He staggers forward, dances back and then, sweeping his arms all the while, slides under his opponent’s legs and whips out a measured kick from the other side.

The movements are haunting and entrancing to watch. There is a certain elegance that defines capoeiristas – the official term for those committed to this Afro-Brazilian form of martial arts – and chef and TV personality Jun Trinh is no exception.

This Canadian-born Beijing resident was formerly best known for his role as head chef at Luga’s Pho Pho and Luga’s Banh Mi. Nowadays he hosts a cooking show on China’s The Travel Channel (谁借我厨房), and is on the lookout for a restaurant space of his own. The one activity that has remained constant for him in the last four years is capoeira.

“Beijing is such a fast-paced city. This helps to slow you down,” he tells me, as he preps me mentally for my very first capoeira class. He has agreed to allow me to accompany him to a beginners’ session, which he uses as warm-up for the advanced class that follows. “Capoeira keeps me on track. When you’re doing it, you can’t think of anything else – or you might get kicked in the face!”

In fact, capoeira is a way of life, encompassing music, language and mindset. Trinh devotes around three hours a day to honing the art of “playing beautifully but mischievously,” as he puts it. He explains that capoeira was first practiced by slaves in Brazil, who used the dance element to mask its more violent side.

When we arrive at the class, the others immediately begin warming up, dropping their hands and feet to the ground and flipping over, again and again. With each round, they add a new choreographed step. It is easy to distinguish between the old and new students – those with more experience move with an easy yet evasive grace, evident even in the most basic of moves.

I ask Trinh how capoeira relates to cooking. “In the kitchen, you’ve got to be able to move with agility. Lots of spinning around, throwing stuff in the air – dodging obstacles, dodging people, dodging knives. It’s good to be quick on your feet.”

Indeed. Especially once the real action in capoeira begins, when the group starts rocking back and forth in sync – a whirl of swings, ducks and flying legs. I’ve got to sit out for this one, but I’m left marveling all the while.

For a full schedule of classes, see www.capoeirabeijing.com.

Click here to see the November issue of the Beijinger in full.

Photo: Van K. Yang