Translation into English by Shayna McHugh
Source: Capoeira da Bahia

Lately, in capoeira in São Paulo and still more in Europe, I lament the almost-disappearance of the rasteira. The rasteira used to be a symbol of the capoeirista's expertise. It was trained for hours and hours in the academy. Capoeiristas worked in partners in order to learn how to perform a correct rasteira; there was also the floreio, the ginga, and the "deceptions" that make up part of capoeira. We must not allow such an important thing in capoeira to vanish.

I remember one case that demonstrates the power of the rasteira, not so long ago, when I trained in the academy of Mestre Nô. A certain graduated student thought that he, with his physical strength and his experience, was superior to his mestre. He challenged Mestre Nô on a Saturday in front of all the students and various visitors. Nô went to the roda, saying that if he lost, he would go away, leaving the student as the director of the academy.

The game began at a medium rhythm, without songs, and lasted a long time. There was much tension; whoever played instruments played them, and everyone else was silent. There were moments of superiority of one over the other, and later the advantage turned. Nô prepared the student until giving a fantastic rasteira that caught both the student's legs and sent him to the ground on his buttocks. The student, in anger, tried to start with punches, but others stopped him. In the end, he became so unhappy that he abandoned capoeira.

It is one case among many that confirms the symbolic importance of the rasteira in capoeira. Who does not remember of the talent of Mestre Canjiquinha, of Um-por-Um (from Massaranduba), of Marcos "Alabama," in the rasteira?

In batizados, the end of the novice's game is done with the takedown by rasteira, in addition to other forms of takedowns. Today we see capoeiristas that are said to be exceptional who cannot manage to give a rasteira on the students who are being baptized. We see capoeiristas intimidating the novices and carrying out violent blows and throws without technique in order to knock them down.

It is lamentable to see that the new generation of capoeiristas is not proud of their technique, and has become so insecure in their art that they do not open their game (even if it was with the aim of a takedown) when playing novices with a few months of training. Those watching from a distance see the opportunities that those capoeiristas have to make, but the capoeiristas do not take them, preferring instead violent movements, to the sadness of those present, whether students, relatives, or spectators that know the art.

It seems, then, that the rasteira left the repertoire of many capoeiristas. Why?

Could it be that new training methods excluded the rasteira? Could it be that the rasteira does not make up a part of modern capoeira? Could it be that the rasteira requires too much of these new capoeira masters? The rasteira requires a lot of awareness of the other player. As I already noted, it is necessary to work, to prepare the opponent enough so that he makes a decisive attack that ends in his own takedown. It is the ability of a mestre; but it requires a good head, and time. The games that we watch have the main objective of showing off movements. It doesn't matter whether these movements are aggressive or acrobatic; in the minds of the players the movements themselves are more important than the strategy, the skill in the art of manipulating the other.

In general, we agree with those who think, like Mestre Decânio, that the overly fast rhythm and the desire to prove oneself in "free-fighting" damage the game of capoeira, removing the ginga, the rasteira, and everything that makes our art beautiful. If, as I think, the capoeira of Bahia has something to teach the world (in practice for our European students), is exactly this original thing. Because of this, we cannot accept seeing a basic element like the rasteira ignored.

So let's work on this with our students, whether men or women, weak or strong, new or old. Let's develop a capoeira that involves the other player, who is a partner and adversary at the same time.

Lúcia Palmares is a nurse, Bahian, born in Salvador on May 15, 1955. She was a capoeira
student of Norival Moreira de Oliveira, Mestre Nô, in the Academia Orixás da Bahia in
Massaranduba/Salvador/Bahia, since 1971. She received the cordão of professora in
1979. She taught in the academy Centro Suburbano de Capoeira (rua 2 de Julho, 19, Alto
de Coutos) of Mestre Dinelson, from 1980 to 1990. In 1987 she received the cord of
Contra-Mestre granted by Mestre Nô. In 1992 she left Salvador, went to Santos (SP) and
continued teaching capoeira working in an ONG. In 1995 she moved to France. Today
she is starting a new group in Paris and researching the cultural aspects of capoeira. She
can be contacted by e-mail: This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it