Capoeira project teaches self-defence to children

Do you know what capoeira is? According to the Brasil Escola website, it is an Afro-Brazilian cultural manifestation that involves elements of dance, martial arts, music, games and religiosity.

Enslaved black people led the emergence of the expression as a form of resistance to the oppression of their masters and the preservation of their cultural identities. The circle, musical instruments, singing and body movements make up the capoeira performance.

Through this practice, Vando Vieira, against capoeira master and founder of the Um Passo a Mais Capoeira Project, manages to improve the quality of life and teach discipline to his students.

In an interview with Coluna da Neuza, he said that the initiative was created to occupy the minds and time of children and young people living in the territories served, so that they are not left loose on the streets of the community learning things that will not add anything to their lives. Your lives. Furthermore, it also seeks to give a more positive and beneficial direction for everyone.

The project, which serves children, teenagers and adults, teaches capoeira and other activities such as jiu-jitsu, and crafts and soon plans to include Zumba classes. In total, there are more or less 250 participants. Each age group has its school day.

The project is in three municipalities in Baixada Fluminense: Magé, Duque de Caxias and Belford Roxo. Everywhere they have the same purpose: to form good citizens. The intention is to guide, educate and teach a positive path to each child or young person who participates in the Um Passo a Mais Capoeira project.

Coluna da Neuza: What led you to create this project?

Vando Vieira: It was my life story. I am the son of a deceased ex-robber and I watched what happened to my father. So, I decided to take a different path; I put it in my mind that I would always try to help others so that he or she would not get involved in bad practices. The way I found it was through sport. Therefore, the flagship of this work is capoeira, although we have other activities.

Here we use Capoeira not only as a sport or as a fight but also as a tool for transformation. The time these children spend here reduces the possibility of them being out there learning what they shouldn’t.

Self-defence for children

Hosana, grandmother and mother of little students Mosquitinho and Abelhinha (Enzo and Alice, respectively), talks about the project.

“For me, the project represents interactivity, a way of keeping our children on the path of good. Furthermore, they still learn to defend themselves, because no one here is learning capoeira to start fights on the street or attack someone. Above all, it is to learn discipline, something that they will carry with them throughout their lives.”

Impacts

“Adding up all the classes, 250 children, young people and adults are served today. Indeed, we can’t bring them all together at the same time and in the same space, there’s always someone missing, but at the end of the year, at the annual meeting, we generally manage to bring together 70%, and then it’s a party”, he says. Vando Vieira.

Jiu-jitsu classes take place on Wednesdays and Fridays. Capoeira classes take place on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays, always at 5 pm. The minimum age to start capoeira is five years old.

According to Vando, the project’s needs are diverse, but the most urgent are:

Acquire and place 150 meters of ceramics on the floor of the headquarters, which will make it possible to carry out more activities such as dance and ballet;

• A two thousand litre water tank for the bathroom;
• Six wall fans, and sports equipment to continue our work with more efficiency and dignity;
• Cash donations for basic expenses such as electricity, cleaning materials, and snacks for students;
• Sports materials.

To conclude, Vando says he is passionate about what he does and, despite not having the necessary conditions, he loves doing good and understands that with little, when it is done well and from the heart, it helps more than those who want to do a lot.

And he will always repeat: you don’t need much to help others, you just need to want to. A donation of any amount, a like on this article, a share or publicity, anything goes. “Positive thoughts our way, too.”

“If you want to help someone, you don’t need to have a lot or be rich, you just want to,” he concludes.

Would you like to strengthen this initiative in any way? Contact Vando at +55 (21) 981591772, also WhatsApp.

Follow the Um Passo a Mais Project on Instagram.