Speaking of rodas....

I don't think I wrote about this before....last week on Wednesday was my first time at Ralil's academy.  This was another thing I missed last year....but I don't know, for me, I kind of prefer going alone, no offense to anyone.  The experience of being there alone, without Foca or Ana or any of my other Capoeira Brooklyn peeps meant that the only one who had my back was me (not that there was any danger that I needed someone to protect me from...and also Nagi was there, but it was somehow different...). We arrived in time for the roda before class and there were about 20 people there of all different cord levels.  Even the amarela/crua cords were very very good.   I wanted to watch for a while, to see the nature of the games, to have the chance to play atabaque and berimbau a bit and contribute my good energy before playing.  As I watched, I found myself feeling the same fear of entering the roda that I felt in my first month or two of capoeira, the same fear I see in some of those who are in or just finished the Absolute Beginner series at our academy.  At first I thought, Abobora, don't feel this way.  You know what you're doing; you know how to play and have fun and be safe and all that.  But then I started to relish the feeling, which I think is a feeling we forget pretty quicly once we become comfortable entering the roda and playing a lot.  I mean, really, some days I know I have to keep myself from buying the game every two minutes. I enjoyed this reminder of how far I've come, and of how much the moment of entering a new roda with new people is to be experienced throroughly. 

Of course, after a while I started playing, buying the game with Mestre Ralil first. And all at once I felt like I was home.   In so many ways, capoeira is home to me, and I know that I carry this home on my back like a snail carries its house.