Customer Reviews

Jogo De Capoeira (The Game of Capoeira) [VHS]

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

The is the best capoeira video I've ever seen (but there are not a lot of capoeira videos availible in the US). Even though "Jogo de Capoeira" focuses on Bira Almeida's (Mestre Acordeon) Capoeira Arts Cafe in Berkeley, it is a great documentary about the game of capoeira and what is means to be a capoeirista.
People from other martial arts often don't understand why someone might to a handstand in the middle of what they percieve as a fight. Get this video if you want to understand why.
This video won't teach you any capoeira moves. It will help both the capoeirista and non-capoeirista understand why people play capoeira, why they sing the capoiera songs, and why people live capoeira.
Get this video if you want to better understand what is in a capoeirista's heart and mind...

This is one of the best video about Capoeira. Actually this is the only documentary VHS that you can find in internet.

The video does not include many roda's or acrobatics or basic but it has very good, friendly conversation about what capoeira is.

Mestre Acordeon and his students in Berkeley prepared this video to show what Capoeira is, and how it works in States.

This video is the best way to understand the capoeira and show other people what you are actually practicing.

Mestre Acordeon gives lots of information about different aspects of the game, history, school and of course AXE.

I loved it and strongly recommend it to all capoeiristas around the world.

I've watched this video several times now and still find it fascinating. Capoeira is a very complex martial art that draws not only from movement, but also from music, spirituality, and generations of history, and the film maker manages to convey the awe-inspiring depth without over-romanticizing it.

The film combines interviews, music, history, and a lot of Capoeira, and it all flows naturally (without narration); the director lets the art and the participants speak for themselves, and the story they tell is very compelling. Actually, I'm really surprised the Discovery Channel or some such cable network hasn't already picked this up. If you are interested in Capoeira, or even if you've never heard of it, you'll love this film.

This is a very nice video in that it gives some of the history of the game and also just lets you see lots of the moves, and it's fun to watch.

That said, I had to only give it 3 stars because first of all, it is way too short. It only runs 27 minutes and ends abruptly. (Everyone I show it to is like "Huh?" when it ends.) Secondly, while the video does give some great information about the art, the mestre has such a thick accent that several crucial words are indiscernible and therefore it is hard to understand the points he was trying to make (and I am great at understanding people with all sorts of accents).

At 27 minutes, $29.99 is a bit much. If you can get it for less, do so. If you want some really thorough info about capoeira, get The Little Capoeira Book instead of (or in addition to) this video.

I had never heard of capoeira until a friend of mine showed me this video. It was awesome. I don't really understand how capoeira got started (and still cannot pronounce it), but I was on the edge of my seat watching in fascination this unique form of martial arts/dance. The footage of these passionate people being supportive and inspiring each other while "fighting" each other is interesting and mysterious at the same time.
I highly recommend this for an entertaining first look at capoeira.

I had never heard of capoeira until a friend of mine showed me this video. It was awesome. I don't really understand how capoeira got started (and still cannot pronounce it), but I was on the edge of my seat watching in fascination this unique form of martial arts/dance. The footage of these passionate people being supportive and inspiring each other while "fighting" each other is interesting and mysterious at the same time.
I highly recommend this for an entertaining first look at capoeira.

I bought this tape thinking that it would be an instructional tape, but it more like a capoeira documentary, so if you are interested in learning capoeira techniques this is not the one for you.