The secret of Angola Baloes

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pA7eU2G_pHY

If you read my article on Angola Baloes, you found out that there probably existed at lest two of them: Volta por cima (grabbing opponent's wrists with both hands and bending over to carry him over your back into a handstand) and Tombo de ladeira (letting him do an front handspring, getting underneath him, letting him fall across your shoulders and lifting him upward).

And if you read my article on Bimba's Cintura desprezada, you understand that Bimba's four core Baloes - 'cintura desprezada' - are, in fact powerful Nemer-driven nerve confusers. That is, unless the opponnent uses LightLegs jump to escape from them.

In this article, we will, surprisingly, blend the two concepts!

Volta por cima

'Balao' or Volta por cima in an article from O Cruzeiro(1948).

This Balao can be almost-seen in Mestre Pastinha's video from 1950:

https://youtu.be/FCtq7C2_7fU?t=224

However, I found out that Mestre Pastinha and co. did the Volta por cima wrong! If you watch him doing it, you will see him squatting a bit as he grabs opponent's wrists, then carrying him over. This is Eagle archetype and does nothing to the opponent.

If, however, you do the same movement using Nemer - you grab opponent's wrists, spread your legs instead of bending them (caused by the different mechanic archetype) and then carry him over - well, this is a different story!

If you do it that way, the opponent gets hit with a nerve confuser as you carry him over; which will make him dizzy for about 20 seconds.

His only chance to escape that is to equip LightLegs as you carry him in the Balao - and thus escape the nerve confuser.

As you see, this is the same principle as in Bimba's baloes! Hence, I believe this is the idea behind the original capoeiragem Baloes: They were movements that the opponent subjected himself to; and if you knew what you were doing, he had to be crafty and use LightLegs to escape; otherwise, he got a nerve confuser. This was the principle of the game of Baloes.

Tombo de ladeira

Using this optics, I analysed the other Angolan Balao - the Tombo de Ladeira. And indeed, it uses the same principle! If you use Nemer archetype to get under opponent's front flip and lift him up, he has two options: Either he manages to equip LightLegs and escape safely; or he gets nailed with the nerve confuser.

Note: As the opponent does the handstand and flips down, you must stay hunched over in the Nemer position; even as you lift him up.

Again, you can see this Balao in Mestre Pastinha's video from 1950:

https://youtu.be/FCtq7C2_7fU?t=281

Note that he does the lifting a bit differently, facing the opponent; however, what is most important is the principle; and that is to use Nemer archetype to power the lifting.

Note also that the movement itself is very similar to Mestre Bimba's original Apanhada (see my article on Cintura desprezada) - and for a good reason! The principle is again using Nemer to disrupt opponent's acrobatic movement - front flip in Tombo de Ladeira, Au in Apanhada.

 

Conclusion

It is almost clear that the two original Angola baloes - Volta por cima and Tombo de ladeira - were special kind of Chamadas where you used Nemer to throw/carry the opponent; and if he wasn't able to escape using LightLegs, he got hit with a nerve confuser.

Thus old Bahian Baloes were not just physical maneuvers; but affected partner's nerve system.

(Compare it with normal Chamadas that used similar scenario to contest Sleep inductors; see my article on Chamadas).

Bimba's Cintura desprezada were thus only a variation on the same principle; only there the opponent did not enter the Balao willingly, but was seized.

However, the principle is the same! If the opponent gets you in a Balao,you must be good enough to escape using LightLegs; or you get nerve confusered. (And probably laughed at).

This is another instance of the challenge/answer principle of old Bahian capoeira; you challenge(chamada!) the opponent to a Balao, and he must be good enough at body mechanics to escape it.

However, for the above to work, you must do the original Angola Baloes using proper archetype - Nemer.

 


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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