Benable — create shareable lists of things you recommend!
E.g., products you love, local businesses, travel recs - you can add anything to a Benable list!
I Finally Took a Capoeira Workshop in Salvador Bahia and Here's What Helped
30
items So you're actually doing it. You booked the trip to Salvador or you're about to, and you want to train capoeira where it was born. Problem is, there's a million blogs saying ‘just show up’ but nobody tells you what to wear, where to train, or how to ...
Sections
10
Capoeira Schools in Salvador Worth Showing Up To
Clothes That Actually Work for Training in Tropical Heat
Where to Eat Before and After Training
Recovery Gear for Bodies That Aren't Used to This
Learning Portuguese Phrases That Actually Matter in a Roda
Spots in Salvador to Watch Rodas Before You Join One
Capoeira Schools in Salvador Worth Showing Up To
I visited six different academias before I found the ones where they actually teach foreigners without dumbing everything down. These three treated me like a real student from day one.
Walk in here if you want to learn Regional style from the lineage that literally invented it. I showed up nervous and barely speaking Portuguese, and within an hour I was drilling sequences with locals who'd been playing for years. Book your first cl...
Fundação Mestre Bimba
Try this one if Angola style calls to you. The pace is slower but way more cerebral. I thought I was fit until Mestre Moraes' students had me holding low ginga for ten minutes straight. Perfect for anyone who wants the traditional, deeply rooted appr...
Grupo de Capoeira Angola Pelourinho (GCAP)
Grab a spot in their morning class if you're staying in Pelourinho. The space is small and sweaty and the energy is incredible. I trained there four days in a row and by the end the regulars were pulling me into rodas like I belonged. For travelers w...
Terreiro de Bimba
Clothes That Actually Work for Training in Tropical Heat
Cotton killed me the first day. Salvador is humid enough to wring out your shirt after a warmup. I switched up my gear and stopped feeling like a wet towel.
Get these traditional white pants before you arrive. I bought mine from a local shop near Terreiro de Jesus and they breathe way better than any athletic pants I packed from home. The drawstring waist saves you when you're doing cartwheels after eati...
CAPOEIRA PANTS WHITE ABADA ORIGINAL
Swap your cotton shirts for this immediately. I went through three cotton tees on day one and smelled like a locker room by noon. This dried in minutes even in Salvador's swamp-level humidity. Anyone training outdoors in Bahia needs moisture-wicking ...
Men's Under Armour Tech 2.0 Short Sleeve Tee
Toss these in your bag for walking to and from class. Capoeira is barefoot so you need something you can kick off fast. I wore heavy sneakers the first day and spent five minutes unlacing while everyone stared. These cost almost nothing at any corner...
Brasil Logo Flip Flop
Where to Eat Before and After Training
I made the mistake of training on an empty stomach once and nearly passed out during a roda. These spots kept me fueled without making me sluggish.
Hit this place for lunch before an afternoon session. The moqueca gave me steady energy for hours without that heavy crash. I went back five times in two weeks. For anyone who wants real Bahian cooking and not the tourist trap version two blocks over...
Sorriso da Dadá
Grab an acarajé from this legendary street vendor about two hours before training. It's fried but somehow sits perfectly if you time it right. I ate one too close to class once and regretted every au. The line gets long after 4pm so plan ahead.
Acarajé da Dinha, Salvador
Snag a strong coffee and a tapioca crepe here on mornings when you train early. I needed something light but filling, and this nailed it every time. The açaí bowl is also legit fuel. Perfect for anyone who can't function before caffeine but doesn't w...
Cafélier
Recovery Gear for Bodies That Aren't Used to This
My legs stopped working on day three. Everything from my hips to my ankles screamed at me. These three things kept me training instead of lying in my hostel feeling sorry for myself.
Use this every single night on your hip flexors and calves. Capoeira ginga will destroy muscles you didn't know existed, especially if you sit at a desk back home. I rolled for fifteen minutes before bed and woke up able to actually walk downstairs. ...
Best foam rollers? : r/AdvancedRunning
Keep this in your training bag for immediate relief after class. My lower back seized up on day four and this got me through the next morning session. Way better than popping ibuprofen constantly. For anyone over 25 whose body doesn't bounce back lik...
Biofreeze Pain-Relief Roll-On 89ml
Wear these under your abadá if your knees are even slightly questionable. I tweaked my left knee doing a negativa and these kept me from sitting out the rest of the week. Nobody can see them under the white pants, so your pride stays intact too.
Stabilyx Joint Support Compression Tight - Men's Black
Learning Portuguese Phrases That Actually Matter in a Roda
Google Translate failed me hard in the middle of a roda when someone yelled something and I just stood there blinking. These resources taught me the words that actually come up during capoeira.
Download this before your flight and start memorizing ladainhas. Singing in the roda matters almost as much as movement, and showing up knowing even one song earns you instant respect. I learned three songs on the plane and the mestre actually smiled...
Capoeira - song and lyrics by Capoera
Start this a month before your trip, even just 30 minutes a day. I did two weeks of lessons and could understand basic corrections from my mestre instead of just copying the person next to me. Specifically helpful for anyone who's never touched Portu...
Learn to Speak Brazilian Portuguese Language | Try for Free
Bring this paperback and flip through it between sessions. It explains terms like chamada, volta ao mundo, and floreio in context so you stop nodding blankly when your teacher explains something. I highlighted half the book in my first week.
The Little Capoeira Book (Nestor Capoeira) | PDF
Spots in Salvador to Watch Rodas Before You Join One
Jumping into a roda blind is a bad idea. I watched for three days before playing and it saved me from embarrassing myself. These are where the real rodas happen.
Show up Sunday afternoon and just watch. The energy here is unreal and you'll see every level from beginners to mestres who've been playing for fifty years. I sat on the steps with a coconut water and studied footwork for hours. This is where you lea...
Largo Terreiro de Jesus
Catch the rodas that happen near this fort, usually on weekends. The setting overlooking the bay makes it feel cinematic. I watched a game here where two women played so fluidly I forgot to breathe. Great for understanding the conversational pace of ...
Forte da Capoeira / Forte Santo Antônio Além do Carmo
Swing by the area outside Mercado Modelo where groups sometimes gather for informal rodas. It's touristy nearby but the capoeiristas here are legit. I accidentally got pulled in on my second visit and somehow survived. Perfect for anyone wanting a lo...
RODA: Exclusive outdoor furniture | Italian Design
Protecting Your Stuff While You Train
Leaving your phone and wallet on a bench while you cartwheel around is a recipe for a terrible afternoon. I almost learned that lesson the expensive way.
Lock your valuables to a fixed object during outdoor training sessions. I clipped mine to a bench railing at Terreiro de Jesus and trained with zero anxiety. Sounds paranoid until you hear the stories from other travelers. Worth every penny for peace...
Which is better, Travelon or Pacsafe bags for travel security?
Wear this under your shirt with just your room key and a small amount of cash. It sits flat against your body and doesn't shift during movement. I wore mine through handstands and it never budged. For anyone who hates leaving anything behind but also...
Flipbelt Classic Running Belt for Phones & Keys
Toss one of these in your bag so you can find it if something goes sideways. I dropped my backpack behind a wall during a beach roda and spent twenty minutes searching before I remembered I had a tracker on it. Saved me from losing my passport and a ...
Tile Mate 4-Pack (Multi-Colors) - Bluetooth Trackers
Understanding Capoeira Music Instruments Before You Arrive
The berimbau looked like a stick with a wire to me before I went. Showing up with even basic knowledge of the instruments changes how mestres perceive you.
Buy a real berimbau from this Salvador workshop instead of a tourist souvenir shop. The sound quality difference is night and day. I bought a cheap one first and my mestre literally winced when I played it. A good instrument costs more but it's the d...
Oficinas de Construção de Instrumentos Musicais
Practice basic pandeiro rhythms before your trip. Even sloppy playing shows you care about the music side, and mestres notice. I brought this one from home and practiced on the plane until my seatmate asked me to stop. Worth it when I could hold a rh...
MEINL PA10ABS-BK Pandeiro Black 10 inch
Grab this to learn the agogô patterns at home. It's technically a kids' model but the tones are accurate enough to train your ear. I learned the São Bento Grande rhythm on this and transitioned to a real one in Salvador without missing a beat. Cheap ...
On this day twenty-two years ago, my lovely baby boy was
Day Trips from Salvador That Connect to Capoeira History
Capoeira didn't start in a gym. It came from enslaved people in the Recôncavo region. Visiting these places gave me context that changed how I understood every movement.
Take the bus to Mestre Bimba's birthplace and walk the streets where Regional style was born. I spent a whole afternoon here and it hit different than reading about it in a book. The town is small and quiet and you can feel the history. Go on a weekd...
Basílica Menor Nossa Senhora da Purificação
Cross the bridge between these twin cities and visit the Irmandade da Boa Morte sisterhood. The African-Brazilian cultural roots here run deep and directly connect to why capoeira exists. I talked to a local historian for two hours and it reshaped my...
Cachoeira Town - Bahia Experience
Arrange a respectful visit to learn about quilombo communities where escaped enslaved people preserved African traditions including early forms of capoeira. I went with a local guide who explained connections I'd never read about online. This isn't a...
Visit to the Quilombo Kaonge Afro-Brazilian Community
Books and Documentaries to Watch Before Your Flight
Showing up with zero background knowledge is like walking into a conversation halfway through. These three gave me enough context to ask smart questions instead of dumb ones.
Read this cover to cover before you go. Mestre Acordeon breaks down history, philosophy, and technique in a way that's accessible without being shallow. I read it on the flight over and immediately understood references my teacher made on day one. Fo...
Capoeira: A Brazilian Art Form - History & Philosophy
Stream this documentary about capoeira mestres in New York. It shows how the art adapts outside Brazil while keeping its roots. I watched it the week before my trip and it helped me understand the tension between tradition and evolution that comes up...
Mandinga em Manhattan : como a capoeira se espalhou
Keep this as your pocket reference. It's short enough to finish in a few sittings but dense with practical knowledge about etiquette, music, and movement philosophy. I dog-eared so many pages it barely closes anymore. Specifically useful for understa...
The Little Capoeira Book (Nestor Capoeira) | PDF