How To Do Capoeira

If you want to do Capoeira, the first step is to decide which style you want to study. Wikipedia has a wonderful article about the history of Capoeira and the major styles of it. Luckily for you, I'm going to provide you with those same styles right now!       

1. The first style is Capoeira Regional. Regional was the first of the two modern styles of Capoeira, founded by Mestre Bimba in the 1930s. Of the two major styles (Regional and Angola), Regional is the faster style. Its roots lie much more in the street-fight qualities of Capoeira than in its ritualistic qualities. Games are faster and more violent, with contact being allowed between the two players. It also utilizes a ranking system like most conventional martial arts do, with Capoeiristas marking their graduation to higher levels through the awarding of differently colored belts. The highest belt is the coveted red rope. Regional bears many similarities to eastern martial arts. It believes Capoeira is something you have to train for in order to do well, so constant repetition of sequences and moves is encouraged.  
2. The second style is Capoeira Angola, founded in the fifties by Mestre Pastinha. Capoeira Angola was very much a reaction to Capoeira Regional, so it went to great lengths to distinguish itself from its opposite style. To begin with, it is a much slower game. The music associated with Capoeira Angola plays at a slower pace and the players react accordingly. Contact is also discouraged between players, although some contact is inevitable: Capoeira is about moving into and out of the opposing players personal space, so sometimes if one player doesn't move out as the other moves in, contact occurs. It is also not out of the ordinary for an Angoleiro to try to trick an opposing player, put him in a compromised position, and then make full contact with him through a leg sweep or throw to the ground. Capoeira Angola has no ranking system because it does not think of itself primarily as a martial art. Capoeira Angola is a ritualistic form of music and dancing that MIMICS real fighting without actually causing harm to another player. It is believed that just showing up another player can be as effective as actually hurting him or her. Capoeira Angola is much more about improvisation and ritualized movement than it is about combat.       

Once you've decided, the last step is to go out and find a school!