Capoeira is a Brazilian martial art as well as a cultural experience. Capoeira was created by African slaves in Brazil as a form of self-defense and cultural preservation against the oppressive slave owners. It is played in aroda (circle) by two capoeiristas who exchange a spontaneous combination of kicks, offensive moves, acrobatics and floor movements. While the capoeiristas in the center of the roda (circle) engage in a dynamic and intriguing conversation, others forming the roda sing in chorus and clap to the rhythm played on the berimbau, the stringed bow-like instrument that leads the roda. The atabaque, pandeiro, agogô and reco-reco accompany the berimbau.