Capoeira Brasil: Discover the Art and Culture with Instructor Camarão
Instructor Camarão's martial arts journey began in the 1990s when he started
practicing Kenpo Karate in his hometown of Leominster, Massachusetts. After a
few months he was completely hooked and could be found training for hours in
his bedroom. Camarão's father was a dedicated martial artist and the two
joined the Tae Kwon Do Karate Club where his father became his teacher. He
studied TKD for many years within Master Ron Bastein's school, enjoying the kicking style and discipline it took to practice the martial art. He participated in many tournaments and excelled in forms.As a teenager, Camarão moved through different music scenes. He found himself captivated by house music culture. For years, he danced house and dabbled at breaking at various events throughout New England. This influenced his approach to capoeira, which he discovered in 2000 at Northeastern University. He was immediately drawn to the art's unique blend of acrobatics, martial arts, and music.
Camarão trained at Northeastern and throughout Boston for many years with the Capoeira Brasil group. His Mestre (or Master) is Mestre Boneco, one of the most respected capoeira mestres in the world. Under Mestre Boneco's guidance, Camarão blossomed into a talented capoeirista. He developed a deep understanding of the art's history, philosophy, and technique. He has traveled to Rio de Janeiro, Aracaju, Los Angeles, NYC, Cleveland, Hartford, San Francisco, Providence and Albany to train capoeira with various Teachers/Professors/Masters of capoeira.
Camarão is a dedicated and passionate capoeirista. He continues to train regularly and teach classes at Boston Capoeira Brasil in Somerville, South Boston and Northeastern University. He is also a vocal advocate for the art, and he frequently works towards bringing the local community together through the Boston Capoeira Exchange. Camarão believes that capoeira is more than just a martial art; it is a way of life that teaches us valuable lessons about discipline, perseverance, and respect. He is committed to sharing the gift of capoeira with others and helping them to reach their full potential.
Mestre Boneco
Mestre Boneco began training Capoeira at the age of eleven with Grupo Senzala in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. In 1989, after 19 years of dedicated training, he was recognized for his outstanding achievement in the Capoeira community and awarded his black belt by a council of Brazil’s most distinguished masters. Mestre Boneco’s black belt is also recognized by the Brazilian Capoeira Federation. After receiving his black belt, Mestre Boneco, along with Mestres Paulinho Sabia and Paulão, founded Grupo Capoeira Brasil, an organization that would later become one of the largest Capoeira groups in the world.Mestre Boneco’s 51 years of experience include teaching workshops in the world’s leading universities, presenting seminars and talks at many international fitness and cultural conferences, and the production of over 20 international Capoeira festivals. Today he supervises over 70 graduated instructors with programs in South and North America, Australia, Europe, and Asia. Mestre Boneco also supervises instructors teaching at UCLA, LMU, and Cal State LA as well as Capoeira projects in various Southern California public, private, and charter schools.
Mestre Boneco has been featured on CNN, FOX news, ABC, NBC, KTLA, Telemundo and Univision news shows. He was featured on "Extra Hollywood" and VH1’s "Hollywood’s Hardest Bodies." In print, Mestre Boneco and his group have graced the pages of Men’s Fitness, SELF, and The Los Angeles Times. And in the entertainment industry, Mestre Boneco has choreographed and trained actors for various motion pictures, national commercials, and stage productions as well as developed his own team of Capoeira specialized stunt men.
Learn more about Mestre Boneco here.
Capoeira Brasil
Grupo Capoeira Brasil, is dedicated to disseminating the rich culture and tradition of Capoeira. We practice a variation of Capoeira titled Capoeira Regional Contemporânea. Our style, derived from the movements and sequences defined by Mestre Bimba, reflect the evolutions and influences of the Mestres of Capoeira Brasil. We strive to maintain the integrity of the art, as well as support its evolution.Mestre Boneco is one of three founding masters of Grupo Capoeira Brasil. He lives in Los Angeles where he is president and principle instructor of CBLA, the North American headquarters for Grupo Capoeira Brasil. Mestre Boneco is also the artistic director of Bencão Brasil, a non-profit Brazilian cultural organization that teaches and performs Capoeira throughout Southern California and offers training scholarships for under resourced youth.