Capoeira and it's connection to N'Golo

[C'BS ALife Allah]

Peace. Mama G just had to set it off. I mentioned briefly a little about Capoeira Angola in one of my blogs and Mama G suggested that we discuss taking it all the way back to the N'Golo. So I decided to start this thread to foster discussion to get everyone's view, perception, research, etc. I am definitely going to add on later.

[Dr. Germon "Askari" Miller]

Brother you are really making my day....LOL
I will throw my hat in the ring with the statement that the empire of Queen/General Nzinga was the birthplace of the N'golo and that these skills fostered the stay of the Portgugese invasion during her reign. I have times and dates if needed....Smile

[C'BS ALife Allah]

Of course you do :-) I hope this thread will grow into a large one. What I will add on though is my first experience with the notion that there was a full form that Capoeira came from in Africa.

I had learned a little about the historical foundations of Capoiera from sitting in on the classes of Robert Farris Thompson (the Yale AFAM prof who wrote the intro to "Ring of Liberation). He had viewed certain moves in Africa that were identical with moves in Capoeria. He also mentioned that there were martial arts in Africa. It blew my mind at the time because I was unfamiliar with there being any (I was in High School at the time)..ironically, as I have mentioned, I had been practicing several forms of diasporatic african martial arts already at that point.

My first exposure to actual Capoeira, as uplifting as it was proved to be disheartening. The mestre was adamant that it was a Brazilian (whatever that means) martial art. I was like, damn, 'they' keep trying to take everything from us. I was always the wise ass though. I was like..what part of this is Portuguese? What part of this is Indian? Yet it wasn't until I specifically moved into training in Capoeira Angola that the Africaness of the art form was fully respected and presented to me in that manner.

[Carlos Thompson]

As I understand it Capoeira, at one time it was a preparation, a set of exercises rooted in the animal style that would later lead to the battle field arts of the warrior that would include weapons,grappling etc. Capoeira as I understand it is rooted in the animal systems (I've heard it referred to as the Zebra Dance by some in the Angola Lineage ) but is a part of the much bigger picture. You can see this in other arts that have similar low line movements but retain their other aspects.

[Dr. Germon "Askari" Miller]

I just love being able to quote from my soon to be published manuscript (August, 2008).

Three of the most dangerous words in the English language are "Knowledge" - "Belief" - "Understand". Paraphazing our great Elders and Ancestors - "There is no one alive today - who really knows what things really were then." All we have now is conjucture based on books that were written by those in authority who would keep us from our knowledge.

So being the person that I am and one who belives that she descended from the first civilizations on this planet (and that the people were Black) I choose to believe that all fighting systems and sciences were developed in AFrika then through the divine plan of our suffering this knowledge was brought to the world. Like child birth....Smile

Now on to the facts.... The Portuguese were the originators of the human slave trade from Afrika. They were ruthless and vicious. Their culture birthed the diaspora! Therefore I cannot have any alligience to such a culture. Does the word holocust ring a bell? The Jewish culture never lets their children forget the pain and suffering of their Ancestors. They do not assimilate their history just to get along with others. Yet for some reason we as Blacks are ashamed to speak of the diaspora negatively.

Historical facts.... Due to the military prowess of our ancient leaders such as Tahaqua (Nubia - 5500 BCE which evolved into the Sudan) modern military leaders such as Queen Nzinga Mbanda of Ndongo and Matamba (1583-1663) was monarch and general of her country of Angola until she was 63 years wise. She was royal authority over a vast territory known today as Southern Cameroon, Gabon, Congo, the democratic Republic of the Congo, Zambia and Angola. And she kept the Portuguese out of her domain for 3 decades.

Now I do not think she did this with a set of high impact aerobic exercises based on a only animals! Yes there is a definite connection between dance and martial sciences. In fact I am asked all the time if what I am doing in my pictures is a "dance"! For the sake of avoiding very long explanations (and not wanting to scare away a potenial mate - LOL) I reply "Sorta!"

The N'golo fighting techniques of this great monarch from Angola survived slavery throughout the West Indies and South America. The very word "Ginga" which is the signature evasion technique of Capoeira is derived from her name. Specifically in Brazil the fighting arts of the Angola were absorded into the culture and the history re-written by those Portuguese slave traders.

Simply put: The N'golo is a Bantu Combative Science that is the progenitor of several combative arts that developed in the Americas.

Yes the N'golo is also known as the Fight of the Zebras - a combat directed courtship ritual performed by young men of a village to win the hand of a young woman in marriage. Now we all know how males can get when they want the woman they love and again I do not visualize an exercise class here.

To quote an Elder:
"But if Portugal fathered Brazil, Angola was the Black Mother on whose lap the child grew!" Neves Souza, Da minha Africa e do Brasil que eu vi

Even look at "Break Dancing" I see it as the Great-Grand Child of our Afrikan challenge arts.... We need to claim out heritage.... I am not saying to stop other arts yet truth is truth. There is no such person as Tarzan, Imhotep was not the Mummy, and there is no over sized monkey named King Kong is Afrika. All life started in AFrika! Including archery, wrestling, stick fighting, hand to hand, etc. etc. etc.

So here ends my contribution.... And if necessary.... This warrior can bring it as well as use her keyboard to run her mouth......LOL Gyneme - "Fear nothing but the Creator"!

Love and Peace Always To My Brothers and Sisters
Iya Askari Jamala Maisha aka Mama G

[irwing Chavez]

again, sorry for my inglish. Capoeira angola is result of convination from so much tings, indian fight style, african fight style etc. If yuo ask for Mestre cobra mansa wat thing about of n´golo he say is only a mit. he (mestre cobramansa) stay in Angola sechin a root of capoeira and discover wat N´gola is aloms extint.
Probably capoeira have roots in n´golo but not is the only. irecomend the site of mestre Nestor Capoeira www.nestorcapoeira.com for yuo reed mor about capoeria orgens. so sorry for my inglis

[Dr. Germon "Askari" Miller]

Greetings Brother:

Puzzling I just had a wonderful meeting with Mestre Cobra Mansa only 90 days ago about this topic... If I had his permission I would post the picture we took together! And as we broke bread and sipped tea.... Never did he give me the impression that he was displeased with my research on the N'Golo. And in fact he too has written a document which is different from what you have stated he explained. Of course by the time that the N'golo reached Brazil it began to absorb the additional cultural aspects and loose what I feel were the martial science components especially the use of the hand combinations. With respect I submit this my opinion...
Peace
Iya Askari

[irwing Chavez]

Tanks for the recuest, my opinion is only capoira is a conbination of meany tings, N´golo is important but not the only and to day a capoeira is so difrent, evoluing wit the the time and the people. blesing, Cao cabeosile

[Dr. Germon "Askari" Miller]

You are so correct that capoeira like many things of this world have evolved and drastically changed. As an Elder and a parent this fact is very close to home. From my children to my students I watch them flourish into their own beings. Yet with the Afrikan Martial Arts - it has only been until very recently that the word - Afrika has been given its rightful position along side the other recognized martial sciences. I believe that it is definitely due to the fact that people would rather just sweep the Afrikan diaspora under a rug as if it never happened. But it did! The very thing that was meant as a vehicle to destory a continent gave rich life to the rest of the world. As when a woman gives birth - there was pain but life followed.
I mean we are talking about 45,000 years of history! This has been my passion as a teacher - to keep the original history alive.... The DNA as it were.... That without a Mother there would be no children to evolve into anything!! I truly admire your respectful presentation of your side of the coin... May we continue to share information....

[irwing Chavez]

I ting,Africa is my home, in the center of the roda lives the african spirit, the persons whit stey in the play of capoeira recivieng the old knwloge of the ansesters and the old mestres. Lern and grow is the only reason in my life (real and virtual) I have only 9 years practis and study capoeira angola and have the grae oprtunity to speak whit grat mestres Curio, Acordeon, Jurandir cobra mansa an very long ETC and my oly intention is knom more abuot of my pasion capoeria and the old african dispora, my father is a blak pleople, my graetfather is a blak person an i try to understand my root an my tree, i wat to expalinds my sel beater but my inglis is so bad.
Taks, again fot the recuest and the old your wisdom, bless.Cao cabeosile