Akari Tachi, a 13-year-old junior high school student from Ishikawa Prefecture, became the girls U-14 champion in the World Capoeira Federation’s U-18 online solo competition on Jan. 9.
“I hope to continue competing in capoeira and become infinitely cool,” said Tachi, a first-grade student at Matto Junior High School in the city of Hakusan.
Capoeira — dubbed the “beautiful martial art” because of its movements combining martial arts and dance — is said to have been developed by enslaved Africans in Brazil in the 16th century in an effort to secretly learn self-defense skills while appearing to be dancing.