Are you in a healthy relationship with your capoeira group? We’ve all been there: you miss a class or two, and suddenly it’s all “Where have you been?! Why haven’t you been training?!” You find yourself constantly accounting for why you couldn’t make this workshop or that roda, and once in a while it gets to the point where you feel like calling up the doctor for a note or two, just in case. I’ve never noticed this before, but thanks to an astute and mercilessly sharp-witted, non-capoeira friend of mine, it hit me that sometimes one’s capoeira group can really seem like a jealous lover.
Is your capoeira group a little too attached to you for comfort? Here are the top ten signs to look out for!
10. Your friend tells you your capoeira group is like a jealous lover.
9. They get upset if you’re late and demand a reason why.
8. They demand to know where you’ve been if you haven’t seen each other for a day.
7. They try to become the centre of your world, or act as if they are (and get upset if you act as if they’re not).
6. They are possessive and don’t like you being friends with potential/imagined “rivals”.
5. They are constantly suspicious of the intentions of “other” friends and friendly strangers.
4. They try forbidding you from seeing those they are most suspicious of.
3. They are always trying to affirm or retain your fidelity even if you have not shown any signs of being otherwise.
2. If one thing happens or you do one thing that seems to suggest the slightest sign of infidelity, they (a) overreact and (b) never let it go.
1. They automatically assume that every minor break, dispute, or more (or any) time spent with “other” friends means you want to or should break up, and their suspicions and paranoia only ever end up sabotaging the relationship…but somehow, you still can’t help loving them!
Now that you know the warning signals, it’s up to you to decide if everything’s going strong, or if it’s time for a break and some space. Just remember that no matter what happens, at least capoeira itself is one love that will never die!
Picture source: http://ladynina.files.wordpress.com/2007/06/capoeira.jpg
Mandingueira 
