Capoeira, a martial art originating from Brazil, involves a combination of kicks, acrobatics, and dance. Helena Huang (12) joined the after school class at the Upper School at the end of her freshman year. In an interview with Harker Aquila, Helena discussed her journey through capoeira as well as her plans for the future.

Harker Aquila: When did you start capoeira?

Helena Huang: I started at the end of freshman year. It was pretty much the last quarter, because I had done volleyball first, and my friend Monika Lee (12) showed [capoeira] to me near the end of the year, so I jumped onboard at the end of freshman year. I got into it because my friend was doing it already and I thought it was really cool, and also the teacher seemed really nice and he invited me to try. So I went to try one day and I really liked it, so I just kept going.

HA: What’s your favorite thing about capoeira?

HH: My favorite thing I think would just be being able to play around physically with my friends. I guess it’s interesting, because there is the discipline part, like the martial arts and acrobatics, but there’s also just the part where you’re really encouraged to have fun and be silly when you play. I really like that.

HA: Could you describe your experience with capoeira for the past three years?

HH: After I got started after freshman year, I did it a little more second semester sophomore year, and then that summer I think I started also training a little bit. That summer, I got my first belt, which are called “cords” in capoeira. It was green. I trained all of junior and senior year. The summer after junior year, I also helped teach at a summer camp. The Harker capoeira teacher was teaching at the Harker middle school summer camp, and so I was helping out with that. I also just go to the academy, San Jose Capoeira, whenever I can. That’s an academy outside of Harker, which we are a branch of, so I would go train sometimes. I got my second belt last winter.

HA: What’s your favorite capoeira move?

HH: My favorite capoeira move is a spinning back-kick. The translation in English means “stingray’s tail.” It’s called rabo de raia.

HA: What would your least favorite part of capoeira be?

HH: Nothing really comes to mind. I can’t really think of anything right now. Sometimes, it’s just frustrating when you’re trying to get a move down, and you can’t get it. But it’s fun being able to learn.

HA: What has been the most interesting thing that’s happened during capoeira?

HH: During one of the ceremonies where we get our belts, the batizado, the last one was a really big deal because the master of our academy was getting his final belt, so his master came and a bunch of other masters and a bunch of other important people came. I got to meet a couple capoeiristas that I really look up to, so that was pretty cool.

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HA: Do you have a least favorite move?

HH: Half of the acrobatics. Being upside-down scares me, which is probably not a good thing.

HA: Do you plan to continue capoeira in college?

HH: Yes. I am probably going to UCLA, and I was looking around and I didn’t see a club for it, so it might be difficult timewise, because it’s going to be hard going off campus. But I do know that there are some really good academies in Los Angeles, so if I have time then I would love to be able to train off-campus.