Freeplaying with narrative: A Jogando method in/as Capoeira research.

This article explores an innovative approach to narrative analysis by integrating the Afro-Brazilian martial art capoeira and Derrida's concept of freeplay. It proposes that the topic under study—capoeira—can itself serve as an analytic framework, emphasizing play, improvisation, and the fluid interplay of narratives rather than seeking fixed or linear meanings. Through a narrative autoethnographic method involving three practitioners from diverse academic disciplines, the authors demonstrate how capoeira's dynamic, dialogic, and non-centralized structure can inform a "narrative play" that challenges traditional narrative smoothing and interpretation. The article suggests that research topics with embodied philosophies, such as sports or dance, might inspire alternative analytic methods that embrace multiplicity, contradiction, and the instability of meaning in qualitative research.