Last Friday was a loooooooooooooooong day of Capoeira teaching for Mestre Val :) This may be a case of ‘you had to be there’ but I’ll attempt to share here, anyway..
It’s not a big deal.. no event of note.. just a bit of “A Day in The Life of Meu Mestre”… elements of living the Capoeira Path in Australia..
Leaving the Capoeira school around Midday, for the second time this week, a group of us drove out of town, had an afternoon of Capoeira workshops with teenagers, then a drive home, straight into a Capoeira Kids class, a rushed half hour quick dinner at our favourite local restarurant ‘Coconut Palms’ having had no real Lunch break.. (truth is, I don’t think Mestre Val would have eaten if I didn’t insist.. when things are busy, he can forget sometimes..) followed by an Adults Capoeira class. AFTER CLASS – A loooooooooooooong hangout conversation with visiting Capoeiristas, stories of Capoeira history, challenges faced in Mestre Val’s Capoeira life, stories involving famous Capoeiristas that are known worldwide as well as stories of little-known or unknown Capoeiristas that he has encountered in his travels.. an interesting life in Capoeira.
Truthfully, the day was not very different at all, from any other day of Capoeira at CFdB.. but I witnessed something I feel that I’ve witnessed many times with Mestre Val, so I thought I would share it for those who may have not seen this side of him yet. Despite fatigue, despite challenges of all kinds, no matter how busy and crazy life gets.. somehow – over the decades he continues his committed and absolute passion for this artform and sharing it with others.
Still full from a quick dinner, FRIDAY CAPOEIRA CLASS became emblazoned with a fiery passion – Mestre Val was on a mission looking for something distinct from all of us in the class. It was fierce, it was complex, it was subtle and it was a very inspired event. It was just an ordinary, everyday Capoeira Class.. but even though there was a great excuse to have little or limited effort with the day’s events, the teacher could be forgiven for simply ‘taking it easy’. Mestre Val didn’t do that.. he hardly ever does that – he drove us all hard, at the many levels that were present and the result was a truly inspiring Capoeira class that we seriously can not believe we survived, each at our own level. It was a GREAT class, but was also a very very challenging class for us all.. starting as a slow burning embers.. growing into a blaze to be endured. Complex, yet calm in it’s challenge.
EVERYONE dug deep. Everyone put in a massive effort. Everyone pushed beyond their own limitations. Everyone felt the steep climb of the challenges set for us… and accepted it. No ego, no identity, no crap, just steady & guided action. It was a peaceful & beautiful thing to experience here at CFdB, being guided from doubt through to certainty by our Mestre.
Capoeira moments are so intense & awesome. For me, I think that this was my most favourite class with Mestre Val EVER to date. I’m not sure what made it my favourite – usually I LOVE when a Music Class connects with a Capoeira class. Simply, I think it was the pure energy that was present. As Sebastiao would say OUT LOUD “Energia Pura” :). I just LOVED the quiet, willing energy from every random Capoeirista present and I loved the inspiration that we, as a collective, brought out of my Master… and then, what what he gave back to us, in energy, in challenge, in passion, in technique and wisdom is something special. A gift.
Interestingly, many of us had not met before here. Some of us were from the group, some were visiting from abroad, some of us are visitors from time-to-time.. and also, there was 1 BEGINNER having her first CFdB class with us.. hahaha :) All of us, left CFdB feeling that special feeling that you get from a pure energetic feeling that comes from exhausting yourself and others, through facing challenges together in a Capoeira class.
Inspired by a fierce and challenging day of Capoeira, it’s pretty awesome to watch the World push a Capoeirista and to be there, present when the Master of Capoeira pushes back against the challenges, the fatigue and meets challenge with the pure energy of embodying Capoeira.. when he gets fierce and shares his passion for Capoeira with students of all levels and all walks of life.
It’s not the first time I’ve seen this drive & dedication result in a passionate and inspired display of Capoeira inspiration and shared wisdom.. and it wont be the last, but it’s a reminder that: When you get tired, Volta ao Mundo.. and Play again… and again.. and again.. and again.. and a reminder that passion and inspiration will flow ‘somehow’, when you live and love your Artform and when you share it at every opportunity it with anyone who is willing to learn with you.
A good reminder: Capoeira can be a real pleasure & a great challenge at every leg, through every phase of the lifelong journey. A constant learning, Capoeira has many faces & it is many things to many different kinds of people, all over the world.
A reminder of our school symbol, the Eagle in flight that carries and elevates carrying a Berimbau clutched in it’s feet. On Friday, I was reminded that Capoeira is also an imagined place to go beyond yourself, Capoeira energy is a problem solver and a life simplifier. It feels comforting and inspiring to have the wisdom of pure Capoeira experience from a Master, as a compass and a guide through a Capoeira path that expands for the Capoeirista, stretching out towards an unknown horizon. That connection to the roots of Capoeira makes the Capoeira pathway a sacred one, a lineage and a lived Culture to contribute to and participate in. A true Blessing.
Viva Meu Mestre!
