Mestre Marcelo

I began to train capoeira at the age of nine in Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo.

Due to the incentive of my brother, José Mario Cândido, I did my first steps in the world of capoeira, supervised by Mestre Euclides (Mestre Oripim). By this time, my brother was not living in our city, that is why I could not start learning capoeira from him.

I am very grateful that Mestre Oripirim taught me the first capoeira moves like Ginga, Aú and many more. Exactly a year after this, my brother came back into town and I went to his school of capoeira. Mestre Oripirim will always be my first Mestre, though, who gave me an insight of a somewhat different methodology of learning and training, which helped me getting used to Mestre Fumaça.

Up till today, he is living capoeira at 24 hours a day and I already had almost reached the same rhythm of live. The capoeira became the priority in my live. The hours I spent in school and training in the school of capoeira determined my childhood.

In 1992, I received the first degree of teacher (professor), but up until today I feel I am still a student, for I am always willing to learn new things and I am always confronting new defiances.
In 1997, I was officially made Contra-Mestre by my mestres and the Brazilian Confederation of Capoeira (CBC). My own work with this martial art is shaped by the idea of imparting the whole world of Capoeira to my students: The history, the tradition, the game of regional and angola, the singing, playing the instruments and the respect for the corporal integrity of the partner, all this to become good teachers, respected and acknowledged in the whole world. With this martial art, this expression of culture I always had and continue having the opportunity of representing Brazil’s capoeira in many countries and of making lots of friends.

In Brazil, people practice capoeira since the 17th century. Its origins lie in the “senzalas” (slave cabins) where practicing any kind of fight was forbidden. The movements were transformed and hidden in some kind of dance, so that they could practice this sort of self defense.

In 1993, we became members of the CBC (Confederação Brasileira de Capoeira), the Brazilian Cofederation of Capoeira, to benefit from its work of making capoeira a national sport and maintain the culture of this people of slaves, that conquered its liberty by fighting. Already accepted by the IOC (International Olympic Committee), in capoeira we work with techniques of competition to become an olympic sport.

My personal development in the capoeira as competition was a big success. I am member of the Brazilian Nacional Team of Capoeira, five-time Brazilian Champion (1995-2000) and in 1996 I have been awarded best athlete (capoeira) by the Brazilian Olympic Committee (COB). The biggest advantage of this sport is the improvement of your own quality of life: coordination, good reflexes, ability, inner balance, sociability, flexibility and the playing the instruments.

This is capoeira, the culture learned through vitality and joy.