Street Fighting Moves - Capoiera - Why This Is One of The Most Ineffective Systems for Reality-Based Street Fighting

Street Fighting Moves – Capoeira – Why This Is One of The Most Ineffective Systems for Reality-Based Street Fighting

by admin on Sep.27, 2009, under ineffective street fighting systems

Watch the long-haired Capoeira guy doing the fancy flips and how the boxer responds.

There is one fighting style that I feel is all but useless in a real life or death struggle for your life. This fighting system is:

Capoeira

Wait! Wait! Wait! Don’t start buying your tickets yet to look me up in Los Angeles to give me a piece of your mind and/or foot. Just hear me out, and then let common sense be your guide.

Why Capoeira Is Ineffective As A Reality-Based Fighting Style:

Capoeira is a fighting system which originated from Africa and was later migrated to Brazil. This is a so-called fighting system based on dance, grace, acrobatic coordinated moves such as one handed stands while your head is upside down and your feet flip into the air before it twirls to the ground. These acrobatic premises in themselves are counter to grounded street defense common sense.

Capoeira causes immediate doubt and misgivings for me in that it is usually accompanied by rhythmic music. Real street fighting is very chaotic, and it would be very hard to write a musical score to the explosive, violent and unpredictable nature of its movements.

Whenever you have an audience who is doing so much applauding as they watch staged demonstrations of martial arts accompanied by music is cause to give me doubt. Why am I obligated to call entertainment “martial art”?

Yours truly,

Charles Prosper

“The Street Fighting Sifu”

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:capoeira, martial arts, self defense, self protection, street fighting

4 comments for this entry:

Nicholas K.
September 28th, 2009 on 5:47 pm
First of all, this clip is from an MMA movie. The movie is called “Never Back Down” if you are wish to know and the other guy isn’t a boxer he is a mixed martial artist. And if you want to see a REAL fight where a capoeiraista knocks out a mixed martial artist then watch here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l6oiADjOdFg

That said, In my opinion any martial art can be used effectively for fighting; however, some martial arts take more practice and experience to be used effectively than other self-defense/fighting methods.

I do agree with you that flack doesn’t win fights and that you must immediately engage and neutralize the threat, but that can also be achieve through any martial art including capoeira.

“Capoeira causes immediate doubt and misgivings for me in that it is usually accompanied by rhythmic music.”

To say that you cannot use capoeira for self-defense because there is no music is fiction. I know plenty of dancers who can dance well without music. It’s part of development and the same is true for capoeiraistas to use their art without music too.

Martial arts is much more than mere entertainment. It teaches respect (which a lot of RBSD don’t teach), it permeates your everday life and creates happier people while RBSD is just a skill you use, martial arts is a lifestyle, it can be used effectively for self-defense, and lastly people clap because of the discipline it takes to achieve the level of skill they exhibit.

“These acrobatic premises in themselves are counter to grounded street defense common sense.”

Which is why your attackers wouldn’t expect it. I truly respect Reality Based Self Defense in that you take learn to effectively defend yourself in as little as one day while martial arts may take 10+ years to feel comfortable with yourself, but it can be used effectively for self-defense nonetheless. I’ve even seen a guy win a streetfight by knockout with a tornado kick. It’s a fancy jumping spinning kick that also is “counter to grounded street defense common sense” but that don’t change the fact that the other guy got knocked out and he won the street fight! Just becasue something may not be the most efficient (fastest to learn and easiest to apply) doesn’t mean it’s useless. If you practice long enough and get enough experience to start seeing things clearly you’ll be able to apply the principles of your martial art to whatever you need to do at the instance.
Mackie
October 26th, 2009 on 8:26 am
+1 on your comments Nicholas
The ingredient most RBSD instructors fail to tell their audience–cause this is something they really don’t want to hear—is that strength & conditioning (as does physical size) in a brawl does matter & does affect the fight. Any MA or MMA stylist who works on these core elements is eons ahead of the average lunkhead. Thanks for headsup about the Capoeira video. Its despicable that a hollywood staged fight would be used as an apologist for someone’s system.
Charles Prosper
October 26th, 2009 on 5:24 pm
True, Mackie. It was a cheap shot to use a movie to exemplify the ineffectiveness of Capoeira, but I still stand with my original assessment that Capoeira is not designed for the average real-world situation, i.e., a crowed bus, a hallway, a stairway, or cornered against a wall in an alleyway. If you think it’s great, fine. I can live with that. And if you would be willing to bet you life on it for saving you or your loved ones in a lethal situation, hey, I can sleep at nights with that too.

Best of luck,

Charles Prosper
Mike
April 11th, 2010 on 4:02 pm
Capoeira is awesome as far as getting one in shape but it is ineffective in most situations. Still, you can sometimes catch a guy with a spin kick.