CAPOEIRA BRASIL:
History and philosophy of a legendary group
Capoeira Brasil:
History and Philosophy of a Legendary Group
History
The Capoeira Brasil group was founded on 14 January 1989 in Rio de Janeiro by Mestres Boneco, Paulão do Ceará and Paulinho Sabiá. The inauguration, sponsored by a council of legendary mestres representing different organisations, marked the beginning of an incredible Capoeira dynasty which, to this day, is one of the largest in the world. The « Padrinhos » (godfathers) of the Capoeira Brasil group include Mestres Suassuna, Itapoan, Peixinho, Ezequiel, Gato and Tabosa. Since its foundation, the Capoeira Brasil group has grown internationally, with centres and academies in New York, Los Angeles, San Diego, Phoenix, Tempe, Boston, Durham, Ensenada (MX), Amsterdam, Sydney (AUS), Paris, Marseille, Budapest, Brussels, Mount Maunganui (NZ), New Caledonia, Hong Kong and throughout Brazil.
- Mestre Paulinho Sabiá (from Niterói, Rio de Janeiro state) oversees the group’s work worldwide; he teaches on the outskirts of Rio de Janeiro (Niterói), where his academy is based.
- Mestre Boneco (from Barra, Rio state) teaches in Los Angeles, California
- Mestre Paulão (from Fortaleza, Ceará state) teaches in various cities in the Netherlands and oversees the group in Europe
Aims
The group’s aim is to promote and safeguard the culture of capoeira for a better social and cultural understanding of Brazil. The mestres, together with the professors and instructors trained within the group who teach capoeira both in Brazil and in many other countries around the world, have the mission of contributing to the cultural and physical enrichment of their students by passing on the philosophy and the insight of their own personal experience.
The group’s watchword is to train professionals of unquestionable technical standard, with the teaching resources needed to pass on the art of capoeira to people of all ages. The grading system established within the group is based on the strength of the colours, from lightest to darkest. The black corda, the highest (« formado » or mestre), pays tribute to Zumbi dos Palmares and to the enslaved people, fundamental figures in the history of capoeira.
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MANTRAS
Caring teaching does not chase immediate performance; it nurtures the confidence that lets you go far.
