Pilgrims
Capoeira & Parkoer

Common sense No. 3: Because everyone does it, it does not mean that it is right.

Slavery, colonialism, racism, bullying, slander, cheating, corruption are examples of justification on the basis of "others also do it, this is commonplace". However, that doesn't make things right.

***

Without feeling the next morning in the city of Salvador da Bahia came back. Yesterday when I came home from the store, I was childish. It was fortunate that Diego was so emotionally invulnerable that he never complained, though I often stopped in the middle of the road not satisfied looking around. My soul hasn't really grown up yet. But how else? I am not happy enjoying this city. So today I decided to head to the Souvenir shop alone, so as not to hinder Diego on the way.

Today without feeling any premonition, I set off after breakfast. Just walking a few tens of meters, I found something interesting. I saw the action of the street capoeira. This dance-like style is unique. In Indonesia, there are many capoeira communities. So, this martial art is not so foreign to me. It's just that I didn't expect to be able to see the art of capoeira street directly right in the city where this martial art originated.

People wearing white uniforms stood around one of his friends who was doing the attraction while clapping in rhythm. Three of them played a type of traditional musical instrument as an accompaniment.

The man who is doing the amazing capoeira attraction is still very young, his age must be no more than fifteen years. He did an incredible attraction. After doing the back salto several times he was replaced by his two friends who seemed to want to do the sparing although in the case of capoeira it seems more like a battle dance.

The young man who had previously entered the line. I don't know it's just my feeling but that young man feels more flexible than his friends I see doing battle dance alternately.

After the show stopped, me and the other tourists watching broke up. I'm impressed. I felt so anxious to take advantage of my free time to learn the art of martial arts that focused more on the kick.

Unfortunately, I am not athletic at all. I walked back to Diego's souvenir shop with my mind still glaring.

Gabriel laughed out loud as I asked him about a place to study capoeira. I took offense and stomped her foot so she would stop laughing. We were having lunch and dinner at the store near Diego's souvenir shop.

“Sorry,” Gabriel said after finally stopping laughing. “I find it hard to imagine you learning capoeira in this city.”

“What's really why? Didn't I also see there are women bepostur not much different from me who can do it quite well?” many wonder.

“Yes, you are right. Which makes me amused earlier because Capoeira is already very ingrained in this city. Almost all young people of this city are members of unofficial clubs or capoeira schools and can do the basic movement of capoeira. The thing is, I'm not sure about that stiff body of yours, you can withstand the training. Moreover, some academies held heavy physical training. Indeed, there are several academies that are open to beginner tourists who want to learn. But the cost is exorbitant. Better not to just. It's nothing, it seems to me that your physique is very untrained. Sorry, I'm not looking down on your people, but the physicality of Asians is indeed weaker than the people of African descent who are the most majority race in this city. You can be trampled if you force along, ” Gabriel lectured me fieryly.

What he said was true. I never even mastered one type of sport. My physique is very untrained.

Cain often taught me to exercise. Sin advised me to train my body. It was not their words that moved me, but the appearance of the street Capoera I had seen earlier. And I'm not giving up. This time I wanted to learn something.

“I'll keep trying. Trampled or not we will see later. You know a nice and cheap place?”

Gabriel kept silent while shaking his head, not seeming surprised to see that my snarl from his son was already stubborn.

“Oh, or do you never get trampled by them, so that's why you forbid me? ” I'm warming up.

He still ate his food and pretended not to hear me. I'm getting impatient. “Ya. If you don't want to help, I'll find it myself later. Surely in this place of origin, the school of capoeira is many, ” I said firmly.

I glanced at Gabriel to see how he reacted. At first he was quiet, but eventually he gave up. “All right, all right, I'll tell you the place. But you better not enroll in the official capoeira academy because the rules are too formal. Look, if you're ready to be trampled, I know a good place. There's a guy named Fox. He rarely accepted students. The training was pretty hard. But I guarantee training him won't make you regret it. You interested?”

“What is he strong?” tanyaku.

“Strongly strong. Strongest among the capoeristas I know,” Gabriel replied very steadily.

“If he is that strong why not just set up an official school, or at least teach in an official school?”

“He doesn't want to be tied to the system huh? I like that. Tell me where it is! ”

Gabriel told me exactly where I could find the guy. He said I had to wait until tomorrow to see him. He said he worked in the afternoon. So I better see him in the morning.

Gabriel also said that I might have to do a little persuasion. I don't really understand.

At least Gabriel said that the man was very strong and well trained. I'll find out tomorrow.

***

I'm coming home with Diego this afternoon. I asked her what Mary was doing during the day. Diego said Maria runs a flower shop next door to their house. At first I thought it was someone else's shop, it turned out to be Diego and Maria's.

The rest of the trip was long without talking. Diego as usual prefers to walk in silence and so quiet I do not feel the aura of his presence when he walks next to me.

When we were about to pass through a rather narrow alley, we collided with a large-bodied local man. We had no prejudice against the man and kept going. We began to suspect something was strange when a Caucasian man, apparently a tourist, as he was carrying a backpack, dropping his backpack in front of us, and speaking English quickly to me.

“He stole this grandfather's wallet, but take it easy, I'll chase him.”

It happened so fast. Diego and I didn't have time to say anything about the tourist man because he jumped over us. Is correct. He jumped instead of running. That's what surprised me, I don't know about Diego.

Would an emotionless person like Diego be surprised as well? It was still as emotionless as ever. Did Diego not realize that there was a person who was doing extraordinary attractions in front of his eyes? Moreover, the man did so to chase after the thief who had pickpocketed Diego's own wallet. He should have felt a little emotion. Butno. Diego is just flat expression.

The thief, who realized he had been found out, ran away. But the tourist continued to jump building after building at an incredible speed. It was like I was watching an action movie.

Today once again I saw a high level technique practiced before my eyes. It was parkour. And what he did was not the basic movement that I had once watched on national television channels conducted by the Indonesian parkour community, but techniques with high difficulty.

I envy that tourist. I used to fantasize about being able to do parkour movements that I can only see in movies. Today I want to be a lot. The opposite of usual.

The tourist managed to retrieve Diego's wallet without fighting. It was like picking up from the pickpocket, then jumping over the building and back to where Diego and I could only stand glued to see the action while the real thief ran away somewhere.

“This is yours, Sir. Be careful, ” he said while handing over Diego's wallet.

“Thank you, Son. God bless you,” Diego thanks the parkour guy. Diego can also thank you.

There was something strange about that man. As he walked past me, I accidentally smelled his scent. He was very fragrant, but his sweat was a lot. His black hair stuck to his forehead. His shirt was also soaked in sweat. But it doesn't smell at all. Men's sweat should smell more intense than women's.

Never mind, isn't there anything more important than that? His inhuman jumping-and-jumping ability is what impressed me the most.

“Tadi was great. Are you a member of the parkour community or something?” my question was when he picked up the backpack bag he had dropped which he immediately used.

He looked at me kindly with his green eyes. “Well, actually not. I taught myself by myself. Are you a tourist too? Have a nice holiday.”

Then he walked away.

***