My first Batizado by Graduado Faisca
Faisca or Alex was new to Capoeira when he joined Professor Cobra and Group Nago. Fasica's dedication to learning Capoeira is reaching a big milestone as he will become Graduado at the Batizado in September 2014; Graduado is literally a graduated student who is able to start teaching Capoeira to students with lower belts. Looking back at when Faisca got his first belt, this is what he has to say:
'My first experience of a Batizdo was brilliant, lots of great workshops from different teachers and also a workshop with our Master visiting from Brazil - Mestre Pequines. We started the event with a Capoeira display choreographed by our teachers Professor Cobra and Formado Gringo performed only by their students wearing luminous fluorescent bands on our feet and wrists, the stage only lit by a few side lights and camera flashes from the audience. Following our performance, we watched the teachers perform Maculele (a fight dance), some percussion on the Atabaques (a large drum) and also a samba dancer performed. After this was the moment we had all been preparing for… the Batizado Roda. We all went onto the stage and sat around in a circle, Mestre builds the energy and the teachers play first. We all watch some amazing capoeira and become very inspired to train to learn some of the moves we see along with the balance and speed they have.
The higher graded students are called up first to grade, then 3rd belts and then the 2nd belts were called, I sat watching them all walking around to be close to the foot of the Berimbau (a bow like string instrument) and then I catch my teacher pointing at me calling me up. It’s at that moment I realised the hard training and dedication had earned me to pick up my 2nd Corda (or belt). I walk around and give my brother a high 5 as I pass and he congratulates me, the excitement then changes to nervous energy as I approach the others who are about to play and I think about the games ahead and how I’m going to play...
I remember playing 2 or 3 games against different teachers, one of the most memorable games was when I was playing Contra-Mestre Negao, a giant man in comparison to me, as I did an Armada he then entered with a Vingativa – straight in, I didn’t see it coming at all, I had nowhere to escape and was at the mercy of him weather I would hit the floor or not. He kindly only marked the Vingativa and then came away leaving me on my feet but the point had been made.
We were then all given our new Cordas and had photos taken. I sat down and had to ask a friend for help to show me how to tie the belt around my waist for the first time.
At the end of the event we all headed out to a pub for a party to celebrate together, all excited with our new Cordas.'
The higher graded students are called up first to grade, then 3rd belts and then the 2nd belts were called, I sat watching them all walking around to be close to the foot of the Berimbau (a bow like string instrument) and then I catch my teacher pointing at me calling me up. It’s at that moment I realised the hard training and dedication had earned me to pick up my 2nd Corda (or belt). I walk around and give my brother a high 5 as I pass and he congratulates me, the excitement then changes to nervous energy as I approach the others who are about to play and I think about the games ahead and how I’m going to play...
I remember playing 2 or 3 games against different teachers, one of the most memorable games was when I was playing Contra-Mestre Negao, a giant man in comparison to me, as I did an Armada he then entered with a Vingativa – straight in, I didn’t see it coming at all, I had nowhere to escape and was at the mercy of him weather I would hit the floor or not. He kindly only marked the Vingativa and then came away leaving me on my feet but the point had been made.
We were then all given our new Cordas and had photos taken. I sat down and had to ask a friend for help to show me how to tie the belt around my waist for the first time.
At the end of the event we all headed out to a pub for a party to celebrate together, all excited with our new Cordas.'
