techniques in the universe of combat sports. On occasions, capoeiristas even win free-style competitions. In
1995, for instance, M.Hulk (Sidney Gonçalves Freitas), became the champion of the First Tira-Teima
Nacional de Vale-Tudo.^148
Yet the practice of other martial arts by capoeiristas, keen to ensure that capoeira does not become
outdated in terms of combat efficiency, has also made techniques from other martial arts increasingly
important in their capoeira practice. An example of this development is M. Dinho (Raimundo dos Santos),
leader of the group Topázio from Bahia. His students do not hesitate to use ju-jitsu movements in the roda,
whenever conditions seem favourable. M. Dinho explains that instead of a kick,
Our guys learn to immobilize applying an ‘American’ or an arm-lock, ju-jitsu moves that do not hurt,
but neutralize the [other’s] action. Why give a beating? To immobilize demoralizes more than to give
a beating.M.Dinho believes that contemporary capoeira needs the same type of reform and updating as it did in the
1930s. For that reason he claims to have adopted M.Bimba’s approach towards other martial arts, and
believes himself to be able to continue with the mestre ’s work: ‘I added things to strengthen capoeira. I
only wanted to improve the efficiency of capoeira’.^149
Throughout Brazil some capoeira teachers go down this road of ‘improving’ capoeira by introducing new
movements. Another example is the ‘Capoeira Free Style’ taught in São Paulo by Lúcio Antônio de
Carvalho, better known as Pernambuco, who makes clear that ‘acrobatics do not work’.^150 Ju-jitsu,
especially, seems to be the favourite martial art to be fused with capoeira, to the point that some people now
talk about ‘capo-jitsu’. If these developments have the merit to maintain capoeira in the pool of combat arts,
one cannot but wonder to what extent ‘capo-jitsu’ or ‘capo-boxing’ still can be considered capoeira. The
dividing line remains not so much between full contact and not, but rather—as in the 1930s—the use of
grabbing or punching techniques. Many capoeira practitioners still believe that their use is not compatible with
capoeira. That is why the corrido ‘Oh Mrs Alice don’t grab me!’ is still sung in contemporary rodas.
The only way to avoid capoeira losing its identity as a distinct combat art is to establish rules that prevent
contestants from using boxing punches or ju-jitsu grabs and blocks. The rules adopted by Capoeira
Federations and CBC (Brazilian Capoeira Confederation) precisely intend to match that purpose.
Competitions require precise rules and guidelines to assess the individual performance and to decide who is
the champion. This goal-orientated ethos was precisely something unthinkable in the old days of the
vadiação, where most of the time there was no clear ‘winner’ or ‘loser’.
This modality of capoeira thus became governed, like any other sport, by an increasingly sophisticated
system of regulations. And since the rules tend to shape the type of game, practitioners easily disagree over
what these should be. Not only have the rules established in the 1970s changed as we have seen, but
capoeira groups, which are not members of the confederation, have adopted their own regulations for the
competitions they organize. When capoeira became a modality in the Brazilian School Games (Jogos
Escolares Brasileiros—JEBs) in 1985, the organizers adopted their own rules for the capoeira competitions,
which included a song contest.^151 Another prominent example are the ‘Brazilian Games’ held by Abadá-
Capoeira since 1997 in different categories (according to belt, age and gender). In 2000, Abadá coordinated
‘Regional Games’ in various Brazilian states and even in Europe, where thousands of capoeiristas from all
over the world met. The best capoeiristas were then allowed to participate in the Brazilian Capoeira Games
in Rio de Janeiro.^152 In contrast to free style fighting competitions, the assessment is made for each game
and not for individual players. Contestants therefore accumulate points from each of their games and try to
get the highest possible score in order to qualify for the next phase of the competition. The jury assesses
196 CONTEMPORARY CAPOEIRA