Abstract:
This dissertation is the study related to Capoeira, Body and Spirituality, based on 10-12
years-old children's perception of their body and own world, during an one-year-period. The
subject was developed having the support of Capoeira expertise authors, as well as
Anthropology, Theology and Human Development scholars' literature, under the Children's
Psychology scope, aiming the building of a case study. The study is an investigation which
took place in a Porto Alegre Public School EMEF José Loureiro da Silva, involving fifteen
(15) students who are involved in a Capoeira project Projeto Capoeira Da Escola. This
paper is composed by three chapters. In Chapter 1, one will make some considerations on the
origin, spread and development of this Art/Martial Fight, and one will also present the
concept of a 'Capoeira Master' (Mestre de Capoeira) and how the concept was created. One
will also show the relationship between Capoeira and the Brazilian Old Republic political
scenario in the 1930's, and how Capoeira has become a Brazilian cultural symbol and a
national identity. In Chapter 2, one will present four topics related to ones research: the Body,
based on an Anthropological point of view; the Spirituality; Capoeiristas (people who
practice Capoeira) view of world and children's development, focusing the age of this study
group of children involved in the research, and a summary of the study. In Chapter 3, one will
present an interpretation of the research data and the methodological option adopted by the
researcher, which was the qualitative method, thus one will explain one's assumptions about
the subject. One went through field research and data collection based on the children's study
group, who has practiced Capoeira for a minimum of one year period, and on one's personal
experience as a Capoeira teacher since 1983. According to a questionnaire with open and
closed answers, one will make an analysis and a comments about the collected data. The
research brought the conclusion about very interesting perceptions based on people's answers
to the questionnaire about Capoeira. Those perceptions might contribute for a further study
on the topic and, a deeper study on the topic might bring us new possibilities of the use of
Capoeira as a means in education.
