Articles

About 'Razor wire' club

The objective of our club is to study and train the original Capoeiragem Carioca - fighting 'capoeira' (also called 'utilitarian capoeira' by some) that flourished in the 1800-1920 in Rio de Janeiro.

We also study the almost-extinct 'leg wrestling', alternately known as Batuque, Pernada or Samba duro; as it is an important part of the culture of Capoeiragem.

Note that we don't practice 'Carioca' as some kind of addendum to the modern capoeira; instead, what we do is completely distinct and separate from modern capoeira, its own thing. We do not use modern capoeira as a base, neither in technical nor in tactical sense.

We are not directly interested in folclore; our primary area of study is the application of the original techniques of capoeiragem in fighting and self-defense.

Folclore?

We don't practice Capoeiragem and Batuque as folclore; ie as historic, dead artform, interesting because people sometime in the past did it. While historically the Capoeiragem is interesting, we believe in doing it as a live thing.

The most important thing to be able to regard Batuque and Capoeiragem as they should be is to stop regarding them as a show (ie something to be seem) and start regarding them as wrestling (ie something that throws opponent to the ground).

Capoeiragem/Batuque are NOT shows for onlookers! They are wrestling styles; utilized either as a sport (with rules), or as a self-defence.

Articles & Essays:

On Batuque/Pernada - explains the origin of Batuque, its relation to Capoeiragem and our practice of it

Baloes - the throws of Regional - article about throwing techniques created by Mestre Bimba for his Regional style

Batuque - and Shuai Jiao - what is the link between batuque and chinese wrestling?

On joint locks - a short treatize on using joint locks for self-defence

Regional = Baloes - a capricious note on the place of baloes in capoeira; with a happy ending

Atacx Gym Capoeira - a comment on a certain renegade capoeira school

Baloes in Capoeira Angola - a close look at the place of baloes in capoeira before Mestre Bimba

Vingativa: The full story - analysis of vingativa, and why it isn't used in RazorWire

Fake picture(s) - on the problem of anachronistic capoeiragem

Brooklyn rock, Frevo, Danmye - on dances and non-dances

Tiririca Paulista - a cousin of Batuque from Sao Paulo

Hold vs Locks - another article on my favourite subject, joint locks

Reaction time - how important is really raw reaction time in fighting?

Chinese writing - another heretical article about the training method of Chinese martial arts

Posture - on the crucial role of correct body mechanics in Capoeiragem

Prettifying capoeira - on M.Bimba and prettified capoeira

Jitte finally explained? - on the 2nd stupidest kata in the world

Kusanku ninja movement - decoding one of the more mysterious techniques of Kusanku kata

Kakushi zuki - analysing the 'hidden punch' of Wansu kata

Tacit assumptions in MS-1 tactical scheme - and how they relate to Capoeiragem; plus a theory of TIMS