is anyone really better off when people spend their lives trying to find new ways to prove other people wrong?
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All Faith is false, all Faith is true:
Truth is the shattered mirror strown
In myriad bits; while each believes
His little bit the whole to own.
-Haji Abdu El-Yezdi (Richard Burton)
The term Candomblé is a combination of two words from the Central African Kikongo language: Ka and ndonbé, together meaning “custom of the black people.” The drums play an essential and dominant role in Candomblé ceremonies. The master drummer plays the rum, which improvises intricate variations. The rumpi and lé play relatively unchanging patterns as they repeat one steady rhythm. The master drummer or alabê (Yoruba alá agbè) always has overall control of the ceremony, so it is important that drummers never go into a trance.”
-Gerard Taylor (Capoeira: The Jogo de Angola from Luanda to Cyberspace)
I highly recomend this book to anyone who finds african culture interesting.
Translating the heading: “The ship turned over, in the depths of the sea there is treasure.”
This traditional folkloric capoeira song is an apt metaphorical lyric to represent Kongolese religious ideas that have been described by T.J. Desch Obi. He explains that the counter-clockwise roda, or elola, was essential to central African cosmology, which “linked human combat to the interplay of spiritual forces from across the kalunga, or the threshold between the lands of the living and the dead.”
Kalunga in Central Africa, in N’Bunda language, meant the sea. The word also means rivers and the kingdom of the ancestors. In Kongolese cosmology, the counter-clockwise circle represents a solar cycle. If a cross were drawn within the circle, the horizontal east-to-west line is the kalunga. The kalunga divides the material world from the spirit world or afterlife. East represented birth, north was the peak of strength, west was death at the intersection with the kalunga line, and regeneration came at the southern extreme of the cross.”
-Gerard Taylor (Capoeira: The Jogo de Angola from Luanda to Cyberspace)
more will come tomorrow on this theory
i miss atabaques
to anyone who is interested in this, i have just posted a forum on my “M” page. go add your two cents.
Instructions:
1) follow this URL: http://myimn.com/forum/topic/show?id=609359%3ATopic%3A5223
2) If you dont have an “M” account, get one
4) Watch Video
5) Comment
all oppinions welcome.
i have also included a copy of the 99 names of allah
Michael
the batizado (baptism) at my capoeira school (ginga mundo) started yesterday. we had a lecture on the word mandinga in capoeira. then after we had a class and roda led by mestre nenel, a son of mestre bimba (the guy who invented capoeira regional the most widely spread type of capoeira) its really cool, im taking my camera today so i can film some of the capoeira angola. i cant wait. im very very excited.
here is an article on mandinga and some interesting concepts in capoeira (taken from http://www.capoeiramichigan.com/Mandinga.html ):
“Different than the literal translation given by the Brazilian Portuguese dictionary, the word Mandinga has its own meaning in the capoeira world. The Aurelio dictionary translates the word mandinga as a “magic” or “spell.” In some sense that meaning applies to capoeira, but in a different context.
Mandinga in the capoeira environment means, amongst many things, the hidden power that one has to disguise their real intention and to trick the opponent. It is a way to invoke some forces to blur the opponent’s vision of reality almost like hypnotizing him/her into a trance-like state so that they can’t see what is coming. It can also be magic, like a trick that confuses and distracts the opponent. However, much more than any of the above meanings.
The word mandinga has a very special meaning as a way of referring to capoeiristas that are very expressive in their game and know how to embellish their jogo* with beautiful and impressive gestures. These gestures are sometimes very theatrical, sometimes like a primitive dance, and sometimes imitate all kinds of animals (e.g. monkey, jaguar, snake, eagle, bull, and many others).
When a capoeirista is reffered to as being a “mandingueiro” it can be considered as one of the highest complements that could be given. It implies that one is experienced and mature with a good sense of humor and yet dangerous and not to be fooled by appearances. Sometimes the word mandinga is also used to imply that someone put a spell on a player and for that he/she can’t play well or is not doing well in some sense. For example, a person might make a comment after realizing that he/she is not having a good day by saying “Jogaram mandinga em mim” meaning “someone put a spell on me” (that’s why I am not succeeding with my endeavors). This meaning is metaphorical but used frequently in a positive way as when we say “ele tem mandinga no jogo” meaning that he has mandinga in his game. In other words, his game is rich and expressive, difficult to figure out, but easy and great to appreciate.
I would risk saying that besides the word capoeira and ginga, the word mandinga must be the next most used word in capoeira songs and literature. This word is intimately related to malÃÂcia** and axé*** which are also words of exquisite and intriguing meanings. However, malÃÂcia and axé are qualities that can be separated from mandinga, but mandinga can not be separated from them. For in order to have mandinga, you have to have malÃÂcia and axé. On the other hand you could have axé or malÃÂcia but lack having mandinga. To have mandinga incorporates having axé and malÃÂcia as well.
Mandinga is a powerful, meaningful word that helps to rescue the essence of the spirit of capoeira and for that reason, after doing extensive research to find out if there was any group using this name, I decided to use it for our group because to my surprise there were no other Capoeira Mandinga groups in the world. Since in the capoeira world we try not to copy anyone else and instead choose to be creative and unique, the name Mandinga gave us the honor to be associated with the biggest interest I have always had in capoeira, which was to rescue the expression and the spirit of the art.
Axé, MalÃÂcia, and muita Mandinga!
Mestre Marcelo
*jogo is the capoeira game
**malÃÂcia means among other things having the street smart experience that gives the capoeiristas the cleverness to realize tricky situations that are not very evident yet. It also implies that someone having malÃÂcia could be a difficult person to figure out and a potential dangerous opponent.
***axé signifies the life force. It also symbolizes the force we can give or pass on to someone and for that reason we often say axé to people as they are leaving as if we would be saying go with the life force or be with the life force that surrounds you.”
“They say: ‘Become Jews or Christians if you would be guided (to salvation).’ You say: ‘Nay! (i would rather) the Religion of Abraham the True, and he joined not gods with Allah.’ You say: “We believe in Allah, and the revelation given to us, and to Abraham, Isma’il, Isaac, Jacob, and the Tribes, and that given to Moses and Jesus, and that given to (all) Prophets from their Lord: and we bow to Allah (in Islam)*”
-the Qur’an, Surah 2:135-136
*islam means submission
Half Moon
Tonight im going to see the lake house with some friends (natalie (my girlfriend), katelyn, and maybe some other people) has anyone seen it? what did you think?
i bought a book yesterday about northern shaolin sword and it recently struck up some questions on the exsistence and nature of chi.
Chi according to google:
The vital force believed in Taoism and other Chinese thought to be inherent in all things. The unimpeded circulation of chi and a balance of its negative and positive forms in the body are held to be essential to good health in traditional Chinese medicine.
in my searches on web forums and martial arts books iv been exposed to many differing oppinions. this article might interest anyone who thinks chi is interesting:
http://www.yiquan.org.uk/art-zz.html
what do you think?
Half Moon
wow! i just finished my last discusssion of all insight (and my last class). all thats left is finals. i hope i do well! we had a great discussion with a coupld big debates. one centered around this:
what is a lie?
what is the difference between “deception” and “lying”?
are they both wrong all the time?
what do u guys think?
the other debate we had was about evil.
what is the difference between evil and demonic? is there a difference?
what do u think?
Half Moon
http://nationstates.net/
Half Moon
the definition of religion:
“[to] care for orphans and widows in their troubles”
this defines our relationship and attitude to others, for the follower of christ this is namely, one of servanthood.
“and [to] refuse to let the world corrupt us”
this defines our relationship and attitude to ourselves and god. for the follower of christ this is manifests itself as:
to ourselves: self-denial, piety, discipline.
to god: subjection, sincerity, to not let the world corrupt us means to dwell in him and him in us. otherwise we have no hope and we will be overcome
Half Moon
i watched a movie last night called invisible children. it was very good and has inspired quite a few things in me. i recomend it to all of you though it is very hard to watch. thought of the day:
do you wanna change the world? then why arent you? and yes it is that easy.
its amazing how much one can actually do. especially in america. right now u have the capacity and calling to change the world, all of u. so what on earth are we waiting for?
Half Moon
for those of u who r europeans (believing or non-believing) what do u think are the main hindrances to growth in the european church?
Half Moon
a thought i had from watching narnia for the second time (with french subtitles). when the kids all go
to narnia together and meet the beavers, mrs. beaver says “i never thought id live to see the day!” and isnt that the case for most christians (and probably jews before christ), we dont think well see the day, but we really have to be like the beavers, living with hope and believe that actually, its happening right now. god is working his will in the world this very moment.
Half Moon
