Editing Capoeira (section)

=== Bantu culture ===
[[File:Divination Ceremony and Dance, Brazil.JPG|thumb|''Divination Ceremony and Dance, Brazil'', by [[Zacharias Wagenaer|Zacharias Wagener]], [[1630]].]]

Dr Maya Talmon-Chvaicer suggests that capoeira should be explained in [[Bantu languages|Bantu]] terms. For the African slaves, capoeira was a social expression that incorporated all the basic African elements: circle, dance, music, rituals and symbols. It also contains all the ingredients of a game from the [[Kongo religion|Kongolese]] perspective: a means to train and prepare for life, providing the experience needed to strengthen the body and the soul.{{sfn|Talmon-Chvaicer|2008|pp=175-176}}

Within the [[Bantu peoples|Bantu]] culture, ''[[Roda (formation)|the circle]]'' carries profound symbolism.<ref name="Talmon-Chvaicer"/> Dancing in a circle holds significance, representing protection and strength, symbolizing the bond with the spirit world, life, and the divine.<ref name="Talmon-Chvaicer">Talmon-Chvaicer, M. (2004). Verbal and Non-Verbal Memory in Capoeira. Sport in Society, 7(1), 49–68. doi:10.1080/1461098042000220182 </ref>

A major means of communication with the ancestors is music. Musical instruments play a pivotal role in bridging the realms of the living, the deceased, and the gods. This explains why African dances customarily commence by paying homage to the primary instrument, often through kneeling or bowing before it. This practice of appeasement and seeking divine assistance from the gods is mirrored in the capoeira tradition of kneeling before the ''[[berimbau]]'' during the ''[[ladainha]]''.<ref name="Talmon-Chvaicer"/>

African martial arts naturally take the form of [[dance]]. In Bantu culture, dance is an integral part of daily life, encompassing song, music, movements, and rituals. This holistic view applies to [[Democratic Republic of the Congo|Congo]]/[[Angola]], where dance is intricately linked to song, music, and [[ritual]].<ref name="Talmon-Chvaicer"/>