Cord Information

 In capoeira, we call our belts "cords".  Cords are earned at a special event called a "batizado" (bah-tchee-SAH-doh).  Cord levels are not integral to our capoeira training at Ignite Capoeira, but it can be motivating and fun for students to work towards a goal like a new cord color.   Cords are handmade in a traditional method by the instructor and will be mailed to each student when promotions occur.

"Batizado" (bah-tchee-zah-doh)translates to "baptism".  However, there is no religious connotation behind it.  Rather, a capoeira batizado is a special event where new students who have been training in the group are honored and officially brought into the group- they play capoeira with an instructor and their peers (at Ignite Capoeira, we are able to do this all virtually!), and are given a special capoeira nickname (or an "apelido").  Belt or cord advancements also occur at this time. 

Due to the virtual nature of our classes, we will be holding batizado and promotion events three times per year (in place of the more typical once a year events).

An apelido is a nickname given to a person in the Capoeira community, often representing their personality traits, skills, or other distinctive characteristics.   This name is chosen collectively by the student, their teacher, and their classmates.  "Vespa" was the nickname given to Jenny Johnson-Blanchard, which means "wasp"; "Coruja" was the nickname given to James Lynch, which means "owl".