Any capoeiristas?

Started by Bipocni, July 27, 2013 · 12 Replies · 3,465 Views

Bipocni

I need your help.  I've been trying to figure out how to rotate into a bridge, like this:

 

More specifically, I think the problem might be the shoulder on my supporting arm refuses to rotate.  I tend to land on my head a lot.  I can press up into a bridge, rotate out of a bridge, I just can't rotate into one.  Frustrating.

 

Any tips?

Ravn

I had the same problem. Something as simple as placing a soft mat under my head eliminated my fear, and subsequently made the move much easier.

Hercules

This is something I was trying to get down for floreio (until I broke my clavicle...). I had the same problem for rotation in to low bridge but just found that strengthening the pre-requisites (low bridge, rotations against the wall) got me the rotation in to low bridge. I would imagine focusing on rotation in to low bridge, rotations against the hall and getting a really solid high bridge will help.

 

This has some notes, might help you. Back in the days from where Ido Portal was more helpful when it came to training rather than just giving his philosophy.

http://idoportal.blogspot.co.uk/2009/07/floreio-workout-number-2.html

dmcmanam

Rotating into bridge is not capoeira specific, it is a basic movement.  Your shoulders are very tight - stretch a lot more - lats, pecs and hip flexors too.    

When you press into bridge you want to arrive at straight arms with your chest over your palms or ideally past, notice how quickly you shift your shoulder away from your palm and bend your arm as you attempt to rotate into bridge.  Instead of pressing into bridge from the ground, try walking down a wall first bending at the neck then opening the chest and see if you can touch your chest to wall at the bottom and then walk back up.  Rotating in requires more shoulder mobility.  A strap could be useful here to train shoulder flexibility initially while not under load.

Also if you have been doing a lot of bench press work at the gym - quit.

swhitley

As mentioned, ido portal's blog and older youtube channel stuff is good for developing and breaking down some of the more demanding capoeira floor stuff

EGordoAF

Hello. I'm new to the board. I practice capoeira when I can (been busy with school). I am trying to look like a guy named Cara De Peixe as far as his movement in the hips. This guy looks like he's floating in the air. Any tips to get my hips like that? Strengthing and stretching? Also I was wondering what you guys thought of this stretch that I've been doing. You sit  in a v-sit position with your legs stretched out as far as possible, then you just lay back. I feel a stretch in my hip flexors and quads but I was wondering if this is safe.

Also if you guys want an idea of what Cara De Peixe looks like in capoeira check out this video.

IcedDante

I've had the pleasure of meeting/playing Cara de Peixe before..truly a great capoeirista! His English wasn't all there so I had a hard time getting him to open up about his training protocol

Bipocni
dmcmanam said:

Rotating into bridge is not capoeira specific, it is a basic movement.  Your shoulders are very tight - stretch a lot more - lats, pecs and hip flexors too.   

I don't think this is the problem, I think it's more of a lack of strength on the side of my hand and/or in my shoulders in that position.  I can hold a standard bridge fine but a one arm bridge is more difficult.  Admittedly, I have been trying to rotate into high bridge, perhaps it would be easier trying to rotate into low bridge first?

synchroGENized

I'd try the following steps

 

1) work on shoulder and upper back flexibility - its hard to be strong or co-ordinated in a position you can't get to

 

2) get a spotter to hold half our weight to go through the rotation, possibly with your feet on a raised surface

 

3) do it on your own, and hang out in the sticking point

 

4) make sure to give equal attention to both sides

capoeirista

I'm a capoeirista as well (duh by my name haha) If we have several capoeiristas on the forum I think we should start a separate thread to just discuss capoeira moviments and training, supplemented with F1/H1 of course  :)

Bipocni
dmcmanam said:

Consider this:

http://youtu.be/jo5ZvWP7tWA?t=3m10s

 

Maybe your definition of a "standard" bridge is a cause of some confusion. 

I'm working on it.... :unsure:

 

By standard bridge I just mean high bridge.  I think I need to spend some more time in low bridge before I can rotate into low bridge and then eventually rotate into high bridge...