Welcome to International Vem Camará Capoeira site
International Federation Vem Camará Capoeira was established in September 2009 by Mr. Sandro Felix dos Santos ( Mestre Paҫoca ) and his closest students, after leaving group Abadá Capoeira. The mutual cooperation exists since the year 2002.
The federation is currently represented in Austria, with an official headquarters in Klagenfurt, then in The Czech republic, Slovakia, Hungary and Russia.
The Federation unites the national associations and coordinates their activities to fulfill its common objectives. It takes the responsibility for holding all main events like seminars, international sport-camps, national championships, international open competitions and Open European Championship.
The philosophy of our group is to preserve original and traditional merits and its qualities in combination with functional and high standard teaching processes. Also, to develop the sport competition structure for adult and children at local, national and international level. It is highly important to keep the high standard of given lectures, by regular instructors training and certification at its professional and also human approach. As it is stated in the name of the group we are open to any cooperation or exchange that will lead to improve the general state of Capoeira.
He was born in Recife, Pernambuco, in 1970, and began practicing Capoeira in 1981. His first teacher was Mestre Bentivi. Then, in 1985, he met Mestre Camisa (of the Senzala group) and spent three years training with him in Rio de Janeiro. He ultimately chose to live and train in Copacabana at Mestre Peixinho’s academy. After establishing Abadá Capoeira, he followed Mestre Camisa’s lead and trained with all of the former core members, furthering his Capoeira knowledge and education.
In 1992, he decided to travel to Europe to help with the development of Capoeira there. His first stop was Kopenhaagen. Later, he rose to become one of the most influential personalities in the European capoeira scene. He established academies in Germany and Spain and organized workshops all around western Europe. He was also the first to organize a European championship.
In 2000, he decided to move on and came to live and work in Vienna, Austria. He established a very popular academy there. In 2002, he met the Slovakian boys Ete and Camelo in Vienna, who asked him to start regular classes in Bratislava, Slovakia. Soon after, he met Robocop, Big Baby, and Atabaque from the Czech Republic, who joined the union, and Mestre Paoca was appointed as the group’s responsible leader in the Czech Republic and Slovakia. In 2006, he went to Russia to lead a set of seminars and became the leader of the Russian group. He also became the leader of the Hungarian group that year. He organized Batizados, competitions, and seminars and was a great inspiration to many young athletes.
After deep consideration, he decided in 2009 to leave the Abadá Capoeira and form his own group, Vem Camará Capoeira, in order to avoid all of the sideways politics. Only a few people believed in him and his decision at the time, and they stood by their teacher. They were graduados Robocop, Big Baby, and Atabaque in the Czech Republic; graduada Golfinho and Xitara, in Austria; and graduado Latino in Slovakia.
In 2012, he received the honorable degree of Mestre and a red corda from Mestre Capixaba, in the presence of many Mestres, such as Mestre DiMola, Tucano, and others.
Mestre Paoca’s boundless enthusiasm and devotion to Capoeira, combined with his professionalism, made his dream a reality, but he refuses to rest up and is an inspiration to many future generations of Capoeiristas.
