More capoeira stuff, as if I post about anything else...

Grumble. Unfun post.

I told the Madison people* about capoeira issues. I've been thinking about matters for several months now, and I think I'm at the point where I've all but made my decision.

So the short version of the problem: I belong to capoeira Batuque. I have more fun at capoeira Nago. I have friends in Nago. I can make Nago classes but very few Batuque classes. I can't belong to both groups. I really like Batuque's professor. I promised, upon joining Batuque, that I wouldn't leave it for other groups and I'm bound by duty to the group.

I talked with Professor Wayne last Thursday and touched on some of the issues I'm having with the group. I told him about how wonderful the Madison open roda was and how much I wanted to train with more people than two other students plus the professor. At the end of the lesson, Professor Wayne said that he wouldn't mind a break for a while, because the rest of his life is pretty busy and doesn't have enough students to do capoeira full time these days.

Then, at the very end, as he was getting ready to leave for evening, I asked about this year's batizado, where we get new cords reflecting our new skill levels. I don't get one. Like, for the next five years, in all likelihood. Capoeira Batuque is located in LA, with tiny cells scattered around the country, Brazil, and Japan. We're the only chapter in the midwest, so the only way I can have a batizado is to go to LA. I can't afford that and won't be able to afford that at least until 2015. What this means is that, due to my financial situation, my hard work will not be recognized by anyone until I have about $500 to burn. That is true for every year that passes with me in Wisconsin. Living in LA is the only cheap way to progress in the group. Capoeira Nago's batizado is about $100 with no travel involved – I can handle that.

So here's the long and short of it: I feel terrible about these feelings of disloyalty to Batuque, but it feels like the group has abandoned me first. My desire to leave for another group isn't random: my fellow students are mean and uninterested in a capoeira community, unlike Nago. They aren't able to move classes to a time I can attend them, there are no special events anymore, the classes are more expensive, and I don't even get to be acknowledged as anything other than a fresh beginner to the art. Where's the community I thought I was joining two years ago? I'm going to continue training with Batuque for the summer as normal. At the beginning of either the fall or spring semester, I'm going to take a break from Batuque. I'll formally join Nago next May or June, unless something changes.

*Madison people: Arabian & Lex. No one else in Madison has kicked me in the face, so they don't qualify as people.

This is a sad and ugly post. I conclude with silliness. I can't agree with this rule, but that didn't stop me from laughing at this a bit too hard the first time (and second time) I saw it.