How to Tie a Capoeira Cord

The Brazilian martial art of capoeira mixes unconventional motions with unique striking points to create a style of fighting that looks very different from most other forms of martial arts. One commonality that capoeria shares with other fighting styles is the use of belts to display ranking and memberships. In capoeria these belts are called cords -- cordao in Portuguese. The cordao differs from other belts in that it is actually cylindrical in shape, and not a flat belt. There are many different ways to tie the cordao, and these ways often vary amongst schools.

Things You'll Need

  • Cordao
  • Capoeira pants (or lightweight workout pants with belt loops)
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Instructions

    • 1

      Fold the belt in half, ensuring that both sides are of equal length.

    • 2

      Feed the unfolded part of your belt through the first loop on the left of your capoeira pants.

    • 3

      Continuing feeding the belt through all the loops on your pants.

    • 4

      Using your right hand, create a loop with the end of the belt on your right side. Hold the loop open by putting your fingers through it.

    • 5

      Feed the new loop through the folded part on your left, in order to create a new loop.

    • 6

      Take hold of the other end of the belt, holding the loop open with your right hand.

    • 7

      Feed the ends of your belt through the loop, and pull it through.

    • 8

      Pull the end of your belt tight. If tied correctly, the belt should stay in place during practice, and should be untied easily.