Mexican capoeira is not diasporic! – On glocalization, migration and the North-South divide

Abstract

capoeira, glocalization, diaspora, North-South divide, bodily capital bildende Erfahrungen This paper contributes to the understanding of martial arts globalization processes. It focuses on the development of capoeira in Mexico, which is presented as an example of glocalization. In contrast to the diasporic capoeira observed by Delamont and Stephens in the UK, capoeira in Mexico is characterized by the proliferation of local groups with classes taught by Mexican instructors, as well as by advanced cultural reinterpretation. To explain these differences, capoeira is considered as the bodily capital of Brazilian migrants whose mobility patterns are influenced by the North-South divide. This paper hypothesizes that glocalization processes similar to Mexico's might exist throughout Hispanic Latin America and other regions of the Global South. Furthermore, the diasporaglocalization divide could be a pattern in the globalization process of practices that originated in the South which spread as part of migrants' bodily capital. Finally, I ask how capoeira's glocalization in Mexico might anticipate similar processes in the global North.

A Typology of Martial Arts Scholar–Practitioners: Types, Transitions, and Tensions in Capoeira

“…A given martial artist might drill punches at the beginning of a class, while later working on their footwork or swordplay at home or in a local park (as mentioned in the vignette above). Through our various studies on various fighting systems [4,5], we have observed that some martial artists devote their time to a lifestyle of practice-training with friends on the weekends, their classmates in the evenings, and on their own within their home or work environments. All of martial arts demand continuous practice of such skills in order to develop a recognized level to then be able to teach, and it is worth noting that martial arts teachers and instructors are almost exclusively active practitioners.…”

Problems with hierarchy and problems with tradition: The critique of male power in Afro‐Brazilian capoeira

“…Variations depend on the country and its particular history. David Sebastián Contreras Islas (2021) points out the differences between capoeira groups in the United Kingdom and Mexico, arguing against the diasporic character of capoeira. Comparing the work by Sara Delamont, Neil Stephens, and Claudio Campos (2017) in the UK with his research in Mexico, Contreras Islas mentions that in Mexico, the economic context does not provide a platform for a constant influx of mestres .…”

Globalization, authenticity and legitimacy in Mexican capoeira

“…I'd rather give you a degree in capoeira that gives Longe do Mar legitimacy'. [Cigano, personal communication, 29 September 2020] By making Cigano a mestre, Mestre Acordeon wanted to protect an legitimize the innovations of Longe do Mar, which has a long history of generating original plastic, scenic and musical work inspired by capoeira [Contreras Islas 2021]. However, Cigano reflects how making him a mestre was also a way to put a limit on those innovations:…”

“…Following in the steps of Lauren Miller [2013;2016;with Marion 2018], this contribution analyses the strategies used by non-Brazilian capoeiristas to obtain what she calls the 'ultimate marker of authenticity ' [Miller 2016: 43]: the title of mestre. I hypothesise that such strategies change with the structure of the social field of capoeira in different regions of the globe -for example, between 'diasporic capoeira' [Delamont & Stephens 2008] in the Global North and 'glocalized capoeira' in Mexico [Contreras Islas 2021]. To that end, I analyze the life stories of Cigano and Rosita 1 -the first Mexican man and woman to become mestres.…”

“…However, I also find some notable differences regarding the role of innovation, the relevance and destinations of apprenticeship pilgrimages, and the status of the title of mestre as the 'ultimate marker of authenticity'. While some of these findings may relate to characteristics specific to particular capoeira styles and schools, others could arise from differences in capoeira's globalization processes across the North-South divide [Contreras Islas 2021] or gender issues [Guizardi & Ypeij 2016].…”