Once banned combat sport now in the limelight: Caravelas Negras spreads its wings

Musical, graceful, acrobatic and spectacular – just some of the terms that can be used to describe capoeira, a Brazilian sport invented by African slaves. 'Slaves weren't allowed to have weapons and so they learned to flight and defend themselves using their own bodies. Because they were not permitted to fight, they practiced their sport as a dance,' explains the treasurer of Caravelas Negras, Gaya Nikolsky. This capoeira club offers lessons in Amsterdam, Amstelveen, Haarlem and Hoofddorp, and they teach workshops and perform all over the Netherlands.

Forbidden

Gaya is also known by her pseudonym Charmosa, Portuguese for 'charming', within the group Caravelas Negras Capoeira (a name that refers to the ships used to transport slaves). 'Capoeira was forbidden back then. To protect their identities, practitioners of the sport had nicknames that alluded to a character trait.'

More accessible

Thankfully that kind of secrecy is not needed today. 'We promote capoeira and Brazilian culture at various locations within the Schiphol area. We want to do this as broadly as possible and we believe it's important to make sport, exercise and culture accessible to all and to share it.'

Thick air mat

The donation from the Schiphol Fund therefore came in very handy. 'Good equipment is important to be able to train safely. We used part of the donation for new hand pads to practice kicks with. Most of it was used to invest in an AirTrack mat – a thick air mat that is also used in gymnastics. Everyone was so enthusiastic and eager to practice and challenge each other to try new things.'

Diversity

The donation gives the group the opportunity to spread its wings wider. 'We consider it important that capoeira is accessible to all, including children with a disability, socio-economically disadvantaged children and senior citizens. We want to grow. Not only by attracting more people, but by getting a more diverse range of people involved.'

New opportunities

Charmosa and the other 75 or so members of the capoeira group are very pleased with the Schiphol Fund contribution. 'A great initiative. And nice to see how smaller associations and clubs are being supported. It is precisely those smaller clubs that are important, because everyone can find their place there. A donation to a large club has less of an effect on individuals. This gives us new opportunities and possibilities that we would not otherwise have.'

In May 2022, Caravelas Negras received a donation of € 1.456 to buy a new mat and hand pads to train with.