Capoeira Lunges

African slaves in Brazil developed a system of fighting techniques that could be disguised as dance. The resulting art form -- capoeira -- is mesmerizing to watch and challenging to perform. The basic movement from which all other moves originate is a lunge called a ginga -- pronounced "zhing-gah" -- that almost anyone can do. Each academy, or "grupo," teaches and practices a slightly different variation of this move.

Instructions

• 1

  Stand with your feet slightly more than shoulder-width apart, toes pointing forward, your hips and knees bent. Try to get into a squat, also called "cadeira," the Portuguese word for chair, so your thighs are parallel to the floor. If this causes discomfort, do a mild squat and try to get a little lower with each subsequent attempt.

• 2

  Shift your weight to your right leg while pushing your left leg straight back behind you into a lunge. Land your left leg on the ball of your foot and shift a portion of your weight to that rear foot. Swing your right arm out to your side, elbow and fingers bent and relaxed. At the same time, rotate your left hand in a defensive move in front of your face. Your arm will be bent and parallel with the floor, the palm of your hand faces your opponent.

• 3

  Return to cadeira after the brief lunge on the left foot. Repeat the movement on the other side and shift the arm movements accordingly. Continue this back-and-forth practice -- in capoeira, there is no such thing as too much ginga.