Capoeira is awesome for women

I just ran across this article entitled Capoeira, Fitness, and Feminism. I'm not 100% sure what the author means when she writes, "Some people are committed to bringing feminism to fitness, and vice versa," but I certainly think that what is happening recently in capoeira classes in Atlanta is impressive.

But two years ago, if you'd walked into any one of the capoeira classes anywhere in Atlanta, you'd see a room full of sweaty men with furled brows displaying feats of strength in some ground acrobatic movements. Don't get me wrong, we still do that (us, men), but in just the last year, the number of women playing capoeira, getting in shape doing capoeira, and really helping capoeira to grow has increased exponentially. Two years ago, a woman would walk into class, try it, love it, and never come back. Today, especially in Decatur, I'm happy to have a very healthy mix of both genders. In my opinion, it has enriched the classes themselves.

Heather MacLean, the author, writes,

Feminists are reclaiming fitness, focusing on the sense of strength it can give women. I am thrilled that the SMU Women’s Centre has Women’s Sports Days, so women can get their sweat on. This semester, the Centre is offering Capoeira classes. Capoeira is an Afro-Brazilian art form that combines elements of martial arts, music, and dance... . It is a very beautiful, stylized martial art, and a great workout.

And I couldn't agree more. She also notes that "Feminism encourages us to embrace all of our strengths: political, emotional, and physical." Doesn't capoeira do this too?

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