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The Masters

Manuel dos Reis Machado

Manuel dos Reis Machado (*23 November, 1899 in Salvador da Bahia, Brazil, †  5 February, 1974 in Goiânia), also known as Mestre Bimba, was a Brazilian "Capoeirista" and founder of the Capoeira Regional.

The Beginning

In Brazil in the early 20th century, the hunting increased on practitioners of the African rites like Candomblé, Umbanda, Capoeira, etc. The cavalry of the police was feared, and in their regiments they also had capoeira fighters inside. In the last century the terrorist "Black Guard" (Guarda Negra) existed in Rio. They protected the monarchy against the Republicans fought. During this period Manuel dos Reis Machado grew on with Capoeira.

 

Luta Regional Baiana

Dornelles Getúlio Vargas took over the power in Brazil in the year 1930. At that time, Bimba started to establish the Academies. He founded the first allowed Academy (1932) for Capoeira. Bimba taught his Luta Regional Baiana, later known as Capoeira Regional, and was invincible in this time. Mestre Bimba also contributed to its nickname: três pancadas (3 strokes). He was the first who gave methodical training. These included Seqüências, Cinturas Desprezadas and Balãos.

Único Esporte Genuiamente Brasileiro

There followed a period of intensive Capoeira exercises. 1953 Mestre Bimba gave a demonstration of Capoeira at President Getúlio Vargas (this time as the elected president of Brazil) place. He called it later as the "Esporte genuiamente ùnico brasileiro" (the only true American sport).

José Carlos Andrade Bittencourt

Mestre Vermelho 27 - José Carlos Andrade Bittencourt (1936-1996) met Mestre Bimba in the year 1952. He was among to be one of the 10 best students and Bimba himself said of Mestre Vermelho 27, he was "Maluco por Capoeira." In the year 1970 Bimba moved to Goiânia. He hand over the direction of the Academy to Mestre Vermelho 27. After Bimbas death he changed the name of the Academy of "Centro de cultura física regional" to "Academia do Mestre Bimba. 

In this way Mestre Vermelho 27 rescued a historical Heritage, the house of the Academy of Mestre Bimba, which exists until now in the Associação Mestre Bimba, Rua Monis Bareto No. 01

Josevaldo Lima de Jesus

Valdo Jose Lima de Jesus "Saci" was born on 3/16/1945 in Santa Barbara in the state of Bahia.

Mestre Saci began Capoeira Regional in July 1964 at the academy of Mestre Bimba. He has learned many years with Mestre Bimba and thus witnesses of historical events in the academy of Mestre Bimba and the Capoeira Regional in Bahia. He has witnessed many developments and changes in itself and can therefore play a sound picture of its time.

In 2007, Mestre Mestre Saci Saguin of the certificate and get awarded Mestre cord.

Rubens Costa Silva

Mestre Bamba (http://www.capoeiramestrebimba.com.br/) follows the steps of his teachers - Mestre Vermelho 27 and the inventor of Capoeira Regional Mestre Bimba. Mestre Bamba lives in Salvador Bahia. He is the current President of the Associação de Capoeira Mestre Bimba. The association has offices in Japan, Belgium, in the U.S. and Australia. Mestre Bamba uses a lot of time for tour dates in Europe, in order to teach Capoeira.

In 1977 Bamba began with Capoeira with Mestre Vermelho Boxceu. He played Capoeira on the streets known as Street-Capoeira. This Street-Capoeira was practiced in the old city center of Salvador, named Pelorinho. There he met Mestre Vermelho 27. Still today Mestre Vermelho 27 is his real first teacher. Bamba joined the academy of Mestre Vermelho 27. Under Mestre Vermelhos instructions, he became a true Capoeirista.

When Mestre Vermelho 27 died, Mestre Bamba invested a lot of effort to preserve the traditions and history of Capoeira. He asked older masters in Bahia to their advice, and most of them supported his intention to consider the culture and history of Capoeira to preserve. Mestre Bamba says: "I preserve the history of Capoeira Regional, and practice it until the day on which I die. The Capoeira Regional was hand over to me from Mestre Vermelho 27. I respect any other kind of Capoeira, and I do not criticize other species, because this kind of criticism of the concept can destroy CAPOEIRA. Every day, I forward the knowledge that I gained at the academy, and I learn something new every day."

Judival Santos de Brito Filho

The beginning of the biography of Mestre Saguin (Judival Santos de Brito Filho) are found in the 70s in Salvador de Bahia in the district of Bom Viagem. Here Mestre Saguin began with the Capoeira. In Mestre Murici he found his first Capoeira teacher. He trained in a dance studio in the "Cidade Baixa". One day, Mestre Murici lost the premises of his academy coused by organizational and political reasons. At that point the training and Capoeira shifted to the streets. This situation, to play the Capoeira in the streets, hold on for more less one year. During that time of Street-Capoeira, Mestre Saguin got dispute with a Capoeirista name Raimundinho - Peito de Ponbo. The battles were tough, and a motivation for Saguin to learn the true Capoeira Regional.

For this reason he visited the academy of Mestre Vermelho 27 and Mestre Bamba. Here he has trained every day after work as a lifeguard, the next eight years, the Capoeira Regional with Mestre Vermelho 27 and Mestre Bamba in the Academy of the legendary Mestre Bimba in Pelorinho. You need to know that at that time the District Pelorinho was a very dangerous place. Drugs, prostitution and violence were commonplace and the ordinary Salvadorans avoided this district. That Pelorinho is not comparable with the current, newly renovated Pelorinho in which every day thousands of tourists arrives and on each corner a policeman encounters. Therefor it is important to mention that Mestre Saguin was the first Capoeirista from the Boa Viagem neighborhood. He was the first one from this area who visited the academy of Mestre Mestre Bamba and Mestre Vermelho in Pelorinho. Mestre Saguin was not only a pioneer for other Capoeiristats from Boa Viagem. He was also a pioneer for those from the districts of Ponta do Maita and Forte Mont Serrat. He was responsible for ensuring that the Capoeira in these neighborhoods became known.

During the training at Mestre Vermelho 27 and Mestre Mestre Bamba, Saguin was able to learn a lot of the basic experience of capoeira regional. These included Seqüências, Cinturas and Desprezadas / Balãos, Touqies de Berimbau, philosophy, roots of Africana. He had also enjoyed to learn from the old Capoeiristas from Bahia. These included Caicara Mestre, Mestre Dois de Ouro, Eziquiel Mestre, Mestre Canjiquinha, Mestre Paulo dos Anjo, Desente Mestre, Mestre Bom Cabrito. This all happened in the 80s. In the year 1988 Mestre Vermelho 27 and Mestre Bamba traveled, together with the Capoeiristas Saguin, Orelha, Zambi, Marinheiro, Ruivo, Neguinho and some other to Porto Seguro. There was a Championship of the Capoeira Regional. The competition was organized by Mestre Gauze. In this competition Mestre Saguin won the first place.

End of the 80s the city of Salvador was in an economic crisis and had to laid off of a lot of their employees. Also Mestre Saguin lost his job as lifeguards. Now the moment was come that Mestre Saguin realized his idea, to go as Capoeirista to Europe. In Jule 1989 he arrived in Munich. In the beginning he gave workshops and Capoeira shows in Switzerland together with other Mestres from Bahia. Furthermore he visited international Capoeira meetings in Hamburg, Amsterdam, etc. In the year 1991 Saguin began with the Capoeira lessons in the dance school "Dance Project" in Munich, Germany. At that time, Capoeira was still unknown in Europe. That was a main reasons why it was so difficult to build up a Capoeira group. In the same year Mestre Sauin opened the first Capoeira Academy Mestre Vermelho 27 in Munich. Thus, he was also the first Capoeirista with its own academy in Germany and probably in Europe. The academy was in the vicinity of the Hackerbrücke. In the year 2000 Mestre Saguin moved into the Winzererstraße and he opened a new academy here. Until this year he still belonged to Mestre Bambas school.

Then in 2003 Mestre Saguin founded, together with Mestre Nelsinho, Mestre Marinheiro, Mestre Traira and Mestre Zambi the Capoeira UNICAR - Uniao International de Capoeira Regional. Mestre Saguin has designed the logo of UNICAR. Furthermore, he took over the financing of all costs of UNICAR in Brazil. This included clothing, Food, beverages, room rental for training in Capoeira and a meeting point. He was responsible for the funding for seven months. Since that time Capoeira UNICAR has grown further and now Capoeira UNICAR is likely the largest Capoeira organization in Europe.

Mestre Saguin thanked all Capoeiristas

Mestre Saguin thanked all Capoeiristas who have visited him in the last twenty-five years.

These include:
Mestre Bamba - BA | Mestre Saci - BA | Mestre Joao Perqueno - BA | Mestre Miguel Machado - SP | Mestre Nelsinho - BA | Mestre Dodo - RJ | Mestre Mith - BA | Mestre Leo - BA | Mestre Omar - BA | Mestre Americano - BA | Mestre Paulo Sorriso - SP | Mestre Mazinho - BA | Mestre Zambi - BA | Mestre Marinheiro - BA | Mestre Traira - BA | Mestre Caboje - BA | Mestre Bigodinho - SP | Mestre Rene - BA | Mestre Bailarino - RJ | Mestre Samara - RJ | Mestre Gaviao - BA | Mestre Araminho - RJ | Mestre Fumaca - RJ | Mestre Piguimen - SP | Mestre Lazinho - BA | Mestre Waldek - BA | Mestre Kota - RJ

Further thanks go to: Chale | Pacoca | Pinha | Muralha | Cabaca | Careca | Nariga | Biriba | Isoupo | Avestrus | Tamarino | Sapo | Secao | Sem Memoria | Saguin Rio de Janeiro | Cabeca | Couro Seco | Moreno | Dionga | Cesa | Luciano | Uelson | Toupera | Rizadinha | Sherife | Tatiana | Gafanhoto | Bo

My special thanks goes to those who have accompanied me on my way . Above all, I thank my children Mariama de Brito, Lola Santos v. Ungern-Sternberg, Pepe Santos v.Ungern-Sternberg. And my wife, she brings all this patience, care and love. Thanks to Tanja for the force and energy that you give me in my life.

My special thanks also goes to my "aluno graduado" Peixe - Adrian Ortiz - for the design of the UNICAR logos and designing our website - and his wife Ruth (Biriba). I thank my students, gave reputation to my work of Capoeira and meProf. Cabeludo | Prof. Submarino | Prof. Pardal | Prof. Tubarão | Coupim | Esta. II Angola | Esta. II Vasora | Prof. Adriano - BA | Esta. I Besourinho | Jangada | Pata | Parafuso | Folha | Pipoca | Iuna | Pititinga | Mexé Mexé | Minhoca | Sol | Levé | Boxceu | Aladim | Trigo | Tucano | Papageio | Palito | Liguica | Crocodil | Colhina | Cigano | Cara de Cobra | Flosinha | Piaba | Montanhia | Cavalinho | India | Cenora | follow:  and all my students who do Capoeira in the UNICAR Munich and those who came over in the academy.

Axé Capoeira

25 Jahre Capoeira Regional in Deutschland

Ein Geheimtipp? Schon lang nicht mehr!

Als Mestre Saguin 1989 nach München kam, kannte Capoeira Regional kaum jemand - diese kraftvolle Form der Capoeira begleitet von Berimbau und Pandeiros mit ihren schnellen und akrobatischen Bewegungen. Doch Saguin war klar: nichts würde hier sein Überleben so sehr sichern wie die Capoeira Regional. Was für ihn in Brasilien kulturellen Widerstand bedeutete, würde hier seinen Weg finden.

Und heute: an die 1000 Schüler sind durch Schule von Mestre Saguin gegangen - manche sind 20 Jahre dabei, manche zwei Monate. Der eine ist über 50 Jahre, die andere gerade 3. Keine Frage: kaum jemand in Deutschland hat so sehr die Capoeira Regional bekannt gemacht wie Mestre Saguin.

Über 20 Lehrer und Mestres hat Saguin in den letzten 25 Jahren  nach Deutschland geholt, damit seine Schüler einen intensiven Kontakt zur Kultur Brasiliens bekommen. Die von ihm mitgegründete União Internacional de Capoeira Regional - UNICAR - gibt es heute in vielen Städten Deutschlands und öffnet Sportlern das Tor zu einer Welt, die so viel mehr ist als Bewegung.Auch das von ihm im Jahr 2003 gegründete Sozialprojekt "Projeto Beiru"  unterstützt Kinder und Jugendliche in Salvador/ Bahia  - durch den kostenlosen Unterricht in der Capoeira Regional. 

Für Mestre Saguin ist Capoeira ist viel mehr als Überleben - Capoeira ist sein Leben!

Axé: 25 anos de Capoeira Regional na Alemanha!