What are your goals after 2020?
In 2018 I moved to Miami. I had been living in Iowa, running a capoeira program there for almost 8 years. I was teaching capoeira in several schools and working with different nonprofits. I had a cleaning business on the side, on top of traveling around the country teaching capoeira workshops. I was so busy! But in 2018, I made a very hard decision. For different personal reasons, I left everything behind - my jobs, friends, family - to start from 0 in Miami. This decision brought to my life many difficulties, but also many blessings!
Before the move, for 3 months I lived out of my car. It was the middle of summer, the AC didn’t work, and the windows wouldn’t even roll down! Some nights I slept in one of the studios where I was teaching, other nights I slept at a student’s house. Imagine this situation!
When it came time to move, I rented a van, put all I could inside, and drove from Des Moines to Miami. My girlfriend, Diamante (her capoeira nickname), met me in Atlanta to drive the rest of the way together. On the road, we stopped at a Dairy Queen to get ice cream - a simple thing, but for me a sign that my new life was starting. I did not know what to expect, but I was so excited! Little by little, Miami has become my new home. Now I want to make my dream come true and open my capoeira school here!
A lot of careful planning has gone into trying to make my dream a reality. I went around to all the capoeira schools in south Florida, meeting everyone. I applied for an artist project residency at Deering Estate, an amazing historic site in Miami, and taught some free classes there. With their collaboration, I put together a documentary about capoeira in south Florida, and we were planning an event and film screening at the Estate. I started teaching capoeira at a local gym. Everything was coming together! It was February 2020, so you know what happened next: COVID.
Now what? After everything I’ve been through, starting from 0, all the planning - what was I supposed to do?
If there is one thing I have learned with capoeira, it’s that it doesn’t matter how prepared you are. Sometimes you can defend yourself from a good takedown, and sometimes life changes everything.
I won’t lie, it was hard! I got so disappointed and lost my motivation, like a lot of my friends working with capoeira. But I could not give up. In the middle of this chaos, the internet opened so many new opportunities. For sure we love to be with people, but to be able to connect with and learn from other teachers in Brazil, France, Israel, and all over the world blew my mind!
So I looked at myself and said, “I will do everything I can to be better. The day will come when I can do what I want, the way I want - to open my academy, teach my method to new students - and I will be ready. I will be an amazing professional, teacher, coach, mentor, and capoeirista.” Then I started to learn: I took capoeira classes, business classes, mentorships, content creation and digital marketing classes. I researched, read a lot, researched some more, and 2020 passed!
I know a lot of people lost so much, and I deeply respect that.
But I know that 2020 was one of the best years of my life, because this takedown showed me how much I could be better. After so much research and work, so many classes, tests, and mistakes, I know that I’m the best version of myself. From all the darkness came light, and I was able to create something unique and beautiful, better than I ever imagined!
So what are your goals for after 2020?
Mine are to keep growing, evolving, learning, and sharing.
I want to create a place where we can all support each other, become better physically, mentally, and spiritually, and share our different cultures. Together with friends, partners, and families, we will build this beautiful and special community!
I didn’t always fit in.
I started capoeira in a poor town in São Paulo, Brazil. It was 1996; I was 10 years old. I had no coordination and 0 sports skills. The truth is, I did not have big expectations for my life. I was just a poor kid - no money, no talent - without any big dreams.
But luckily I found capoeira and my life changed!
I started training every day, taking all the classes I could. Guess what I did in my free time? Capoeira! I was a fanatic, and I still am. It is because the more I give to capoeira, the more capoeira gives me back.
Little by little I started to be noticed: at home, with my family, in school, and in capoeira. I started to teach, perform, and travel. Capoeira changed my perspective on life. I started to see so many opportunities.
In 2007 I went to Mexico, then France, Austria, Belgium, Germany, England, Spain, Israel, Tunisia. All teaching and performing capoeira. How could I not be in love?
Through capoeira I met my partner, and through capoeira I have seen almost all my dreams come true!
With capoeira I have more energy, confidence, and focus. I move better and feel better, and I'm part of a beautiful community. I know that capoeira can help anyone in the same way.
