Can you dance? Can you fight? Learn both Afro-Brazilian style at this Fresno park

FRESNO, Calif. ( KSEE/KGPE ) – The Afro-Brazilian martial art of capoeira wraps together dancing, music, movement, and acrobatics into a single routine – and anyone in Fresno can learn how.

A group of capoeiristas is offering free classes at Roeding Park on Saturday and Sunday at 8:30 a.m.; Manuel Perrone has been teaching with the group United Capoeira Association Fresno for a year now at the park.

Perrone says he started learning capoeira when he was about 11 years old.

“I’m also a student along with them,” Perrone said. “We’re all just learning and growing together and we want to expand this community, make it bigger, and get the word of capoeira out here.”

Perrone says capoeiristas are a growing community in Fresno. He hopes the free classes will help rejuvenate the community and teach about the culture of capoeira.

“They go, Oh capoeira that’s that cool like dance fighting! Right? And I go yeah,” said Perron. “Or they have no idea what it is.”

According to Perrone, capoeira can be traced back to Afro-Brazilian origins during the slave trade. He says African slaves in Brazil were stripped of their culture and freedom and as an act of defiance and perseverance they created capoeira.

“They decided to practice fighting, but hide it in a dance format,” Perrone said. “So setting [up] live music, a nice little circle we’re all playing around, but it’s literally tradition, it’s more than martial arts.”

Along with the practice of acrobatic movements and kicks, Perrone also shows his classes a little bit of Portuguese paired with a lot of musical instrument playing.

One of the classes’ youngest participants Bodhi Krause says despite being able to throw kicks and do flips in class, he enjoys playing music the most and being at practice.

“The music part is the funnest part,” Krause said. “Sometimes I have trouble in school and this really helps me focus.”

Some of the classes’ more seasoned students like Christian Beas say capoeira practice is what they look forward to most after a long week. It is a huge part of his self-care routine.

“Capoeira and the community that I’ve met through capoeira, it’s helped me a lot,” Beas said. “The stress relief is just a giant weight off your shoulders.”

Anyone interested in learning capoeira is invited to the Roeding Part tennis courts every Saturday and Sunday morning at 8:30 a.m. You can find out more on their social media .

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