Salvador, in the northeastern state of Bahia, was the
first capital of colonial Brazil (1549-1863).  Today, it is
the cultural capital of Brazil, rich with African influences
and a population of over 2 million.  

Mestre Bimba (1900-1974) -
Founding father of Capoeira
Regional, the modern style of
capoeira

Mestre Pastinha (1889-1981) -
Father of Capoeira Angola, the
traditional style of capoeira

Capoeira (kah-po-AIR-uh) is much more than an Afro-Brazilian art--it is a combination of self-defense, gymnastics, culture, song, music, theater, tradition, and philosophy.  It is at the same time a graceful fight-dance of attack and defense movements, and an athletic game with the objective of using wit and skill to make the opponent lose their balance and fall.

Capoeira developed in Brazil over 400 years ago in response to slavery.  An estimated 1.3 million Africans were imported into Bahia as slaves, double the number imported into the USA. These displacd Africans adapted cultural traditions and disguised fighting techniques with dance-like moves, music, and festivity as a way to resist their oppression and aid in their struggle for identity, survival, and freedom. Capoeira was an effective means of self-defense that was practiced on the plantations and was used to defend freedom in quilombos, or runaway slave communities.  The most famous quilombo was Quilombo dos Palmares, which had 20,000 inhabitants and resisted attempts by the Portuguese and Dutch to destroy it for over 65 years, finally falling in 1694.

After slavery in Brazil was abolished in 1888, capoeira developed a reputation as a street fight, and often involved the use of weapons such as knives and razors.  It became outlawed by the Brazilian government in 1890 and carried a 2-6 month jail term for those found guilty of practicing capoeira. 

It nearly became a lost art form until it was rescued by Mestre (Master) Bimba, whose work helped to "legitimize" capoeira.  In 1932, he opened the first registered capoeira academy, developed a distinct learning method and modern style of capoeira called Luta Regional de Bahia (Regional Fight of Bahia) or more commonly known today as "Capoeira Regional."

Capoeira became officially recognized by the Brazilian government as the national sport of Brazil in 1972, and today is Brazil's second largest sport after soccer. 

Through a lifetime of research and dedication to the preservation of the art by masters such as Mestre Bimba and Mestre Pastinha, capoeira has gained respect and admiration in Brazil and throughout the world as a genuine Brazilian martial art, folkloric dance, national sport, cultural manifestation, and educational tool.