PHIL (GRAHAM) HARDIE

Capoeira Angola & Circus Skills workshop leader

I discovered the Afro-Brazilian art form of Capoeira during my first year of art college. I had been training Ju-Jitsu for some years but had become a little disillusioned with martial arts as I discovered my pacifist nature. However due to sheer stuborn determination on the part of a friend of mine I finally;- after weeks of badgering - found myself in an old church hall doing familiar kicks, attacks and defences. This time however;- unlike the militaristic form of the Do-Jo - we were performing these offensive and defensive movements to hypnotic music and using them to create a dangerous but beautiful dance. From that day forward I have been hooked, and I am still regularly surprised by Capoeira's abilty to fulfill and sustain my being on almost every level. Unlike other martial arts, capoeria combines combative skills with an exciting, expressive, and hugely enjoyable 'game', in which cooperation and communication are key elements.