Mestre Bimba

Manuel dos Reis Machado, commonly called Mestre Bimba (born November 23, 1899, Salvador, Brazil - February 5, 1974) was a mestre (a master practitioner) of the Afro-Brazilian martial art capoeira. He was the father of modern capoeira and was responsible of the birth of capoeira regional.

Bimba's academy rules

Bimba strongly believed capoeira had an extraordinary value as a self-defense martial art, hence his efforts to develop its learning in a structured and methodical way.

Bimba developed a capoeira teaching method with commandments, principles and traditions, which are still part of the capoeira regional up to this day. Some of his commandments are:

• To stop smoking and drinking since it interferes with the players' performance;
• To avoid demonstrating one's progression as a capoeira player outside the academy (the "surprise" factor is crucial);
• Avoid conversation during training, instead observe and learn from watching.
• Practice daily the basic fundamentals.
• Do not be afraid to come close to your opponent – the closer that you get, the more you will learn.
• Keep your body relaxed.
• It is better to get beat up in the roda than on the streets.
• Students must maintain good grades in school

Bimba also established his own capoeira principles as the basis for his capoeira teaching method:

• Gingar sempre (to keep oneself in constant movement when fighting); ginga is the capoeira basic movement;
• Esquivar sempre (to dodge away from the opponent's attacks);
• All movements must have a purpose (attack and corresponding defense movement);
• Preserve a constant fixed position on the ground (acrobatic jumps makes one vulnerable);
• Play according to the rhythm determined by the berimbau (capoeira musical instrument):
• Respect a player when he/she can no longer defend an attack movement;
• Protect the opponent's physical and moral integrity (during the practice, the stronger will protect the weaker player).

Consequently, Bimba created several traditions and rituals to support his methodology:

• A chair was used in order to train beginner students/players;
• The charanga is the capoeira orchestra, composed by a berimbau and two pandeiros;
• The singing (quadras e corridos), songs composed by Bimba to accompany the game;
• The batizado (baptism), the first time the student plays capoeira at the sound of berimbau.

The aspects that still makes capoeira regional unique is its method:

• Admission exam (physical test made with capoeira movements to identify students' abilities);
• The sequência (sequence) of the basic 17 capoeira attack and defence movements;
• Practice of the different rhythms of the game;
• Specific movements: traumatizing, projection, connected and unbalancing;
• Practice of cintura desprezada (second sequence practice by advanced students);
• Formatura (capoeira teacher graduation);
• Especialização and emboscada (specific advanced exams).

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manuel_dos_Reis_Machado