Capoeira: The History of an Afro-Brazilian Martial Art

THE CAPOEIRA SCENE IN BAHIA 117
banning capoeiragem. In contrast with Rio de Janeiro, repression against capoeira was usually limited to the
prosecution of ‘disorderly behaviour’ or ‘physical injuries’. Out of 800 criminal records from the period
1900–1930, Liberac selected a sample of 92 files, which he identified as involving capoeiras. Even within
this specific sample capoeira is rarely mentioned explicitly. What allowed him to establish the link with
capoeira was the fact that some of the arrested or injured figure prominently in oral tradition as capoeiras
(especially in Noronha’s memoirs). Liberac could therefore safely assume that they did use their skills in the
event leading to their arrest. Yet the rest were classified as capoeiras merely because they were designated
in the sources by what Liberac reckons were the standard identifications for capoeiras: valentões,
capadócios, bambas, desordeiros. 98
One out of the many interesting aspects of his research is the fact that in most cases weapons were
involved. Injuries rarely resulted from head butts or other capoeira kicks, but most of the time from knives
or machetes (facões), and more rarely, cudgels (cacetes) or other weapons. Especially jackknives
(navalhas) figure prominently among the weapons used and are, according to Liberac, another sign of the
culture of capoeira in the city. Although the selected cases give a good insight into the culture of manhood
or valentia, and the motives for fights, a basic doubt remains regarding the links of all of them to capoeira.
Undoubtedly many of the arrested were capoeiras, some of them well known troublemakers, but others just
seem to use weapons in what looks very much an ‘ordinary’ fight, where no specific capoeira technique is
involved—at least there is no clear evidence for it. Knife figbting techniques, although commonly practised
by capoeiras, were not necessarily employed only by them. And conversely, not every capoeira was
necessarily interested in weapon techniques. Many of the old mestres did learn specific aspects of capoeira
from different teachers: one taught them the movements, another how to play berimbau or other
instruments. Knife fighting techniques were often taught by people who were not necessarily involved in
the game of capoeira. Cobra Verde learned to throw a jackknife attached to a rubber band (navalha no
cordão) from a women called Tonha Rolo do Mar, Boca Rica from a ‘jack-knife player’ called Zabu. 99 The
point I want to make here is that tough guys or troublemakers were not always, and necessarily, synonyms
for capoeiras, although there was an important overlap. 100 By assuming that these terms were strictly
synonymous, one risks overestimating the affinity of popular culture with the culture of violence. There are
many counterexamples of capoeiras which had no reputation for creating disorder such as Toinho da Maré
or Samuel Querido de Deus.
Having made this general reservation, one has to concede nonetheless that Liberac has encountered an
impressive material on some of the most notorious tough capoeiras. One of them is Pedro Mineiro, whose
death in 1914 inside a police station is remembered by various capoeira songs. 101 This famous troublemaker
was based in the port area and its red light district, and the records suggest he might have been a pimp. He
was prosecuted several times either for violence against women or fights with other men over women. This
kind of dispute was also at the origin of his violent death. According to M.Noronha, he was the lover of the
waitress Maria José. One day she accepted the invitation of a marine to follow him. Pedro Mineiro went
after them and killed one marine and threw another one out of a window. He was arrested and detained at
the police station. The captain of the marine’s ship nonetheless was not satisfied with his arrest, because the
police chief Alvaro Cova was known to protect capoeiras. 102 His men therefore invaded the police station to
kill Pedro Mineiro. As the ladainha goes: ‘Warship Piauí, anchored in the port of Bahia. An insubordinate
sailor jumped off to create mayhem. They ordered Pedro Mineiro to be killed inside the police station,
comrade!’ 103
The episode of Pedro Mineiro reveals several important facets that help to understand the links between
capoeira and violence: the use of its techniques to subject women, the rivalry between different corporate
bodies such as the marines and the police, and the practice of clientelism involving capoeiras. Behind