Zed Shaw - The Dark Side of the Semantic Web | Hacker News Reader

Zed Shaw - The Dark Side of the Semantic Web

zedshaw.com

2 pointsjraines4 comments

I study a Brazilian martial art called Capoeira that was practiced by Brazil's slave population for about 400 years [...] finally the slaves overthrew their slave masters using Capoeira to forge modern Brazil.

I occasionally get free wireless from a combination Cafe/Capoeira studio in Berkeley. I shouldn't say much having never tried it, but the people there always look like they are more in it for the fun and exercise. Somehow I suspect there has to be more to this historic rebellion than just a bunch of slaves doing cartwheels to a hip beat.

95% of martial arts studios in America are purely commercial: basically a Bally's with sparring gloves and gi's. Hardcore traditional schools are very selective in who they allow to train there or will often utilize a "weed out" strategy on newcomers (I've heard that Gracie BJJ schools are notorious for this). A Wing Chun school I was interested in made me go through two interviews before they decided that I would be allowed to train there if I chose to.

Because of its dance-like movements, Capoeira is often marketed as "yoga meets breakdancing meets pilates meets tae-bo" in order to attract women, which is probably what your local studio is doing.

I'm skeptical that capoeira played so significant a role in overthrowing governments, or even defeating local slaveowners. I can't find a reference for this and as far as I know, martial arts just aren't that useful against modern-day oppressors.

The undergound capoeira societies might have provided a useful template for other sorts of resistance.

This is from the essays section of his site.

Here's a fun tidbit from his essay on Rails (undated but obviously from right when Rails came out): "I'd also like to mention that the #rubyonrails IRC channel on irc.freenode.net is really good for information. The folks there are very nice, unlike similar channels which want to pound pulpits with their fat heads."

I know, I know -- a foolish consistency, hobgoblins, etc

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