How come breakdancing looks a lot like capoeira?

Question

I've known breakdancing for a long time, but I havent known capoeira quite as long. I first had this feeling that both seem somewhat similar, but now im just dying to know. I see a lot of moves seen in capoeira used in breakdancing like one hand stands, the kidney stand, and some stances are also seen in both. Also, the acrobatic and showy parts of capoeira are seen very often in breakdancing. Did breakdancing stem off capoeira? please help

Answer 1

i have no clue. ..

Answer 2

This article may be of some use to you.  It explains a bit of history of both Capoeira and breakdancing.  

http://www.wiretapmag.com/stories/87/

Answer 3

Because break dancing has taken moves from all types of Martial Arts and used them to make moves for a DANCE. break dancing might have been influence by capoeira but I don't think it came from it, I have seen move in break dancing that come from Kung Fu, Karate, TKD and others.

Answer 4

because breakdancing and crapiera are the same thing.

Answer 5

In fact, both capoeira and breakdance show the influence of practice on the street, as a dance, in groups, most often by young, fit and playful guys.

The similarities in practitioners, and mode of play,

may account for resemblance beyond the copy factor.

Many martial activities become more similar at high

levels because of the potentials and constraints of

the human body...

Answer 6

probably, capoera is the martial arts of dancing, break dance is usually done in dance competitions so its not irrational to pattern its step to the ma of dancing

Answer 7

Some breakdancing moves stem from capoeira. They were both prediminatly black sports. While there are many influences for breakdancing, capoeira is the biggest.

In primitive tribes mostly in South America, tribesmen used to have slavery between other tribes. Since slaves were deprived of their possessions, fighting was a way to rank everyone into a social ladder, with the best fighter at the top; somewhat like a king among the slaves.

Naturally, the masters didn't want the slaves fighting. To solve this problem, the slaves created a dance-like fighting style. When the masters told them to stop fighting, they said they were dancing. This evolved through the years, and the fighting aspect was eventually lost.

I believe breakdancing boomed in popularity un the US when James Brown was popular. His unique and energetic dance style helped bring breakdancing into new light.

Although breakdancing stemed off capoeira, they are very different by nature.

Answer 8

Breakdancing =/=  Capoeira.  They do look pretty similar, and I used to think that breakdancing stemmed from capoeira as well, but that isn't quite true.  Early 'b-boys,' breakdancers, were usually of African descent, as were the creators of capoeira.  So both of them come from African rituals and ritualistic dances, that is why they are so similar.  There is this great book on capoeira which mentions this in a chapter, its part of a 2 volume set.  Let me know if you are interested.

One of the other users has the right of it as well, modern b-boys take whatever looks good and modify it to fit their scheme, and that includes martial arts.