Brian Bennett

So, I started doing capoeira. The first thing most people think is, what the heck is capoeira? Isn’t it a dance or a fighting style? But what’s the point? Why not do yoga, or Brazilian Jujitsu, or Jazzercise?  The value it brings helps me become a more well-rounded mover overall. Capoeira is a collaborative form of movement that depends on two people playing the game, this means that you are pushed to expand your range of motion, speed, and timing as well as pushing your proprioception and your ability to focus on an “opponent”. The major value for me is that it allows me to move more freely and has not only made me a better mover but also changed how my brain perceives movement. Because it’s gamified, you are able to focus longer and push harder than you would mindlessly droning through those same old exercises that leave you with little motivation and a physical plateau. Often times I feel too tired to go and by the end of class, I feel energetically charged. Like a night out dancing, or playing a game as a kid, Avi provides a space where you can have fun and be silly and be accepted no matter how well you move or play the game, but there is also a deep sense of ritualistic discipline that brings a tribal seriousness to understanding that ego has no role in fitness.

-Brian Bennett