Awesome stuff, but I just wanted to get some things straight about Capoeira, I used to do it and all and it is fun and pretty, but it also a real martial art which is effective in it's own way.
As someone mentioned before, how it's not effective because the fighter is always off balance, this is not entirely true, capoeira is a fighting style where you confuse your opponent and throw him off balance where you then execute the most effective moves, the unpredictability of a Capoeirist's moves is what makes this style effective. It's not used in fighting often because it is far too hard to master and it also isn't the fastest way to get things done, another martial art will most likely get things done quicker.
Also whoever said something about them not being allowed to touch each other and no fighting involved, this is also not true. Even beginners are taught to fight, but these guys are the ones who are not allowed to hit each other, the higher the level of the fighters, the more contact involved. I've seen masters fight in person and contact is often even though it's usually foot to foot or foot to hand.
Capoeira is indeed an awkward fighting style, but by no means useless or fake. Stiil it is a pretty dance

Well said, Empire. Farhad2000, if you'd like to read up more on the argument against capoeira as an effective martial art, you should check out Bullshido.com, a website dedicated to revealing the BS in many "martial arts" today.

And please, the more you train in a good martial art, the better a fighter you become. All that talk about taking a long time for a huge payoff is just BS to explain why most of the practitioners can't hold their own. And besides, most of the best pro fighters today started training in at least one martial art at a very young age too. So, the question still is, how come no capoeira fighters can be found in the ring?

And, well, anecdotes aren't evidence, but I sparred a capoeira player a few days ago and choked him out to tap.

And since when have kali and JKD been rare? (I assume you mean Jun Fan JKD, since there are so many interpretations of the name.) Kali isn't found the ring because it's very well developed for weapon fighting, but isn't as good as say boxing or Muay Thai for striking. But outside of unarmed hand-to-hand MMA, kali is extremely popular, and is growing in popularity if anything, thanks to guys like the Dog Brothers who are making it even more effective as a system.

And bits and pieces of Bruce Lee's personal style of JKD can be found in MMA, it's just that fighters' knowledge has expanded so far beyond what Bruce Lee knew, as in grappling, takedowns, and non-linear attacks, that effective fighting as a whole has evolved beyond his concepts.

Anyways, EMPIRE, where do you train? And are you on Bullshido? It seems like I've met you somewhere...

Actually Capoeira is not effective at all, and here's why:
-Unlike most martial arts, in capoeira the "fighter" is constantly off balance, either by doing some ludicrous moves or by rotating insanely. It's not efficient at all, and it's a waste of energy (which basically contradicts every actual martial art). Even the stance constantly rocking sideways is a waste of energy.
-Unlike martial arts, Capoeira was never actually put to the test. How many revolutions or wars have you heard about that happened in Brazil during the slave trade era? And if they used it against their "masters" they would certainly be done for. Martial Arts like Kung Fu, Karate, etc, have ALL been put to the test of actually engaging in real combat, not just sparring.
-Also in Capoeira they never really fight, actually they're not even supposed to touch each other. So, not only was it never used in actual combat, it's not even trained as such.
So... Capoeira is cool looking, and I'm sure it's a very complete body workout, but as a fighting style, it's completely pathetic.
Now, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu... that's efficient and effective.

Well Capoeira was invented in South America at the height of the slave trade, it was made to look like a dance to fool westerns like rembar in to thinking it was useless dance or ritual.

However as a fighting technique it is highly effective however training has to start at young age when flexibility is best.

This is why training doesnt take place it's very intensive requiring a large time commitement to specialize in, this is not ideal for MMA fighters who look for high benefit payoff fighting techniques.

This is why also artforms like kali and jeet kune do are rare too, too hard, too long.

To lucky760, no, it's not really a very effective fighting system. There's a reason why there are no professional fighters, MMA or otherwise, cross-training in capoeira. It is however, IMHO, a pretty dance.

I know Ben lad it's called Capoeira. The idents are pretty lame would you not say. Better than itv's though. Is there now a race on for the monkey dust clips?

Dancers are Natacha Poberaj and Jesús Velazquez.

For the record, the most difficult non-partnered dances would have to be capoeira or pop and lock/breakdancing.

This is Capoeira not Karate.