The Story Behind Our Capoeira Group

Professor Sagui is from Rio de Janeiro in Brazil and has practised capoeira for more than 14 years and a student of Contra Mestre Pedigree and other great capoeira mestres.
Sagui lives in Denamrk now and has started his own group in Valby.

Sagui’s Story of his life with Capoeira

My first encounter with capoeira is about 15 years ago. One of my oldest brothers was a “capoeirista”, and he brought me with him to practice when he looked after me. Since I was only 7 years old, I didn’t understand a lot of what capoeira was all about, but as I was the only child present, they brought me into the roda to play a little. I remember that I didn’t know how to do anything, but I tried to make an acrobatic movement called “macaco”. It was because I met a guy in the street, who sold candy, and who had asked me if I could make a macaco after which he made 7-8 macacos in a row without stopping! I was very impressed and started to practice myself until I could finally make one.

Unfortunately my brother quit doing capoeira later on, so I didn’t go to practice any longer. So, some years passed by where I didn’t practice capoeira until one day when I saw it on the street where I was living. Luckily I didn’t have to pay, so I started again in 1993 and have not quit since!

Through my friend, professor Jilo who now lives in Århus, I got to know my current teacher Contra Mestre Pedigree back in 1997. We became very good friends and we practiced almost around the clock! With his guidance I reached the rank of Professor in 2001 and shortly after I gained my first experience with teaching at a primary school in Rio de Janeiro. Shortly afterwards I started teaching in a fitness club in Copacabana in Rio. Since then I have had plenty of jobs in connection with capoeira such as doing performances for tourist events like Paõ de Acuar, Copacabana and at hotels throughout Rio. Besides that I did a stage show with Queens of the Stone Age during a concert in Copacabana, participated in a music video and various Brazilian serial stories.

I arrived in Denmark first time in 2004 which was an opportunity I got only because of my friend Jilo who invited me to come. I stayed with him in Odense where I also taught. Thereby I got the chance to know not only Denmark, but also many other countries such as Finland, Sweden, England, Scotland, Spain and Ukraine where I have taught and given workshops in shorter or longer periods of time.