Like many captivated by the electrifying moves in Only The Strong during the 90s, Contra-mestre Bala was instantly hooked on Capoeira. But without any local schools or teachers to fuel his passion, he turned to breakdancing through high school and college, unknowingly laying the perfect foundation for his Capoeira journey.
In a fateful twist, after moving to Hawaii in 2004, Bala crossed paths with a Capoeira practitioner in a park, igniting his long-awaited first training session. Two years later, in 2006, Contra-mestre Pintado from the renowned Capoeira Cordão de Ouro (CDO) group in Campinas, Brazil, opened a school in Honolulu. Bala was the very first student to join the group, diving headfirst into the world of Capoeira.
Even when CM Pintado left the island a few years later, the momentum didn’t stop. In 2008, Mestre Duas Duzias took over, keeping the energy alive and the group thriving in Honolulu.
In November 2013, Bala’s hard work paid off as he earned his Instrutor belt (cordão azul) at Mestre Coruja’s formatura ceremony in São Paulo, Brazil. His journey reached new heights in January 2018 when he was awarded the title of Professor at the famous Capoeirando event in Ilhéus, Bahia, Brazil. In 2022, Bala was awarded the title of Contra-mestre.
Today, Contra-mestre Bala continues to share his passion for Capoeira, training and teaching across the Hawaiian Islands and beyond, spreading the art form that captured his heart from the start.
Capoeira da Mata Hawaii 