Super Capoeira Awkward Nickname
My capoeira class at Simon Fraser University has just ended its term.
Since the next class will be at the Student Rec Center at UBC in September, and since I have the misfortune of having an accounting class at the exact same time as that capoeira class, I decided to take my classes at my mestre's (master) studio on Broadway. I went there today to talk to my mestre so he could tell me which level of classes I should take.
Now before I go any further, I should probably let you know that Brazilian people have this custom of giving each other nicknames. My guess is it's because they have so many words in their names. Names of famous Brazilians like Pele and Ronaldinho are actually nicknames (with the latter meaning "little Ronaldo", to distinguish from his teammate Ronaldo, who also happens to have the same first name). In capoeira classes, instructors also keep to tradition by giving nicknames to their students.
Some nicknames are characteristic of the person. Others are downright unflattering, as was the case with Mestre Bimba, one of the "founding fathers" of modern capoeira, with "bimba" being a word in Brazilian Portugese for the male genitals. This was given to him at his birth in 1900, and you have to hand it to the guy for sticking with the nickname all through his life. The story goes that his mom made a bet with the midwife that she'd have a girl, and Mom was wrong. Let this be a lesson to you all about the dangerous effects of your gambling addiction on your children. Why can't she just stick to betting on the horse track?
Okay, with that aside, back to the present. I went to my mestre's studio today, but he wasn't there. Instead, there was a class going on, and I believe the instructor teaching it is nicknamed "Superhomen" ("Superman"), on the account of a Superman "S" tattooed on his chest. On one wall of the studio, he has a photo of his baby daughter, also with the Superman "S" on her chest (drawn or tattooed, or genetically inherited, I don't know).
Superhomen has taught at a couple of my SFU classes, and he's a really cool guy and it's lots of fun when he's teaching. I suppose you could also describe him as "super". Unfortunately, he doesn't speak much English, but we can usually figure out from his body language what he wants to say, or a student in the class would know a little bit of Portugese (or has been working on pick-up lines for Brazilian girls) and can translate.
He likes to greet me or express pleasure at my progress with really big bear hugs. Such was the case today, as upon seeing me again, he literally swept me off my feet with a big, vice-like crush of his mucular arms. After I regained consciousness, I asked him if I could join his class. Not only did he let me, but before I could finish my request, he happily shoved me into the washroom to change into my capoeira gear.
The class was a little bit advanced for me, especially when compared to the SFU class, but I managed to keep up. Noticing I was able to do so, Superhomen rewarded me with another rib cage crusher. But then he interrupted the class to have this really weird conversation with me.
"You know boloyo?"
"Huh?" I went with my trademark confused face.
"You know, boloyo. He is Chinese movie star!"
"Huuuuh?" reiterated I.
"He know Tai Chi! Really big! Grrrrrr!!"
"Oooooh, you mean Bolo Yeung!"
"Yes. YES!!! YOU ARE BOLO YEUNG!!!"
So that was Superhomen's nickname to me. He didn't really bother to know my name, he just referred to me as Bolo Yeung henceforth.
I don't think it suits me to be nicknamed after the great Bolo Yeung, who was best known as the bad guy in the movie Bloodsport ("You are NEXT!!!"). After all, if I ever stood next to "The Beast from the East", I'd look like a broomstick. If it had to be a Chinese action star, why not one of the less hulkier varieties like Jackie Chan, Jet Li, or dare I say, Bruce Lee? I guess it was the only one that came to Superhomen's head at the time, and only time will tell whether my mestre will also use this nickname. That's a helluva tough nickname to live up to.
I mean, we're talking about a guy who swam from China to Hong Kong in order to dodge commies, for crying out loud!
Since the next class will be at the Student Rec Center at UBC in September, and since I have the misfortune of having an accounting class at the exact same time as that capoeira class, I decided to take my classes at my mestre's (master) studio on Broadway. I went there today to talk to my mestre so he could tell me which level of classes I should take.
Now before I go any further, I should probably let you know that Brazilian people have this custom of giving each other nicknames. My guess is it's because they have so many words in their names. Names of famous Brazilians like Pele and Ronaldinho are actually nicknames (with the latter meaning "little Ronaldo", to distinguish from his teammate Ronaldo, who also happens to have the same first name). In capoeira classes, instructors also keep to tradition by giving nicknames to their students.
Some nicknames are characteristic of the person. Others are downright unflattering, as was the case with Mestre Bimba, one of the "founding fathers" of modern capoeira, with "bimba" being a word in Brazilian Portugese for the male genitals. This was given to him at his birth in 1900, and you have to hand it to the guy for sticking with the nickname all through his life. The story goes that his mom made a bet with the midwife that she'd have a girl, and Mom was wrong. Let this be a lesson to you all about the dangerous effects of your gambling addiction on your children. Why can't she just stick to betting on the horse track?
Okay, with that aside, back to the present. I went to my mestre's studio today, but he wasn't there. Instead, there was a class going on, and I believe the instructor teaching it is nicknamed "Superhomen" ("Superman"), on the account of a Superman "S" tattooed on his chest. On one wall of the studio, he has a photo of his baby daughter, also with the Superman "S" on her chest (drawn or tattooed, or genetically inherited, I don't know).
Superhomen has taught at a couple of my SFU classes, and he's a really cool guy and it's lots of fun when he's teaching. I suppose you could also describe him as "super". Unfortunately, he doesn't speak much English, but we can usually figure out from his body language what he wants to say, or a student in the class would know a little bit of Portugese (or has been working on pick-up lines for Brazilian girls) and can translate.
He likes to greet me or express pleasure at my progress with really big bear hugs. Such was the case today, as upon seeing me again, he literally swept me off my feet with a big, vice-like crush of his mucular arms. After I regained consciousness, I asked him if I could join his class. Not only did he let me, but before I could finish my request, he happily shoved me into the washroom to change into my capoeira gear.
The class was a little bit advanced for me, especially when compared to the SFU class, but I managed to keep up. Noticing I was able to do so, Superhomen rewarded me with another rib cage crusher. But then he interrupted the class to have this really weird conversation with me.
"You know boloyo?"
"Huh?" I went with my trademark confused face.
"You know, boloyo. He is Chinese movie star!"
"Huuuuh?" reiterated I.
"He know Tai Chi! Really big! Grrrrrr!!"
"Oooooh, you mean Bolo Yeung!"
"Yes. YES!!! YOU ARE BOLO YEUNG!!!"
So that was Superhomen's nickname to me. He didn't really bother to know my name, he just referred to me as Bolo Yeung henceforth.
I don't think it suits me to be nicknamed after the great Bolo Yeung, who was best known as the bad guy in the movie Bloodsport ("You are NEXT!!!"). After all, if I ever stood next to "The Beast from the East", I'd look like a broomstick. If it had to be a Chinese action star, why not one of the less hulkier varieties like Jackie Chan, Jet Li, or dare I say, Bruce Lee? I guess it was the only one that came to Superhomen's head at the time, and only time will tell whether my mestre will also use this nickname. That's a helluva tough nickname to live up to.
I mean, we're talking about a guy who swam from China to Hong Kong in order to dodge commies, for crying out loud!
"My chest is bigger than your mom's!!! GRRR!!!"
posted by Cosmic Ocean at 9:43 PM
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