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What up capoeiristas, welcome back to The Capoeira Experience Podcast, where you are going to learn about the Capoeira community, where all of you are more that welcome to express your experiences because we all got experience, so that being said, on today’s episode we have a guest form Europe, he teaches in the Netherlands, he is from Grupo Ginga da Alma… Welcome to the podcast
Caxixi: How are you doing man?
Espiritu: I’m doing fine man! what up!!
Caxixi: I like to start with capoeira stories.
Espiritu: I started capoeira late 1997 in the Netherlands a lot people from my generation were not Brazilian, grew up with a movie – really bad movie, only the strong, I saw later when I read about capoeira, but my introduction to Capoeira was from a tv commercial, from a Nokia cellphone, Nokia commercial and what I can remember there were 2 people on a beach dressing white and making beautiful movements you know, I was mesmerizes I was like “what? what is this?” because since my youth I grew up in martial arts like karate aikido, you know, did some gymnastic, and already did some crazy stuff on my own, jumping around you know, my mom going crazy, she was just like “just go outside and do your thing” but when I saw the commercial, I was like “what is this” because I didn’t have any knowledge about it “what is this” and I was memorizing by it, and also in that time I also was into gaming and 3 fighting games at that time, was street fighter, mortal combat, and tekken you know, you know tekken?
Caxixi: oh tekken! yeah yeah when tekken just came out, yeah Eddy Gordon of course!
Espiritu: yeah yeah I already had tekken, then tekken II, and then I was waiting for tekken III because I knew I like tekken III, and I bought tekken 3, and there was a character, you know the character, and I was like “oh is new so let me choose the character” Eddy Gordon, so what the hell is this, and I was meshing the buttons and was like, “eehh what is this this is awesome” I recognized it this is the same thing that I saw on television you know.
Caxixi: what kind of benefits does have capoeira bring to your life? like some positive influence on your life?
Espiritu: Friends, family you know, you travel a lot to different places you meet people that share the same thing also being secure about myself and be less aggressive because back in the days, and not because I was aggressive but I had a temper capoeira helped me, yeah self-control you know be more aware of my surroundings, be more aware of people you know and yeah it helped me a lot specially meeting people you know and sharing, and yeah self-control and be happy.
Caxixi: how do you like the capoeira community in Europe?
Espirito: so far I didn’t go everywhere in Europe but what’ve seen what’ve been through, the capoeira community in Europe is good, like you said people are ore knowledgeable also about capoeira you know they are seeking they are hungry no just for capoeira itself, also the community, the community part of capoeira you know.
Caxixi: How did you get your nick name? when and how?
Espirito: ok, first when you started capoeira I was the only black guy in the class, I was the youngest in the class so my teacher back then, because I have several teachers, he came with the name feijao, I didn’t know it meant back then “oh feijao, nice nice” so I went with then they started calling me feijao, and I started asking what does that means that means Bean and I was “oh alright” like feijao preto. I was the only black guy but I also was the only guy that could jump and do crazy stuff because my gymnastic background you know, so jumping bean, feijao, alright whatever you know, I think I got call that name on 1998 or something 1999 but it was not official it was not during a batizado the teacher wanted to separate from that thing you know from his own group we weren’t part of a bigger organization big association was just a own small group.
Caxixi: how do you like about teaching?
Espiritu: the main thing, is to seeing people being happy, thing like I show you something I will help you and if I see and smile, I like it.
Caxixi: What are your social medias? or how people can find you?
Instagram:
Ginga Da Alma Here
Prof. Espiritu Here
Facebook:
Bernardo Lendore Here
Ginga da alma Here
Website Here
Caxixi: Do you have any event coming up, or are you planning something for 2019
Espiritu: yes, this coming June 14, 15 and 16 of June we have our Capoeira festival, I will make an event on Facebook (here) and I will post on social media you know.
Caxixi: What Advice would you give to Capoeiristas out there?
Espiritu: play with a smile, sometimes we have that series game face, whenever we are playing you know, sometimes people forget to smile to be a kid in a big playground when you go in the roda, when you are playing in the roda be happy that you get to playing the roda be happy that you are able to play with one of your idol
Thank you so much!