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The Good Fight

At Ky Adderley's capoeira-themed middle school,
students master an ancient art form to learn new lessons

By Karen B. Manahan

At most schools, coming within inches of kicking an adult in the head would get a student suspended. At KIPP AMP Academy, a middle school in Brooklyn, N.Y., eighth grader Brandon Thomas just earned a pat on the back and a return kick from Executive Director of Team and Family Services Ky Adderley (D.C. Region '01).

The fifth through eighth grade school revolves around capoeira, a form of Brazilian martial arts infused with music and dance. "It teaches self-advocacy and self-resiliency," Adderley explains. "You can teach math and reading, but it's hard to teach character."

Eighth grader Brandy Younge agrees: "It shows discipline and how to persevere through hardships. It's like, if you have a math problem and it's tough. We don't give up, we keep trying."

The school's focus stems from Adderley's own experience; his father insisted that Adderley run track and practice martial arts as a child. "There is nothing that will teach you better discipline," Adderley says. When he
began thinking about his school, he kept returning to the connection between mind and body. "I thought, ‘What am I going to leave these kids? What will I leave with them forever?' I was searching for martial arts. Discipline, desire, and education." While interviewing founding teachers, Adderley came upon a capoeira instructor, and the school's theme fell into place.

When the fifth graders enter KIPP AMP, their first capoeira class covers the history of the art form, which originated in Africa and was brought to Brazil by slaves from Angola. "It was important that we knew where it was coming from," says eighth grader Asia Grant. "When we train, it's like we're doing it because our ancestors did it before us and people around the world are doing it still today. We're paying our respects to them, so it's crucial that we learn where it came from so that we practice with a certain amount of effort and energy."

The two capoeira instructors, who also teach academic subjects, begin with the basics. Each student trains at least three times a week, learning the moves, instruments, and accompanying music. Students can also choose to take an hourlong after-school session. As students invest in mastering the art form, their confidence grows. "The kids teach the teachers," Adderley says. "They see me, and they're correcting my posture and showing me a new kick."

Capoeira permeates the school. Brightly painted murals depicting capoeiristas in motion adorn the walls of each classroom. Walking through the halls, one hears Portuguese sprinkled
into classroom banter as teachers call students by their capoeira apelidos, or nicknames. But KIPP AMP's teachers say the school's theme is reflected most importantly in the attitude and behavior of the students.

"It gives the kids a sense of pride," says social studies teacher Kashi Nelson, who practices capoeira several times a week. "[But] there is also such humility in these kids. They respect each other and the teachers because that's part of the teachings of capoeira."

The school has hosted the world's leading capoeira instructors from Brazil and has performed at UCLA and at a national capoeira event in Florida. The founding class, now eighth graders, will travel to Brazil this spring.

The song and dance seems to be working. KIPP AMP's students outperformed the national averages in math and English by more than 30 percentage points. But the kids take with them other valuable lessons. "After we started training, I realized I like the way that you feel like you're part of this family and this culture" Grant says. "There is music, movements…and all of these principles that go with it. Sometimes a lot of life lessons I learn in capoeira before I actually learn them in life, and it ties to school. You don't write neatly for a teacher. You write neatly so that you can understand what you are writing and you get good grades for yourself."

Though graduation will take them to a new school, the kids plan to carry capoeira's lessons with them. "I want to be a mestres [teacher] black belt" Younge says. "I won't stop until I get it. I'm driven. Then maybe I'll come back and teach here."