ROM

ROM or range of motion is the full movement potential of a joint, usually its range of flexion or extension.  This is a very important aspect of training movement, however many people have the feeling that they need to work more intense in order to get more out of their training.  What most people do not realize is though they might be working at a higher intensity they are actually cheating themselves of their full potential within that movement.  
 
Let’s look at the example if a simple push up.  Here we are starting at the top position of the movement.

If while working with the legs straight you can only go so far down in the movement you have a very limited range.  

As you can see there is potential to go further through the motion.  Now, what happens if we were to bring the knees to the ground (decreasing the intensity of the movement).

While the movement is less intense we now of the capacity to work through a greater range of motion in the shoulder extension and elbow flexion.  If we were to superimpose the pictures with the legs straight and the knees on the ground we can see that there is no change in the shoulders positioning.

With the movement being less intense we now take advantage of the full range of motion lowering all the way to the floor.

We can now see that it is sometimes more important to lessen the intensity of a movement to gain more range of motion.  This way we can increase the benefits of that movement.  The movement should be able to be controlled and smooth throughout; without any jerking motions or falling out of the movement.  Why be embarrassed to lessen the intensity if it will give you a stronger base and more of a working range?  I encourage you to look at your movements and see where you might be cheating yourself simply by limiting your range of motion.  

Comunidade com Expressão

For this year's batizado I decided to create a event shirt that had no words.  I wanted to create a story of community instead of just having another typical event shirt.  Throughout the year our community comes together and shows support for each other.  This event is a celebration of this community.  I could not be more proud of all the support that the students brought to this event. Without all of their time and effort none of this is possible.  Below takes apart all the parts of the logo above to get a better idea of the story behind our community and this event.

 

The sign for greatness in every relationship.  The four dots indicate the four directions.

The rope represents the waves.  In the new year one jumps over seven waves for Iemanja to bring good fortune in the new year.  Seven ropes can be found throughout the design

Arrows show the flow of energy moving throughout space.  It creates balance as it flows in both directions.

A historical sign which stands for a group.

Pemoamsec, the sign of indestructibility and strength of the community.  It is associated with the following saying: “ A broom bound with ties of blood, lowalty and mutual care.  A dress of many colors sown as a sign, as strength.  Whoever isolates himself may see his dwarfish strength break, his beauty split up and incomplete”.

Firmness and the power of self assertion of a self-confident person.

 

Eban / “Fence” – Symbol of love, safety and security.  The home to the Akan is a special place.  A home which has a fence around it is considered to be an ideal residence.  The fence symbolically seperates and secures the family from the outside.  Because of the security and the protection that the fence affords.  The symbol is also associated with the security and safety one finds in love.

Odo Nnyew Fie Kwan: “Love never loses its way home”. Symbol of the power of love.

The star represents Iemanja and is majestic and beautiful, calm and irresistibly fascinating like a mermaid’s song.  Guides the formation of individuality.

The sabers represent Ogum and fiercely pursuing objectives and in difficult moments finding success where another would abandon the struggle and lose all hope.

The double bars represent strength.  The bars within the circle shows the strength of when a community comes together

A Ghana pattern of the broken calabash (bottle gourd).  A motif that is an important symbol of femininity.

 

 

A picture is worth a thousand words.

Getting Mobile

Before I start myself or my students to move I am a huge believer in both joint mobilty and joint preperation as a great way to move the body before getting into the training.  There are so many people with injuries out there in capoeira; you've all seen the multitude of people in wrist braces, ankle wraps, knee braces and more.  What are they doing that is making them need these things...or better yet what are they not doing?

Joint mobility is taking a limb with control through its full range of motion.  Range of motion refers to the distance and direction a joint can move to its full potential.  By using joint mobility and moving toward our full range of motion we want to gain a smooth and contolled movement with our joints.  This is a great way to warm up and lube all the joints for the days training.  It also helps to prevent against musculoskeletal injuries while you work, not to mention gaining a bit of coordination to boot.

Joint preparation is a way of conditioning different areas of the body, such as the elbows, wrists, knees and ankles, so they can be prepared to take the inevitable stress of the unexpected.  It will happen sooner or later, whether by simply slipping or in a takedown.  Working joints in an improper alignment will help strengthen them giving you more insurance throughout your other movements.  Taking this training in a slow and progressive manner will benefit tremendously and help avoid the small or possible large injuries that can prevent you from training.  

Take care of your body by making joint mobility and preparation part of your daily practice.  You'll start to feel and see the results.  Move it or lose it...

A New Process...Enter com Expressão

A Little Background

My name is Todd Russell...meu nome é Carcará.  The first time I saw Capoeira was an amazing time.  I saw endless possibilities and a form of self expression that I knew would be an important part of my life.  I started merely practicing with a good friend in our basements.  Who knew it would grow to the point that it has.  Starting our own, then meeting up with a small group at Buffalo State College.  Within a month of joining this small group of 6-8 individuals I learned we were part of a larger group...Capoeira Mandinga, under Mestre Marcelo "Caveirinha" Pereira.  I will save more details of my beginnings for a future post.

Years of training passed and in 2004 I officially started a group in Rochester, NY.  This was an amazing time with amazing people.  Seeing the students training and excelling brings a great joy to me.  In 2006, I graduated to Contra Mestre from Capoeira Mandinga.  This placed me as a formado or "formed" student.  I was always told that a formed student is the time to develop your work...and this is what I started to do.  I always had some ideas in the back of my mind, but now was the time to start their development.  I started to researching through countless disciplines and think of how some of these things could produce the best process for me.  Near the later part of 2011 this continued research and development gave me a strong feeling to develop this process to a much fuller extent.

Enter com Expressão

At the end of 2011 I decided to form my group as a new identity, com Expressão.  This meant "leaving" Capoeira Mandinga.  I don't really see it as leaving; just extending the family tree to a new branch.  It makes me think of the stories I heard of the older times when a student would graduate and start their own work under a new name; just as Capoeira Mandinga comes from Cordão de Ouro.  My training with Mestre Marcelo was great and I could not be more proud to be part of this family.  They are an extremely large part of what has brought me to where I am today.  Mestre Marcelo will always be my Mestre.  Now, with a new name I feel I am doing what I need to do as a "formed" capoeira.  Let's see what develops... :)

Some Focus

Education: com Expressão looks to educate through capoeira, not only physically but mentally as well.  We promote awareness and understanding of our bodies as well as our surrondings, both in capoeira and everyday life.

Training: com Expressão teaches through progression.  We take a strong look at proper preparation, basics fundamentals, our weaknesses and strengthes and learn to move toward the more complex. Our goal is a pure sense of improvisation.

Examination: com Expressão teaches the traditions and history of capoeira.  We look to have a strong understanding of different views within capoeira.  

More to come...

This is only a small start to what I hope is a large future.

 

“People take different roads seeking fulfillment and happiness. Just because they’re not on your road doesn’t mean they’ve gotten lost.” 
― Dalai Lama XIV

 

 

Paleo Challenge 2012

Looking for a New Year's resolution? Look no further...go Paleo for 30 days! See how you change. The challenge starts on Monday, January 2nd and goes till February 2nd.

Many people have been asking Carcará about the way he has been eating mostly over the past year; known as Paleo. So, this January we have decided on holding our own Paleo Challenge at the academy. This is a way to raise awareness of how our bodies feel and perform with and without certain foods. It also is a way of introducing people to information on Paleo and offering a support group throughout the challenge. Anyone is free to join, whether you are part of the academy or not. We'd like to see as many of you as possible giving this a go. The more people we have, the more support everyone will get!

So...are you in?

Here’s the basic rundown on the challenge, again, first and foremost it’s for awareness – awareness of how our bodies feel and perform with and without certain foods. That’s the most important aspect of this month.

30 days of the cleanest eating you’ve ever undertaken. Please give the challenge it’s fair due. There is definitely going to be an adaptation period where your body has to adjust to the change in its fuel input. This is not a one shot deal either – for example, after a drop of salad dressing you are not out and should not go right back to old eating habits. We do understand that for all of us, real life is still out there waiting and food consumption is a huge component to our work and social lives. For that reason we are going to work on a point system. If you are eating in a fashion that is 100% in line with the strictest Paleo guidelines and you feel terrible for weeks on end with your performance levels dropping, then please don’t continue for the sake of completing the month.

Guidelines

1. Eat real food – meat, eggs, vegetables, nuts, seeds, fruit, oils (No vegetable or canola oil). Eat foods with very few ingredients, all pronounceable ingredients, or better yet, no ingredients listed at all because they’re fresh and natural.

2. Do not eat dairy. This includes cheeses (hard and soft), yogurt (even Greek) and milk (including cream in your coffee).

3. Do not eat grains. This includes bread, rice, pasta, corn (yes, corn is a grain), oatmeal, etc.

4. Do not eat legumes. This includes beans of all kinds, lentils, and peanuts. (No peanut butter, kids.)

5. Do not eat sugars of any kind, real or artificial. No maple syrup, honey, agave nectar, Splenda, Truvia, Stevia, etc.

6. No to processed foods. Pretty much anything in the middle of the grocery store. Can't recognize it growing or running around in the wild? Don't eat it.

7. Do not drink alcohol, in any form. (I know, I know)

Point System

Everyone will starts with 0 points. If you break one of the above guidelines then give yourself a point. So if you have a piece of cheese, that’s a +1. However, if you have a glass of some sort of peanut vodka, that’s a +2, +1 for the peanuts and +1 for the alcohol. In the interest of keeping things simple, if you’re going to eat one piece of cheese or 20 of them, it’s still a +1, so go to town.

At the end of each day, log into a nutrition log and give yourself a score for that day or tally them up and give yourself a score for the week. Feel free to write in how you are feeling performance-wise and otherwise as well. Please feel free to post on our blog; reading about each other’s experiences will only serve to help.

Assessment

Everyone participating within the challenge will be given a small assessment on Monday, January 2nd and Thursday, February 2nd to measure results. This will include photos (before/after) and some physical capabilities. Feel free to inquire for more information.

Disclaimer

The information provided within this challenge is not advice and should not be treated as such. All information is provided as is without any representations or warranties expressed or implied and makes no representations or warranties in relation to any information referenced. If you have any questions regarding about any nutritional or medical manner you should consult your doctor.

Rochester Insider Article

We had a great time having the Insider (local paper) come to the academy and write the following article about us. I would like to thank Jinelle and Amy for participating. Enjoy the article ~Carcará

Kicking and steaming

Writer works up a heavy sweat during her first capoeira class

Jinelle Shengulette

Special to Metromix
June 22, 2011

I found myself lying on the floor of the Academia com Expressão for a capoeira class, holding my partner’s ankles while rapidly and repeatedly lifting both of my legs straight into the air. I thought, ‘This could be it. This could be the end of me.’

Beet-red and dripping sweat, I had to cheat a little. By lift number 20 — OK, 10 — my legs would no longer function, so I bent them instead of keeping them straight and not quite perpendicular to the floor.

Earlier, when I walked into the academy on a balmy 80-degree night with my fearless friend Amy Dasaro, I had no idea what to expect. I had a minimal understanding of capoeira. Developed by slaves in Brazil during the 16th century (when it was a Portuguese colony), it mixes martial arts, dancing and music and provides a great workout. But I chose not to do too much research. I wanted to dive right in and be surprised.

When we arrived, Todd “Carcará” Russell — the academy’s owner and a capoeira teacher who’s on the verge of becoming a capoeira master — had Dasaro and I fill out waivers “in case of death,” he said with a laugh.

“Just to warn you, tomorrow you might be a little sore, but two days later is when the pain will really set in. Make it a point to stretch before and after class,” he said, adding that we should eat protein and carbs afterward to rebuild muscle tissue and replenish the body’s glucose supply.

Seven other students welcomed us warmly, and class kicked off with joint-mobility work and some stretching.

After warming up and trying to do push-ups on our fists and fingertips, we learned our first basic capoeira movement, the ginga, which involves bending forward at the waist, stepping rhythmically from side to side and, at the same time, swinging the arms up in front of the face to protect it.

Next, facing a partner, we worked our way from one side of the room to the other, first practicing ginga, then doing an armada (a kick over our partner’s head), while our partner did a cocorinha (a squat escape) or an esciva lateral (an escape by leaning to the side). Sadly, I had to physically lift my leg with my hands to get it over my partner’s head by the last couple kicks.

As the room grew hotter (there was no AC), we began our role, putting our hands on the ground and pivoting our hips and legs from one side of the body to the other, while looking between our legs at our opponents. (It’s kind of like doing a cartwheel, only your feet never leave the ground.)

Halfway down the room, I was having a hard time keeping my balance when I heard Russell say, “Many students have experienced a bit of vertigo with this move.”

After our partner and core-strengthening work (in which I laid on the ground and held on for dear life to Dasaro’s ankles while lifting my legs furiously), the class concluded with a roda, the most intriguing and terrifying part of the night. The students formed a circle, and some pulled out capoeira instruments, including a berimbau, which looked like a fishing pole; an atabaque, or tall drum; and a pandeiro, or tambourine. While the class started singing in Portuguese and clapping, two students entered the circle for a freestyle capoeira moment.

I was slightly terrified to enter the circle and put what I had learned to the test in front of the other students, but there was really no other choice. I procrastinated by offering up Dasaro to show her skills first, and she looked like a natural. Great.

Thankfully, when it was my turn to enter the circle, my partner took things slowly. I just mimicked what he did and blocked any kicks to the head. (I also almost knocked out a couple of the other students with a couple of my moves.)

The roda signified the end of class, but Russell was right — Dasaro and I were still feeling the effects of our capoeira session two days later.

I wasn’t in too much pain, thanks to a fairly active lifestyle, but capoeira definitely pushed me to my physical limits.

Capoeira
Where: Academia com Expressão, 46 Sager St.

Cost: $10 per class; $15 for three classes for new students.

Contact: 319-6521.

Sands of Time

So many people have come in and out of the academy doors throughout the years. Some training for just the fun of it, while others with much more in mind. All and all there are always those select few that either come in 5-15 minutes late or run out 5-15 minutes early. While at times this may be inevitable, life does have a way of getting us sometimes, I'd like to show a quick peak at what happens for those select few that can not help but come in a bit late each time just because.

Let's take a student that trains three times a week for the course of a year and say each class is an hour and a half in length. The numbers would show these outcomes:

If the student was late an average of 5 minutes per class for the year, they would miss almost 9 classes (780 minutes or 13 hours) throughout the year...pretty much taking just under a month off.

If the student was late an average of 10 minutes per class for the year, they would miss just over 17 classes (1560 minutes or 26 hours)...that's nearly a month and a half off.

Now, what about that 15 minutes. It seems like such a small amount of time. It's not much, right? They would miss 26 classes (2340 minutes or 39 hours) ...just over 2 months of training, gone!

These small amounts of time can quickly add up and before you know it you've lost so much of your valuable time. Now, what happens if you were to do the reverse. Show up 15 minutes early and get moving or stretch a bit, even while talking with your fellow students. We've noticed a little bit of time can add up, so what about a little bit of movement, right? Taking the same numbers, not only did you receive all the classes you paid for, you trained an extra month, month and a half or even two months of class time!

It's your time, so have fun with it!

~ Carcará