GET YOUR K | GEORGIA STRAIGHT MIND BODY SOUL | | FALL 2005 | 14 Capoeira Origin: Brazil What it is: a dance/game/musical/chant/martial art developed by the descendants of Angolan slaves as cultural celebration, symbol of defiance, and bona fide fighting style. What it looks like: participants, clad in white pants and T-shirts, follow their mestre (master), an expert in capoeira music and movement. The art emphasizes circular weaving, bentover postures, and cleverly evasive footwork. Practitioners do not spar; they play. Everything is timed to drum and berimbau music. Slow tempos call for roundhouse deflections and handstands; fast tempos lead to downright acrobatic spinning kicks. Odd factoid: the Mazda “zoom zoom zoom” jingle is part of a capoeira tune. Where to go: over the last decade, Vancouver has become a focal point of capoeira performance and training in North America. There are classes all over the city. Check Aché Brasil (www.achebrasil.com/), Rasta Capoeira (www.abada.ca/), or Grupo Axé Capoeira (www.axecapoeira.com/) pictured above.
ICKS The martial arts are fighting systems that originate in different countries. Some are primarily for sport, others for self-defence; all provide physical conditioning, mental focus, cultural insight, and camaraderie. Which one is right for you? Put down that game controller, jump into a pair of sweats, check out a class, and find out. BY RON YAMAUCHI Krav Maga Origin: Israel What it is: Krav Maga was developed to teach Israeli military recruits how to survive street gangs, knife assaults, and other real-world scenarios with minimal training. Consequently, the techniques are simple, practical, and vicious, with no possible sporting application. What it looks like: on my visit to Bentall Centre Athletic Club, I see six guys whaling away on each other in a room with dance music hammering at maximum volume and the lights off. This is to simulate the disorientation of a nightclub brawl. Students also train for difficult survival scenarios, including having a pistol shoved in their face, fighting with their back against a wall, and fighting in a parking lot. The teacher constantly reminds the sweaty, wrung-out participants of their weaknesses and bad blocking angles, and of the main goal, which is not to defeat the opponent but to survive (i.e., run away when you get the chance). Then he lunges at them with a rubber knife. Where to go: Visit Krav Maga B.C.’s Web site (www.kravmagabc.com) or call 604-921- 2446. Classes are held at Bentall Centre and Evolution Martial Arts (4925 Marine Drive, West Vancouver). EVAAN KHERAJ PHOTOS Kendo Origin: Japan What it is: samurai fencing techniques, modernized into the “way of the sword”. Expert fighters compete with others in tournaments. Points are scored for hits to the head, hands, and chest. Thankfully, there is armour. What it looks like: strict lines of men, women, and children, elegant in black hakama, formal in their warm-up stretches, serene in meditation. Then they pair off. A word from the teacher triggers an astonishing barrage of motion, stomping feet, intense clashes of bamboo shinai (practice swords), and haunting shrieks of “Kiai!” Where to go: the Sunrise Kendo Club practises at Hastings Community Centre (3096 East Hastings Street). The founders have been teaching beginners for over 20 years. For more information, call 604-420-9088. The SFU Kendo Club, pictured right, meets in Surrey. For information, visit www.sfukendo.com/. Tai Chi and other Internal Martial Arts Origin: China What it is: as exercise, tai chi loosens and lubricates the joints and muscles, spreading internal energy (qi) through the body and mind. Done at high speed, these internal martial arts are also time-tested fighting moves. What it looks like: in a dance studio in Richmond (her main studio is in East Vancouver), a petite, almost wispy woman leads a dozen students through familiar, gentle motions. What is not so obvious is that Li Rong is a champion grandmaster of wushu, with a specialty in the double swords, and that she invented this style of tai chi. Her school, the Li Rong Wushu and Qigong Academy, teaches internal martial arts to students from novice to elite. Bearing no resemblance to the “hard” Shaolin-type styles seen in kung fu movies, the internal martial arts are subtle and relaxed. Tai chi chuan is a soft dance of stretches and poses. Baguazhang training seems to consist of shuffling in a circle (to develop strength and balance in the lower body), while Xingyiquan is a more straightforward attacking style; together, they are a formidable basis for self-defence. Where to go: Li Rong’s Academy is at 4310 Slocan Street (www.tristartaiji.com/, 604-436-4899). Michael Blackburn, pictured right, teaches at Kitsilano Community Centre (2690 Larch Street; 604-734-0833, e-mail henjinmb@netscape.net). | FALL 2005 | | GEORGIA STRAIGHT MIND BODY SOUL | 15
Change language