The first time I heard about Capoeira, one fitness instructor at Sweat Gym said that it was "fucking amazing." Well, let me tell you, it's fucking weird. Unlike the Brazilian bikini wax, this Brazilian workout actually means "long grass." And instead of a couple of swift rips, it spreads the torture over 90 minutes with cartwheels, jumps, kicks and songs -- oh yes, there was singing.
This dance/sport/martial art was developed centuries ago in Brazil by slaves so that they could practice their fighting under the guise of a dance. But their moves were not the typical skills you learned for your Girl Scout self-defense badge. They were more like an incredibly intense game of twister on speed. It was a good workout, but as a Capoeira virgin, I came out sweating more from humiliation than anything else.
The class is held in a circle and set to special music. Most activities are done in pairs. I made the tragic mistake of going to class solo and had to be that awkward girl who kept on latching onto everyone else, dragging them down to the ground. The highlight came at the end when the class broke out into song and dance and performed a live rendition of the Capoeira tunes that left me wondering if, perhaps, I was just sucked into some odd cult ritual.
Capoeira looks completely surreal and matrix-esque when the experts play, so if you want to be in it for the long haul, that's hot. But if you're just looking for a one shot trial experience, I suggest downing some margaritas and popping in your Tae-Bo video -- it's pretty much the same thing.
And if you just want a little Brazilian culture, forget about Capoeira and go for the wax -- the fellas will love it.
