The short answer is yes, as there are academies that train people to fight in MMA. Mestre Barrao's academy is the first to come to mind. To get into the topic any more than that (i.e., regarding 'typical' academies), I need some clarity on what you mean: are asking about sparring, scenario training, just demonstrating how certain attacks and evasions would be used in a 'real' or sport/competitive format or some combination of those factors?
Rather than just learning the dance and being told how the attacks work by word of mouth and the applications, places that practice them for combat application and defense? Probably a combination of what you mentioned
So, you mean scenario training and sport/competitive training? For the latter, you'd have to look for academies that train some of their students for MMA. Those seem to be hard to find in the U.S., I'd imagine the same in the UK, though soneone in the know may eventually chime in. For the former, I don't know. I mean, one hears stories of groups where the mestre does closed sessions with advanced students but, until I see that for myself, I tend to take those stories with a grain of salt. Don't get me wrong, there are many academies that go hard with their training, include BJJ supplemental training at their academies and so forth, but those academies that go full on competitive/sport seem to be a lot rarer than those that are about the preservation of the art (though some of the people in those academies can be downright crafty). Oh, and none of them really look at capoeira as a dance. I've yet to come across a place that does or to even hear of one that does. Most look at it as a game and fight (or fighting game) that has elements of dance or akin to dance.
see thats the thing, I have trained with some capoiera guys before, they did view it as a perservation of culture and talked about the dance/game aspects. I like the idea, but I have also wanted to look at the practical combat elements of the style that said, I have also fancied getting really into the acrobatics side of martial arts to help my back stay well since my dayjob isnt wonderful for it. There's XMA local as well
Then it seems to me your options are: 1. Find an academy that trains capoeiristas to enter MMA or other competitive events 2. Joining an academy and talking to the mestre/contramestre about whether s/he deals with scenario training or training for competitive events 3. Joining an academy and cross training in a more competitive art (Judo, Bjj, Boxing, etc.) and perhaps finding gym mates that will spar with you outside of class and allow you to test what you've learned in capoeira class. 4. Training capoeira and finding some group that allows for open sparring or just finding sparring partners that you can trust and have some level of skill and experience and working with them. I'm not sure how ideal all of those options are, nor how likely any of them are to happen in your neck of the woods, but those are the choices as I can see it. Any of them sound reasonable or feasible? As for acrobatics and your back, you may want to check with a doctor first, too, if there is any real concern.
It all depends on your group's style, but whether you will find Capoeira combat-applicable or not, depends almost entirely on you. Trust me, every aspect of Capoeira enhances your fighting abilities in one way or another. You just need to realise that, and practice learnt techniques with having in mind how you could use them in a fight other than in the roda. There is a reason why Capoeira Carioca went extinct.
Indeed - there was only one guy teaching it, and from the accounts of his academy, he didn't really have much in the way of a thought-out curriculum or methodology.
