Pmarc

HI, Just wanted to say hello.

I am male, 30 years old. Brazilian.

I have a bit less than a years' practice in Capoeira Regional, from when I lived in São Paulo.

Now that I live in Rio, I have close to 2 years of kombato and kali, both under Master Paulo Albuquerque, of Sina Tirsia Wali Kali Silat.

Kombato is a personal defense system and a military combat system. As you progress you get to learn tougher and tougher techniques. See the Kombato thread or the kombato.org website.

cheers.

Knuckles&Knees

I've done a little Capoeira Maculele. Awesome stuff. You Brazilians are crazy, I would never have thought in a million years about putting my body in some of those positions. Anyways, I feel confident in saying there has never been a man on earth that has so totally been an embarrassment on the art of Capoeira as myself. I move to damned stiff and I sure as hell can't do all that acrobatic stuff. I try though.

Honestly I only have had a few short months in it. Right now I'm not training at all for a couple reasons - one of which is another very bad hand injury.

So, just the city alone (excluding the metropolitan) of Sao Paulo has like 11 million people. You know how huge that is? My city has less than a million, your town could like come over and kick our a** 20 times over. The entire nation of Bulgaria only has like 8 million people I believe. Your town could send 9 million people over to kick Bulgaria's a** and still leave 2 million people in the city for TCB (Taking Care of Business).

You'll need it in Rio.

How dangerous has Rio been for you anyways? That's another huge city too. How well regarded is the Gracie family in Rio by the city government and the city's middle and upper-classes? You cats should have won the last World Cup too, your team had the talent, but they played like they didn't give a damn. Hopefully Lula and the federal government spends those billions of dollars on infrastructure and maybe then you all won't be exporting so many Brazilian players across the world. Maybe then too Rio might by chance have a lot less young kids running around in flip-flops with assault rifles and t-shirts tied around their faces. You'd think with all that round bunda and samba dancing you all wouldn't need Kombato. But I guess the Palm trees makes you all a bit crazy.


Obrigado.

Pmarc

Maculelê is quite nice, however, I think I like Kali better.
As for crazy positions, you also happen to feel pain in muscles that you didn't even know they existed.

Wanna try me? =D Not all brazilians are naturals at capoeira

I left because I gained a lot of weight, and my knees were suffering a bit more that necessary. All those capoeira moves are quite lesion prone if not done properly of if have not stretched properly.

Lots of ugly people

Well, being an outsider, and not knowing the place very well, I only walk the beaten path. I only know a few ways to get from home to the very few other places I need to go, and I almost never try to find another way. I also tend to refrain from being outside home after 10pm, and then, only when there is no other way. Like a marriage party.

As I don't drink in public places, I further reduce my personal risk. So I am mostly outside sober, during daylight and out of suspicious places.

Also, no valuable belongings are visible, I am always looking to the sides and back, looking for any suspicious types/movement.

All in all, it has been quite safe, but at times i get stressed a bit too much, specially when those guys at the traffic lights attempt to clean my windshield without asking first. This is one other reason for me to prefer public transportation.

As for the Gracies, I prefer to don't say anything, because I don't know anything about them other than the fame. What I can say is that only mid- and upper classes are really into martial arts. The poor are struggling to feed, work and live. What some do to relax is drink. Most go to church. (read without prejudice). BBQ !

I don't really like soccer. So, all I say is: whatever ;-)

BTW, all those palm trees were imported by the portuguese... :-)

<politics>
<flamebait>

In the political side, I really don't believe that Lula could do all he promised, not just because he is a politician, but because I feel he isn't even trying. Also, the current public safety/social issues in Rio are a result of two, three decades of careless state/city administration. So I believe that two, three decades of outstanding administration may start to solve those issues.

</flamebait>
</politics>

Knuckles&Knees

Well ok, Pmarc, enjoy your stay. I'm not into soccer myself but at least you spelled it correctly (and not "football").


Yeah, but that ass from Ipanema wasn't it!

Pmarc

The difference between me and most other brazilians is that I _actually_ studied english.

Proudly made in Brazil

Paul-M

"Quote:
Originally Posted by Knuckles&Knees
Well ok, Pmarc, enjoy your stay. I'm not into soccer myself but at least you spelled it correctly (and not "football").

The difference between me and most other brazilians is that I _actually_ studied english."


Football is correct. It was invented in Britain as was the English language, and it is called football. Soccer is an American slang term, because they made their own game called football before "soccer" became popular there.

Knuckles&Knees

I know Paul-M, I was just being a smart-a**. I knew it would rile the emotions of someone on this forum from one of the countries where it is incorrectly (just joking ) called football.

Pmarc

Hehe, I always assume to call it soccer, unless I know that the other person is a Brit, Aussie or Kiwi =]

Pmarc

AFAIK, Master Paulo is going to the USA this year, to present a seminar on Kombato.
He is arranging this together with Master Greg Alland, so I guess Master Greg would be the point of contact in the USA. There is no specific date yet, but it would probably be held at Virginia.

Paul-M

fair enough haha