Three years ago my Capoeira
teacher, Mestre Acordeon, and I made a promise to each other to bicycle from
Berkeley, California to Salvador, Bahia. I had no idea how I would fulfill this
promise, but I knew opportunities like this come once in a lifetime. So I set
my intention, worked diligently day and day out to slowly materialize this
dream. Now I’m only one week from taking off in the journey that I’ve dreamed
of for years.
Capoeira is an Afro-Brazilian martial
art that incorporates fighting, dancing, and music into a unique game called
“jogo de capoeira”. Capoeira possesses
depth and richness that fulfills many aspects of human needs. Capoeira’s playfulness creates strong friendships, its
music develops creative musicians, its group dynamic builds strong communities,
and its physical challenges adapts our bodies to undertake the most challenging
of feats. It is all these qualities that has allowed Capoeira to flourish and
spread throughout the world.
The first legal Capoeira academy
was opened by Mestre Acordeon’s teacher, Mestre Bimba, in Salvador, Bahia. Mestre
Acordeon spent his youth in Bahia training under Mestre Bimba, but he soon
ventured out of Salvador and became one of the pioneers to spread Capoeira throughout
the world. For over half a century
Mestre Acordeon has been teaching the valuable lessons that Capoeira has to
offer. During this time Mestre Acordeon has become an iconic figure of Capoeira
and world renown as one of the highest embodiments of this art.
The project that we’re undertaking is
much larger than just riding our bicycles. This project is about completing a
cycle in Capoeira by connecting big and small Capoeira communities throughout
the Americas. It’s about strengthening the connection of Capoeira’s origin in Salvador, Bahia with its new home
in the US. It’s about spreading the seed of Capoeira so its fruits can benefit people
worldwide. We intend to do this by filming a feature-length documentary of our
journey, by recording a musical CD with elements of each place we visit, and by
writing a book about our challenges, success, thoughts, and observations. We’ll
take our time to explore the land we travel and allow it to inspire our
projects. All the proceeds from this multi-faceted project will go to fund
Projeto Kirimure, a non-profit that provides food, shelter, education, and
Capoeira lessons for at-risk youth.
For me, this project is an
opportunity to help eternalize the legend of my teacher, an opportunity to give
back to communities that have given so much to me, an opportunity to help kids
who need it, an opportunity to see the world in a different light, and an
opportunity to rediscover myself and rediscover the origins of Capoeira.
My name is Mariano Wechsler. I was
born in Santiago, Chile where I spent my childhood and moved to California in
1996. My years spent California has given me the chance to grow in different
practices. I formed myself as Gyrotonic teacher under the tutelage of Master
Trainer Debra Rose at San Francisco Gyrotonic and under the guidance of my
stepmother Jovita Bonsiepe. Gyrotonic is a sophisticated exercise system based
on circular and fluid movements of the spine to internally strengthen the body
and awaken our inner energy. I have taught Gyrotonic for the past 10 years, and
have been running a successful Gyrotonic studio, East Bay Gyrotonic, for the
past 5 years. I’ve also had the opportunity to form myself as a WingChun
student under Sifu Paul Wang and Sifu Klaus Brand from the International Academy
of WingChun. WingChun has taught me to live with clear intention, confidence, and
diligence. Lastly, I’ve recently graduated from the University of California
Davis with a degree in Exercise Biology and received awards for academic
excellence. During my years at Davis I had the opportunity to work alongside
inspiring professors such as Dr.Shaffrath, Dr.Barr, Dr.Leits, Dr.Scherr,
Dr.Hawkings, and Dr.Theg. To all my teachers, I am deeply grateful for your
guidance, support, and above all for believing in me.
What lies ahead in this coming year
is unknown. I cannot plan for what will happen in this great adventure because it
will reveal itself as I turn my bicycle cranks time and time again. I will be
Mestre Acordeon’s right hand man. I’ll help lead the core team of cyclists
coming along for the journey, I’ll help coordinate collaborations with the
local communities we encounter, and I’ll document the journey with videos,
pictures, interviews, anecdotes, and notes.
I will use this blog to share
struggles, successes, dangers, and wonders of my journey. I won’t know the
answer the all the problems I’ll face, but I have a clear intention to spread
the joy, laughter, and community of Capoeira.
