The Game of Capoeira is played to the rhythms of the Berimbau. The Different rhythms tell the Capoeirista (Player) what style of game to play. With that in mind modern capoeira is usually classified into two main Systems; Angola and Regional  (hey-joh-nal), Modern Angola and Modern Regional have evolved greatly from the original forms of capoeira described in the oldest texts, Paintings and drawings that document the origins and existence of capoeira as far back as the 1600s  in the early 1900’s however 2 Famous Capoeiristas are considered to be the fathers of each style. Mestre Pastinha with Angola and Mestre Bimba with his ‘Luta Regional Baiana’ (regional fight of Bahia) later know soley as Regional:

Sinha Bahia Capoeira Canada focuses mainly on Capoeira Regional in its modern form, also teaching Benguala (a newer adaptation of mestre Bimbas Banguela) once students have learnt to play regional safely. Its students are encouraged to understand all Styles of modern capoeira over time and are eventually expected to learn the rituals and nuances associated with the Capoeira Angola System.

CAPOEIRA ANGOLA

Capoeira Angola is considered to be the more dance-like system of capoeira.  Angola is often characterized as being slower and lower to the ground. although in actual practice, the speed varies in accordance with the music. Capoeira Angola is also known for the chamada (sha-maa-da), a physical call-and-response where players break the pace of the game and move together forwards and backward before reinitiating the game. This is a particularly treacherous moment of the game because although the action seems to have halted, the game is still on and the strategy of misdirection is often used as a means of catching ones opponent off guard with a sneaky kick or head butt.anything can happen used to challenge an opponent or to change the style in the roda.

The father of the best known modern Capoeira Angola schools is considered to be Mestre Pastinha who lived in Salvador, Bahia. He is considered to be the “Father of Capoeira Angola” bringing this style of Capoeira into the modern setting of an academy.

CAPOEIRA REGIONAL

Capoeira Regional was developed by Manoel dos Reis Machado (Mestre Bimba) in the early 1900s. Mestre Bimba combined the traditional Capoeira with Batuque (an African fighting style his father practiced)  and transformed Capoeira to a more upright and combative system. He started the first Capoeira Academy in Salvadore da Bahia and worked to give capoeira a better image as the public opinion at the time was that capoeira was associated with the criminal elements of Brazil. The Capoeira Regional System is known for its faster and more athletic play than Capoeira Angola.

Modern regional came to be developed by other people and groups over the past 90 years and has evolved considerably since those days Though Mestre Bimba is widely regarded as the man who started it all.