Capoeira Unshackled: A Conversation with Dr. Matthias Assunção on the History of Capoeira

This episode centers on Dr. Matthias Assunção’s research into capoeira’s history and martial arts studies more broadly. Assunção explains how capoeira myths developed over time, particularly misconceptions such as enslaved people using their feet to defend themselves because their hands were shackled. He explained that capoeira's African origins are clear, but it was developed in Brazilian port cities rather than on plantations and emphasized that the art form can be used for both resistance and oppression. This episode also addresses the globalization of capoeira, including debates about singing songs in languages other than Portuguese and how the art form has been adapted in different countries, and the continued debate over capoeira's professionalization in Brazil.