoeira Senavox, it was a school that existed before the term Capoeira Contemporanea came about and for a time was considered the "third" school of capoeira alongside Regional and Angola. Its creator introduced the use of the abadá as uniforms for capoeiristas, the salve (greeting that begins and ends a capoeira session), a ranking system that uses coloured fita (tape-like string that is tied around one’s waist), its own system of classification and rules for competition.

* '''Capoeira Contemporanea''': this is a term for many modern schools which aren't affiliated to Regional or Angola, or which branched off from them and became their own thing. Most of them employ a style basically similar to that used in Regional, but their independence leaves space for frequently unorthodox variations.

Capoeira is an Afro-Brazilian martial art which combines fighting with performance art. It's a very recognizable style with its emphasis on acrobatics, attacks from the ground, feints, and spinning kicks, frequently all at the same time. Dating back at least to the 18th century, the art spread first throughout Brazil, from poor blacks to wealthier classes, and throughout the world in the latter part of the 20th century.