Whatup capoeiristas!!! I’m your host Inst. Caxixi and today we have the pleasure of having Contra Mestre Bambu from Axe Capoeira Chicago! very happy to get the pleasure of having him today, CONGRATULATIONS ON THIS NEW ACCOMPLISHMENT by the way!!

 [00:01:00] – Caxixi: You can start from how you saw capoeira for the first time, or your capoeira story pretty much.

CM Bambu: I

started capoeira in 1998, I started a lot like most of the more American of

people foreign from Brazil, on movies, “only the strong” I saw a preview for

that, in the movie theaters, then later I saw it in video games, then other

couple cultural outlets, got me interested, I always wanted to do martial arts

as a kid, my parents never put me into it because it was a lot of money, we

didn’t have a lot of money back at that time, they didn’t think I was stick

with it because as a kid I wanted to do something and the next week I wanted to

do something else. Then they did when I finally move away from home for school

originally, there happen to be a capoeira class at the university, which is

Indiana University, yeah they had a little group there so I have the

opportunity to start my brother started before me, he really liked it so I kind

of joined in, it was a small school just students, no real teacher, no real

master, just a group of people who like capoeira, that got together, who has

some teaching and training from other people in the past.

[00:03:04] – CM

Bambu: then we met a guy, he said there was an event in Chicago, with a local

group here and then we came up to participate in the event, in the workshop,

and then from there I met my Mestre, Mestre Barrao, I met him here, he was just

a guest, end we talked to him about wanting to find a master to pursue our

training with an actual Master in Capoeira.

[00:10:30] – CM

Bambu: For Capoeira I felt that kind of passion, I feel that I feet with

the right group, with the right Mestre, that push mu forward. this day I feel

in debt it to him because he believe in me and he out his seal on me, without

know anything about me, in the time when people outside of Brazil, where not

necessarily seen good for capoeira, I even on of this events when I was in

Chicago  with one respected Mestre that I

would look up too a lot, and we had on of this Q&A session, where we seat

down and talk with them, and one of the other Mestre told me that I gotta be

careful because everybody was looking at me like with jealousy, when you play

capoeira you have to be careful, they always say be careful because people are

looking at you, and I felt a little bit like “why are they looking at me” and

he said well maybe because you are no Brazilian.

[00:22:12] – CM

Bambu: My master, he is a friend, he is a father, he is a teacher, he is to

me, I don’t know what it would be without him, and when I see people that

sometimes they leave the group to go somewhere else to have another Master, I

don’t know how I can ever consider myself or someone else my Master, because

the bond that I have with this person, he is the one that thought me how to the

culture, about the dances, about capoeira, how to play, how to fight, how to

ginga, how to do this, how to do that, and he is the one still guiding my way

of life.

[00:38:14] – Caxixi: when you have to be at the school you gotta take care of financials part too, for example you still gotta pay rent for studio and all that stuff, what do you think about the part of the business of capoeira,

Whatup capoeiristas!!! I’m your host Inst. Caxixi and today we have the pleasure of having Contra Mestre Bambu from Axe Capoeira Chicago! very happy to get the pleasure of having him today, CONGRATULATIONS ON THIS NEW ACCOMPLISHMENT by the way!!  [00:01:00] – Caxixi: You can start from how you saw capoeira for the first time, … Continue reading "05 CM Bambu Axe Capoeira Chicago"

The interview today is to Prof. Congo, from Capoeira Brasil Curacao, very smart and organized person, he will talk to us about how he keeps the organization of his classes, events and more. He also talks about how he runs ads to attack new students to his academy (remember this is a small tropical island)

[00:02:11] – Caxixi: lets’ start from the beginning,

just tell us a little bit of your capoeira story from the beginning, however

you want to start.

Congo: Ok, starts

cheese like every one of my generation that’s not Brazilian because the movie

“Only The Strong”, then I used to do karate, taekwondo, and used to

be a great dancer, and I was like “ooohh this is like fighting and dancing

at the same time” and back then it wasn’t no google, no yahoo, no YouTube

and I just came to curacao back then, we are talking about 22 years ago.

[00:03:50] – Congo

my mom and my father were like if you want to do capoeira get somebody that is

not from Brazil, so I was looking around and I meet some people from Holland,

and knowing that I have family in Holland, it’s easier to go there, I got on

the plain on the 12/09/2000.

[00:04:17] – Caxixi:

Did you go to Brazil, then back to the island, or just went to Holland?

Congo: no, I went

straight to Holland, because I wasn’t allowing to go to Brazil, I’m happy I

wasn’t because I was naive, I didn’t speak Portuguese.

So yeah I went to Holland, I did my first class and I

trained every day for a month, came back then look for some people that wanted

to train because was no teacher here, I talked to some friends if they wanted

to train with me, and trained for about 2 years, then in 2002 I moved back to

Holland, arrived on Holland the 04/01/2002 and went to my first class on the

04/02/2002 and never stopped.

[00:07:43] – Caxixi:

how did you get the Congo nick name?

Congo: well,

funny fact, when I started capoeira, I don’t know how is it in pounds, but I

was 130 kilos (286 lbs.) and my first batizado, I was gonna play for my cord,

and back then instructora Zapeca now Mestra Zapeca, and she did this sign, ok

she looked at me like “ok can you do an au?” and I got pissed and

ended entering with an au sem mao.

The when I got out of the roda, by then Professor Dengoso

now Mestre Dengoso, walked up to me and said, “hey Congo” and I was like “why this guy is calling me

gorilla, that’s an ugly mother @#$%!! I didn’t speak Portuguese back then, he

looked for a translator, and he took this guy and the guy was like “you

know the silver back gorillas of Congo?”

and I was like “yeah” then he goes “yeah those animals are very

big and very heavy, but they are very light and very fast and strong, and when

they get angry they will smash through anything to get to their target, that’s

why he was calling you Congo,

because you can play light and fast, and the more people was cheering the

faster you got” and I was like “oh ok!”

[00:18:28] – Congo:

But through the years I found out while teaching you can train at the same

time, because while teaching basic element you feel like ok, this doesn’t feel

comfortable and you can adjust your body, making your basic better, and helping

your student to grow.

[00:18:47] – Caxixi:

The interview today is to Prof. Congo, from Capoeira Brasil Curacao, very smart and organized person, he will talk to us about how he keeps the organization of his classes, events and more. He also talks about how he runs ads to attack new students to his academy (remember this is a small tropical island) … Continue reading "04: Prof Congo – Self-Motivation, Motivating, and Organization."

I’m your host Inst. Caxixi and today I am very excited because I have the pleasure to have an amazing capoeirista!! I am sure he is a big motivation for you as well because he loves moving, you can tell his love for capoeira just the way he pushes himself, teaching us even through his videos how we can enjoy ourselves with body movement!!…

 [00:02:44] I know that you are in Brazil

Right now, are you teaching?

Yeah I am in Brazil right now, and normally when I come to Brazil is more for the holidays, and this time I decided to stay a little be longer, I will be here for 2 and a half months, and now I am teaching a lot yeah!… I’m hosting an event this time as well, for my own school, international people come from around the world, maybe 10 countries are coming here is gonna be a nice event as well

[00:03:20] I’m sure

there is a lot of people that already follow you, and I’m sure you are a big

example for people that are starting in Capoeira and people that already have

been doing capoeira for long time, so how people can find you on social media

or any way to contact you?

In social Media is Enjoy Yourself Movement, just on google Mestre Xuxo, or on Instagram, Facebook, YouTube you are gonna find me there. X-U-X-O

Instagram here

Facebook here

YouTube here

[00:03:47] Were

where you first steps and I would love to know, how you started in Capoeira,

how were you first steps into capoeira, what was the beginning of your journey?

Oh that’s a question really heavy for my parents right now for my parents, that’s why I’m in Brazil because I’m writing my first book, for the documentary and I have no memories how was my first capoeira steps, I have no memories. But that’s why I’m here in Brazil to interview my mom today they were telling me that my father was trying to have me on ginga position, and to do ginga you know since I was a baby! But it worked.

I started Capoeira since I was 3 years old, I really don’t

remember like everything that have been happen in my career as a capoeirista

back then, is difficult because I’m from Brazil, you wanna have fun, you wanna

play, you wanna be on the streets playing. Playing soccer, but of course if

your father is your master, you got no chance.

[00:06:13] Do you

have any memories of how you got the Xuxo nickname?

Yes, Xuxo means nice, that name is very ironic, because I was the one that use to call people Xuxo, because I always forgot the name of the people.

Everybody even my students I used to call them Xuxo

“hey Xuxo” then with time they started calling me Xuxo. Then with

time on one of my events they called me Professor Xuxo or Instructor Xuxo, something

like this, long time ago.

[00:08:03] Which

group did you start?

The group is called “my father’s home” haha there was no group, nobody was there, my father was part of “Cordao de Ouro” and then “bocao negro” because before in Corado de Ouro when you became like a teacher you have the right to open your own group, so my father had a group called “bocao negro”. So Yes if I have to say a name COrdao de Ouro definitely I started i...

I’m your host Inst. Caxixi and today I am very excited because I have the pleasure to have an amazing capoeirista!! I am sure he is a big motivation for you as well because he loves moving, you can tell his love for capoeira just the way he pushes himself, teaching us even through his … Continue reading "03: Into the world of Mestre Xuxo"

On today’s episod, we had the pleasure to do this interview to an amazing Capoeirista with a very good trajectory in Capoeira and Champion of the Red Bull Paranaue 2018, he talks about how capoeira is in Germany, Europe and around the world, he also shares with us some of his capoeira projects helping kids and also some of his knowledge and of course pieces of advice for us as well! I hope you enjoy!

English:

Caxixi: is my pleasure to have you here, I follow you on social media you have a very nice work I like your capoeira and I think that you have a very nice capoeira. 

[00:01:40] : how is your story? How did you start in capoeira?

[00:01:45] : I can say that I have to path in capoeira, that is a formal and another informal, I am burned and raised in the central region of sao paulo, which is also called central periphery, and that was a well accustomed to capoeira, we had a mestre suasuna academy for example there in downtown sao paulo, we had a region of plaza republica, bela vista, santa cicilia, vila buarque there are many interconnected, they are neighborhoods in the downtown sao paulo, and there is also plaza republica, and always as a kid I was walking around those neighborhoods and that is the way I made some contacts with capoeira.

[00:05:40] : what was your age by then when you started?

[00:12:15] another question that I would like to ask you that have such a long-time doing capoeira, how do you think that capoeira can help our communities? Because my capoeira perspective, capoeira has so much to give, it is so so big, that can help a lot of people. How do you think capoeira can help communities?

[00:12:38] good, I can talk for myself, from my own experience concrete, I come also from communities, so I can say that I am an example and living proof that capoeira works, and it can help communities.

how do you think can help with something positive our communities, like projects, and stuff like that?

because the objective of our material is to reach and give out for those than do capoeira, and those that doesn’t do capoeira, so they can participate more in capoeira

very good!

so I think there is a lot of people that watch capoeira, mas they don’t know the strength that capoeira have, so that is pretty much my objective I want to do with all this, with the experience from all capoeiristas, like you that have a lot of experience and with those that don’t have a lot of experience, and how capoeira helps to transform them to better

very good! With capoeira you can work different aspect which can help humanity, like healthy people is better, so capoeira brings that, people with a good mind so through capoeira we can reach that faster, capoeira is perfect for the world.

[00:15:25] what do you think, because there is a lot of people that would like to make a living out of capoeira right? But culture is a good side of capoeira but to make a living you also must make money right, and what do you think about using capoeira as business to make it lucrative? Do you think that would help?

that’s part of the process, people must survive, no one would eat with thank you, or congrats, right?

*laugh* or hugs *laugh*

yeah, you won’t be able to live just with hugs, so yeah, I agree, people must be compensated, honored, make their money with the art, I really agree because today’s day what you can’t sell, you pay taxes for everything now *laugh* we have taxes for everything

On today’s episod, we had the pleasure to do this interview to an amazing Capoeirista with a very good trajectory in Capoeira and Champion of the Red Bull Paranaue 2018, he talks about how capoeira is in Germany, Europe and around the world, he also shares with us some of his capoeira projects helping kids … Continue reading "02: Gugu Quilombola de luz [PORTUGUESE]"

What up everyone I am you host Harly Materan AKA Instructor “Caxixi”. Right now I am a Capoeira Brasil Instructor located in Indianapolis, under the supervision of Mestre Kim, if you don’t know who Mestre Kim is, check our website out “https://www.capoeiraindy.com/” and I have a short info about him right there, our you can check a lot of his music on YouTube, so he is one of the oldest students of Mestre Paulao do Ceara which is one of the 3 founders of Capoeira Brasil.

Show Notes:

By then in 2001 I was 15 years old, [00:06:13] I was very very introverted kid, and because of that on that exact same day I knew it about the class I talked to one of my friend, his name is Leonardo so he could go with me because I was shy to show up by myself right, then when I talked to him I was like “dude you gotta see this stuff that Miguel’s brother and his friends were doing at school man they were doing a bunch of movements, hand stands and back flips dude, the classes are in the university and Miguel said that he can take us to the class on Tuesday so we gotta wait for him at 3:30 because class is at 4” and Leonardo said “dude that sounds fun!! yeah man I will go with you don’t worries!!”, then that Tuesday came, I called Leonardo, I would say around 2:30, like 20 times man, and nothing, then I was like “you know what I don’t care I’m just gonna go, nothing is gonna happen”…

[00:10:24] But let me tell you this!!, I don’t know if it was destiny, but I walked for about 6 minutes and I walked right straight to the capoeira class!! how crazy is this right?!

[00:11:30] I remember perfectly so they were seating on the ground in a circle practicing a capoeira song that the instructor was teaching at that moment, I remember the song was “malandragem” [If you want to listen to the song click here]

[00:15:52] I was super super happy because I just felt good, I just had a feeling that even today after 17 years I can’t even explain!!

[00:16:09] After that day, my entire life, and I really mean that my entire life change 360 degrees. Classes was from 4 to 6 for beginners, the roda was about 5:40 and for me it was time to go home, and I still remember some of those days I saw the roda for my first time like at 5:50 then I went running home because my mom!!… Then one day I was like “meh just a little longer” then one day I saw the time and I was already leaving by 6pm and my mom was super mad at me, but I was very very happy haha I was doing something I really liked, something that make me feel free, makes me feel where I can be myself!!

[00:18:50] How I got caxixi as my capoeira nick name

[00:21:20] I made so many friends!!! Friends that I still have till today, some of them, some of them have leave this plain and are play capoeira with all those bad asses masters!!

I went to Brazil just a couple of times, I would looove to go more ooobviously!!… My first time I went to a small town right passing the border of Venezuela with Brasil, called Boa Vista, we did capoeira all week long, I don’t really remember if we went there for 1 or 2 weeks, I think 2. And my second time I went to a different state called Piaui to the city called Teresina, by then I stayed there for about 5 weeks, it was awesome, capoeira since day one till the very last day, THE FOOD WAS AWESOME!! I actually gain a few pounds haha.

[00:26:55] if you are listing to me right now, and you are trying to teach, don’t give up man, try, keep doing it, kkep rocking it, but you gotta go out there,

What up everyone I am you host Harly Materan AKA Instructor “Caxixi”. Right now I am a Capoeira Brasil Instructor located in Indianapolis, under the supervision of Mestre Kim, if you don’t know who Mestre Kim is, check our website out “https://www.capoeiraindy.com/” and I have a short info about him right there, our you can … Continue reading "01: How everything started – Solo"