Kwesi Mugisa, Staff Reporter

Dennis Eckart of Alafia, teaching the Reggae Boyz Brazillian martial arts, capoeira, during training at St George's College on Tuesday. - Ian Allen/Staff Photographer

Spin kicks, punches and elbow strikes are generally things frowned upon in the international sporting arena of football. However, if technical director René Simoes has his way, it could become an integral part of the local football landscape.

Capoeira, a Brazilian martial arts form developed by enslaved Africans in that country during the 16th century, is fast becoming renowned world over as a great method of increasing agility, improving balance, coordination, flexibility and mobility.

Simoes believes the martial art form could be helpful to the national programme and hopes to implement it on a phased basis.

"It is something that we practise in Brazil and it is good for great many things you need to play the game," the heavily moustached Brazilian coach explained.

"I think to implement (it) here would be good idea and I will try to do so on phase by phase basis to get it into local game," he said.

increase stamina reflexes

Well, phase one of that implementation programme might well have got underway, as on Tuesday at the national team's training session at St George's College, the local-based Reggae Boyz, many of them with wry smiles on their face, were put through the paces by Dennis Eckart, one of three directors of the local school, Alafia.

The movement, which began in Jamaica some four years ago, has since its inception looked at the art form as a potential tool for violence prevention, enhancing self-control and bridging the social divide. Capoiera is currently taught in several prominent high schools, as well as inner-city communities like Mammee River, Trench Town and Seaview Gardens.

Eckart believes it could go a long way when combined with the national programme.

"In Brazil, a lot of football players use this art because the movement and whole nature of the art is similar to a lot of movements in football.

"Also, the strategies you use your body to trick a person into thinking you run to one side and then go the next, those things are used in football and that is how the idea of using Capoiera with the national team came about," he explained. "It increase stamina reflexes, it's a new kind of work-out," he said.

"As an art form, it has the potential to unite. The movement sprung up as part of a resistance to oppression by African slaves. It has a strong context to Jamaica which had lots of slave rebellions similar to Brazil. Things happened in Brazil and the movement sprung out of that," he noted.

emphasis on skill

Capoiera, often taken place to a quick musical beat, places an emphasis on skill and not necessarily on injuring the opponent, as moves are not often completely executed, but broken almost at the point of contact. While there has not yet been an official schedule drafted for work with the national programme, curious on-lookers will be able to get perhaps a first glimpse of the art, when Jamaica's Reggae Boyz take on Costa Rica on Wednesday at the National Stadium, when Alafia is scheduled to perform a 10-minute segment during the half-time break.