Football isn’t the only sport in Brazil! Combat sports rooted in tradition are renewed with each generation. And we found them, with their holds, dance moves and music, in Avignon.
The most popular of these martial arts are capoeira and Brazilian jiu-jitsu. Capoeira, with its acrobatics, music, song and clapping, is a highly distinctive combat sport. Its roots go back to the days of slavery. To hone their fighting moves, slaves disguised them as dance moves (which were considered just an atavistic throwback). Last year the Avignon association Roda Na Praça celebrated its 10th anniversary and paid tribute to its founder Clãudio Marcos do Carmo, a mestre de capoeira, the sport’s top grade. His partner Mestre Cobrinha inaugurated women’s capoeira. Brazilian jiu-jitsu, a martial art that also schools its practitioners in self-control, reached Brazil in the early 20th century with a major influx of Japanese immigrants and was popularised by the Gracie family. It is based on skilful action requiring calm, strategic thinking (it has been called “human chess”) and an acute awareness of the opponent’s body. Jiu-jitsu training leads to a high degree of self-control that’s obvious to an observer and is an advantage at any age and in any situation. The club recently formed in Avignon by James and Samy Schiavo quickly reached the competition stage and boasts two silver medals in the European championships and two bronzes, a silver and a gold in the French Cup contest. Adults and teens produce spectacular displays involving mostly ground grappling with locks and strangleholds, but no strikes.
Association culturelle Capoeira Avignon : www.capoeiravignon.com
Club de jiu-jitsu brésilien Avignon : Bushido Academie JiuJitsu Bresilien (Facebook)
Côteweb 2021, création de site Internet sur Nice