The boys’ team of rugby player Franc, American footballer Reef and gymnast Sol are in Brazil, South America, to learn the martial art capoeira. Watched over and cheered on by presenter Karim Zeroual, they are going to be assessed at the end of the week by top capoeiristas on how many moves of this incredible sport they have mastered.
Led by Karim, their first action-packed day involves watching a demonstration of capoeira from experts, before meeting head coach, Mestre Sabia. He introduces them to their training partners for the week – some of the top students from his school of capoeira.
The boys learn key capoeira skills throughout the week including spatial awareness, as they participate in local sport foot volley. They spend a day in a favela, a low-income neighbourhood on the outskirts of town. This favela is the birthplace of many top capoeiristas and is also home to a percussion group that Sabia hopes will help teach the boys some rhythm, another key component of the sport.
Sabia also tests their balance by throwing them into a surfing lesson on the high seas of the Brazilian coast.
Meanwhile, presenter Karim takes the idea of ‘fitting in’ on the beach a little bit too far.
The week culminates in the boys putting everything they have learned into practice as they are going to be judged by top capoeiristas on just how far they have come.
Dressed in the outfits of capoeiristas, in front of a local crowd and cheered on by Karim, can they pull off a set of complicated moves and avoid physical injury? Show less