became the 1968 rebel hymn of the left (‘Para não dizer que não falei de flores’), also wrote a song about
how ‘capoeira was going to fight’ (‘Capoeira vai lutar’).^38
After the harsh repression of the student movement in 1968, the military again turned to capoeira. As part
of their attempts to eradicate dissent and control civil society, the military regime not only promoted the
transformation of capoeira into the national gymnastics, but also wanted to have a hold over the multiplying
capoeira groups. Some attempts at institutionalization had resulted, even before the military coup, in the
creation of a Department of the ‘Brazilian National Fight’ (e.g. capoeira) within the Cariocan Federation of
Boxing (Federação Carioca de Pugilismo) in 1962.^39 In August 1968 the Federation organized the ‘First
Symposium on Capoeira’, which was attended by sports and capoeira teachers from Rio, as well as minister
João Lira Filho. The aim of the organizers was to reach a consensus about the regulations that should
govern the art and eventually unify the conflicting styles. Most interventions (in particular those of Captain
Lamartine and Dr Decanio) advocated that capoeira should be administrated as a sport and not as folklore. A
few dissident voices (including that of João Lira) maintained that it should remain ‘folklore’. However, as
André Lacé revealed to the press, most capoeira teachers were unhappy that they had to affiliate to a boxing
federation, whose budget they did not control, and aspired to create a federation of their own.^40 Since the
meeting reached no conclusion, the Brazilian Air Force sponsored a ‘Second Symposium on Capoeira’,
organized by Fersen Braga, who managed to make more than 50 mestres and instructors from different
states attend. Yet the most prominent participant, mestre Bimba, walked out in the middle of the event
because he felt that people who had no adequate knowledge were appropriating his art.^41
At the time the military regime encouraged its higher rank officers to take over leading functions within civil
society, and in particular within the sports federations and its umbrella organization, the National Council of
Sports (Conselho Nacional de Desportos—CND). Further meetings and pressure finally led to the adoption
of ‘Technical Rules of Capoeira’ by the Brazilian Boxing Confederation in 1972.^42 It laid down precise
regulations regarding recognized kicks, ethics, uniforms, competitions, and judges and standardized the
level of students. The latter were to be identified by belts (cordões) inspired by the colours of the Brazilian
flag: white, green, yellow and blue. Capoeira federations in every state subsequently adopted similar
regulations.^43
Crucial to the development of and the directions taken by the art since the 1970s was the foundation of
the Federação Paulista de Capoeira, in 1974. Most of the prominent mestres of the first and second
generation in São Paulo (M.Onça, Suassuna, Brasília, Pinatti, etc.) adhered to the new institution, expecting
that it would provide them with crucial support in their everyday struggle to maintain their academies. If the
Federation fulfilled that function, it also contributed to streamlining capoeira in São Paulo, and reinforced
the trend to transform it into a competitive sport modality. The yearly tournaments organized by the
Federation were paramount in that development. Like athletes, capoeiristas paraded around the stadium in
their impeccable white uniforms exhibiting the logos of their respective group. They saluted the Brazilian
and São Paulo flags with the Regional greeting ‘Salve!’ Games took place within weight, age and gender
categories analogous to boxing. Judges ranked the competitors according to the number of successful
attacks and counterattacks, a rasteira or a tesoura, for instance, being awarded two points. Contenders also
lost points if they fell to the ground or left the delimited area of competition. The whistle of the judge, not
the berimbau, signalled the beginning of the game. Athletes typically displayed fast sequences of kicks and
did not make much use of ginga.^44
Initially, most movements were allowed (with the exception of blows), but when head butts (cabeçadas)
resulted in accidents, they were banned. The games became increasingly regulated, at a later stage
competitors having to perform specific movements or lose points. Without doubt, the competitions
CONTEMPORARY CAPOEIRA 175