Richmond Sports Club is having an Open House for their whole facility the whole day on Saturday, September 11.

I will be conducting a demo class at 1:30-3:00 PM.

Bring a friend, come on down and try out the class!

I heard a lot of laughs and groans in our previous stretching session the other day. Usually because you couldn’t handle the splits, or when we did ponte (bridge), you wanted to just bail and let the bridge fall down. The ones who laughed and groaned, well that just means you need to stretch MORE!

Stretching is a very essential part of capoeira. It helps increase your flexibility which would help you do all of your movements, like the acrobatics and the kicks. It helps with your coordination and balance so you shouldn’t be toppling over. And it helps prevent any further injuries, such as a strained back or groin.

Now we’re not all Mr. Fantastic, so ideally, you shouldn’t only stretch when you come into my class. In fact, you should be stretching everyday, or at least as much as possible. A few minutes a day for some simple stretches and you shouldn’t be groaning anymore. =)

Phil

I want to talk to you about the word “Salve” for a bit.

“Salve” is a way Axé Capoeira students greet each other. At the beginning and end of each class, all students will say “Salve”. Doing this greeting, shows respect for the teacher and respect for the students. Come in next time and say “Salve!”

Also, I found a great wiki article that explains a lot of the capoeira techniques that you would typically learn in class.

Some words you may have heard in your first class are the following: Ginga, Cadeira, Meia-lua de Frente, Esquiva, Aú, and Armada.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_capoeira_techniques

Hopefully this helps!

Check out our new class flyer everyone! What do you think?

Hi everyone!

Welcome to Axé Capoeira’s Richmond blog.

I hope everyone enjoyed their first introductory class. There’s one word about introductory classes in capoeira that immediately comes to my mind when I observed everyone in class. Awkwardness. EVERYONE has that awkward feeling when trying out capoeira moves. From the ginga, to the kicks, to the esquivas, and to the cartwheels. I’m here to assure you, that every “capoeirista” (one who practices capoeira) has gone through this phase. Trust me! Your body might have felt weird doing it, but with enough practice of course, it will all feel natural. Be patient! =)

Anyways, I will continue using this blog to send updates about classes as well as share useful and interesting info about capoeira and our group Axé Capoeira.

Hope to see everyone next week!

Phil