Capoeira workshop

In January, the young people of Amantani were part of one of the most enriching workshops that has ever been offered by a volunteer. Maurizio, Capoeira teacher, came from England to Peru with the intention of influencing the young people of Cusco and show them the benefits of this practice that he has been enjoying for many years.

The style of Capoeira Maurizio practices doesn’t follow the traditional concept of martial arts, and instead focuses on the beauty of the movement, and the capability of being able to translate whatever happens in life into this discipline, as a form of play. “I practice a type of Capoeira in which a person has to identify him or herself, as opposed to feeling imposed by it. I consider it a form of art that is alive.”

Aldair, one of the students that stands out the most, told him that he didn’t know what Capoeira was until Maurizio’s arrival. “I didn’t know anything about it. I even thought Capoeira was the name of a Brazilian dish!” he told us while laughing. But his interest soon changed when he understood that Capoeira was similar to Karate; a discipline he had been willing to learn for a while. Once he found out, he said he was “excited and very eager to learn.”

When arriving to Cusco, Maurizio quickly adapted to this new place and settled comfortably in the culture. Nonetheless, when comparing the group of young people in Cusco with other groups he had taught around the world, he noticed there was a series of delicate challenges when it came to working with the girls in the team. One week before finishing the workshop, he told us, “They need more time to trust me. It’s not something that happens easily. They need time to build bonds; especially if the teacher is a man. But I think we are achieving it.” It’s important to mention that, as weeks went by, our young women began to understand that it was a safe environment and they became more involved in group dynamics.

This was the first time our young people took a workshop that allowed them to channel emotional aspects into physical movement. As a result, our young people noticed great changes in many aspects of their lives. Aldair also recognized he now has more self-estime and self-confidence after this workshop. “The teacher Maurizio used to tell me, ‘Look me in the eyes,’ as I kept staring at the floor. And he would say, ‘The floor is always going to be there. It’s not going anywhere.” He also mentioned that Capoeira now serves him as a method to self-regulate his emotions. “When I’m sad, I begin to dance. You have to find the melody. If you find the melody, you create a new world.”

Even though this workshop has already finished, Aldair doesn’t want to stop practicing Capoeira. “I would love to teach this discipline to other young people. It would be an honour. As the teacher (Rocio) said, I could teach the young people who’ll come here (to Paqari Wayna) next year.” One of the values of Amantani is the Quechua principle of ‘Ayni’ that focuses on reciprocity. At the Youth Hub Paqari Wayna, this is commonly practiced by sharing knowledge with other classmates.

Maurizio, who started practicing Capoeira as a friend’s suggestion, will go back to England and leave behind a group of young people that will always consider him a friend. We are sure that Capoeira will continue being a useful tool that makes them feel empowered.