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Sponsorship Package

If you are interested in sponsoring our event, please have a look at our sponsorship package: Sponsorship Package

Contact Us

GENERAL INFORMATION:
Julie Ali – (604) 761-4635
shows@axecapoeira.com

Visit our facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/AfroBrazilianBlockParty

Have you always wanted to try Capoeira but have been to waiting to ‘get in shape first’ or weary of jumping into a class full of pros? Now is the time and this is the class designed just for you!

We are now excited to offer a Capoeira course to introduce you to the basic fundamentals of the art form. This starter course will cover basic kicks, movements and acrobatics, as well as teach you basic music skills and about the history of Capoeira. We will also cover the correct techniques to prepare you physically to transition into the next level of classes. Don’t miss out on this great opportunity to try something new with people just like you!

Register and pay online by clicking the “Pay Now” button. Hurry! Space is limited and the deadline to register is April 5th.

Registration is now CLOSED. Stay tuned for our next intro registration date!

Location: São Paulo, Brazil

What song gets you pumped up in the roda?
Traditional songs that bring axe to the roda.

How did you start capoeira?
Through a cousin that brought me to class, and I have never stopped since that day.

What do you love the most about capoeira?
A good rhythm.

What was something you struggled the most with in capoeira?
Everything.

What is the main thing you try to focus on when you train?
The base and the basics of all movements.

How do you push yourself to keep getting better?
My willpower to be a good capoeirista keeps me going. Knowing that capoeira is my destiny.

What’s your power food before a roda?
Water.

What is in your life now because of Capoeira?
New friends, new cultures, an open mind to receive new information. Capoeira has given me a new vision of the world.

How has capoeira changed your life?
Transformed me into a better person, its helped me deal with life situations, its become my escape valve.

If you could play anyone in the roda, living or deceased who would it be and why?
Mestre Waldemar da Paixão, because I’m a fan of how he sang in capoeira, and I admire him because of the way he transmitted energy.

Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
Continuing to practice capoeira and searching for knowledge in the capoeira community.

What’s your favorite book?
Arte Da Guerra (The Art of War)

What’s your 2nd most favorite thing to do?
Watch movies.

If I wasn’t a capoeirista, I would be a resurrected capoeirista.

Location: Mexico and Switzerland

Facebook: www.facebook.com/axeomar and www.facebook.com/axecabaca

What song gets you pumped up in the roda?
Hearing my Mestre sing and all the instruments in the roda makes my heart pump and gives me the energy to play.

How did you start capoeira?
Well it was 14 years ago in Mexico, and a friend of mine practiced capoeira with a group of ppl. He invited me to join them because we had both watched the movie ‘Only the Strong’ and really liked it. Haha, I guess many people watch it and fall in love with capoeira. At that time, Capoeira in Mexico was very new and limited and although we did our best to learn from many sources, it wasn’t enough for me as I wanted to learn good capoeira. In the Summer of 2000, I went to California to visit my family and to train Capoeira with the group Batuque under Mestre Amen Santos who is one of the actors from ‘Only the Strong’ :p. I also went to Mestre Acordeon’s batizado and it was there that I met Mestre Barråo and Barraozinho. I liked the style and the energy that Mestre gave to the roda when he played. I got in touch with Mestre and in the Summer of 2002 I went to Vancouver and joined the group. When I returned to Mexico I began my work to build the grupo there.

That is my story of how I started Capoeira and joined Grupo Axe Capoeira. All the trips with Mestre Barrao, Barraozinho, Ossoduro, Testa and many of the members of Grupo Axe Capoeira in North America helped me grow as a capoeirista. Now I am in Switzerland starting a new group, traveling all over Europe and representing Grupo Axe Capoeira in every single way that my Mestre taught me, even in the ring (Capoeira MMA).

What do you love the most about capoeira?
I can’t say just one thing, i love Capoeira in every single way, what I learned is… a capoeirista is not the one that only jumps or plays in the roda, capoeirista for me is the one who learns the culture and takes it to the maximum level and transmits it to the whole world! Just like my Mestre Barrao.

What was something you struggled the most with in capoeira?
The music because its something that u have to really work on it and with a lot of passion!

What is the main thing you try to focus on when you train?
Be one of the best! And take the name of my Mestre, Family, Grupo, and flag right on the top!

How do you push yourself to keep getting better?
My family and friends are the ones who are helping and pushing me to be a better person and capoeirista!

How has capoeira changed your life?
Since the first time I heard a capoeira song and did my first meia lua, my life changed 360 degrees. It’s because of capoeira that I am where I am.

If you could play anyone in the roda, living or deceased who would it be and why?
Of course with My Mestre ,Mestre Barrao, because he is the one who is teaching me Capoeira and teaching me about life!

Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
I don’t know exactly, but I want to see myself in here in Switzerland with a family, big academy and traveling all over with my Mestre, all my students from Mexico, Switzerland and friends.

What’s your favorite book?
The art the war by Sun Tzu.

What’s your 2nd most favorite thing to do?
MMA.

FILL IN THE BLANK:
If I wasn’t a capoeirista, I would be a physiotherapist.

YouTube – Videos

Location: Paris, France

What song gets you pumped up in the roda?
Old school quadras e corridos.

How did you start capoeira?
I started capoeira in 1977. I saw Mestre Cacao teaching a class in his academy. At the time capoeira was very discriminated, and capoeira was viewed as something only thugs or theives did.

What do you love the most about capoeira?
Capoeira to me is in my blood. The moment I started training I have never stopped or looked back ever since. It’s a philosophy of life and in our past history it shows that it can transform a person in all aspects.

What was something you struggled the most with in capoeira?
My biggest difficulties I had was the fact that my family did not support me in capoeira. But I thank God that I get to travel around the world because of capoeira. Now my family sees capoeira in a different way and now they support me.

What is the main thing you try to focus on when you train?
I try to keep up with the contemporary style that keeps evolving all the time and I train hard to show my work through my game.

How do you push yourself to keep getting better?
What drives me is when I see the well respected mestres, like Mestre Barrao, doing a great job. This drive is what keeps me motivated to continue to work hard and train hard.

How has capoeira changed your life?
Capoeira has changed my life because I have always believed in capoeira and I am where I am today because of it. Now teaching in Paris France, I’m finally moving forward with my objectives: which is promoting the art of capoeira to the world.

Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
Within the next 5 years I want to continue to build capoeira and have a solid foundation for the school in Paris, France.

What’s your favorite movie?
Evangelic movies.

What’s your favorite book?
The Bible.

What’s your 2nd most favorite thing to do?
I like to watch a lot of capoeira DVDs and listen to capoeira music

FILL IN THE BLANK:
If I wasn’t a capoeirista, I would be a soccer player.

Location: Chicago, USA

Website: www.axechicago.com

What was something you struggled the most with in capoeira?
Fighting, it was hard to let go in the roda when the fight starts. Even to this day it’s difficult at times to let go when you’re playing your friend.

What is the main thing you try to focus on when you train?
Details and basics, they are the building blocks of everything in capoeira.

What’s your signature style or way of approaching the game?
I’m tall but I enjoy being the lowest to the ground and it helps me to use my height laterally to control space in the roda and I never let anything visibly shake me.

How has capoeira changed your life?
It has given me a new perspective on life and shown me a new culture. It’s made me reconsider what is really important in life.

Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
Playing in rodas and teaching capoeira, wherever it takes me.

What’s your favorite book?
The Kite Runner

FILL IN THE BLANK:
If I wasn’t a capoeirista, I would be a a college drop out with little to no future, working in a Red Lobster in Indiana.

Location: Wroclaw, Poland

Website: www.axecapoeira.pl

What song gets you pumped up in the roda?
The anthem of our group and all fast songs sung by Mestre Barrao.

How did you start capoeira?
I saw the movie “Only the Strong”, after that I tried to do capoeira by myself. After a few months I took part in a capoeira workshop with a Brazilian master.

What do you love the most about capoeira?
That capoeira is a complete art form and you never get bored because there’s always something to learn and discover.

What was something you struggled the most with in capoeira?
Acrobatics. I love to train flips but it’s damn hard for me. But I’m doing my best

What is the main thing you try to focus on when you train?
When I train I focus on doing movements correctly, with 100% style of our group.

How do you push yourself to keep getting better?
I travel. When you travel you see other people playing capoeira and that opens your mind and reminds you that there’s still a lot to learn in capoeira.

If you have another job: how do you balance capoeira with the rest of your life?
Actually I’m working as a school teacher. This job helps me to have balance between running classes and earning money to live. In my country physical education teacher works only 20 hour per week. My job is mostly in the morning till 2pm and classes starts from 6pm. So I have plenty of time.

What’s your power food before a roda?
My power food is NO FOOD before class or roda . When I eat I feel heavy so I usually don’t eat before class or a roda.

What is in your life now because of Capoeira?
My friends and travels. I travelled around the world because of capoeira.

How has capoeira changed your life?
Capoeira gave me more self-confidence and taught me how to deal with many different situations in life.

If you could play anyone in the roda, living or deceased who would it be and why?
Mestre Jao Pequeno – I met his brother when I was in NY, Mestre Tete – he’s my Master’s Master so I would like to know a bit more about him. Mestre Pastinha and Mestre Bimba.

Are you hosting an event or any workshops this year? Provide details.
Yeah this year we will have our 10th anniversary of Grupo Axe Capoeira in Poland. The event will be in the beginning of May 2012. Our special guest will be Mestre Barrao. Check out the poster here.

Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
In a big training centre with my kids teaching them capoeira and my lovely wife being always by my side and supporting me .

What’s your favorite movie?
“Enemy at the Gates”, “Saving Private Ryan”, “Tropa de Elite”, “Underworld (quadrilogy)”

What’s your 2nd most favorite thing to do?
Riding my motorbike.

FILL IN THE BLANK:
If I wasn’t a capoeirista, I would be a I don’t know ;P can’t imagine that.

Location: Kazakhstan

Website: www.capoeira.kz

How did you start capoeira?
After watching the movie “Only the strong” in 1998.

What do you love the most about capoeira?
I can’t separate.

What is the main thing you try to focus on when you train?
All things.

How do you push yourself to keep getting better?
Thinking that I am very bad.

If you have another job: how do you balance capoeira with the rest of your life?
I don’t have another job, so Capoeira.

What’s your signature style or way of approaching the game?
Speed

What is in your life now because of Capoeira?
Capoeira now is my life.

Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
Professor Parafuso.

What’s your favorite movie?
The Hulk.

What’s your favorite book?
Nomads.

What’s your 2nd most favorite thing to do?
To think.

FILL IN THE BLANK:
If I wasn’t a capoeirista, I would be a CAPOEIRISTA.

Location: Toronto, Canada

Website: www.axetoronto.com

How did you start capoeira?
Vi and Lelo used me to play Super Nintendo, so they would always want to come over and in turn they taught me some capoeira and took me to class with mestre.

What do you love the most about capoeira?
I love always being challenged. I think many capoeiristas would get bored or demotivated doing other things because they are too one dimensional. Capoeira can be tough today, playful tomorrow and spiritual the day after. It all depends what your body and mind are craving that day.

What was something you struggled the most with in capoeira?
At first was rhythm and flexibility. Now after 15 years I still do, but to the average person, I’m a musical ninja.

What is the main thing you try to focus on when you train?
I always try to ask myself, “How would I train if mestre was here teaching me?” That usually gets me motivated.

How do you push yourself to keep getting better?
I think about the people I want to get in the roda and the people who have gotten me. Also, people who I look up to and what to one day incorporate one or more aspects of their capoeira into my own.

What’s your power food before a roda?
As of 2012, lots of water.

What is in your life now because of Capoeira?
Many of my friends, my confidence, my way of viewing things, my dedication, much of my business knowledge and more.

How has capoeira changed your life?
When growing up, teenagers need something to identify with. For me that was capoeira. It’s not possible to have negative things in your life and succeed in capoeira (drugs, alcohol, etc). Maybe if I identified with something else as a teenager, a healthy lifestyle might not have been important to me.

If you could play anyone in the roda, living or deceased who would it be and why?
Definitely Mestre Bimba, then Mestre Pastinha. They are icons in capoeira. Having a picture with them too would be precious!

Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
Traveling to various events worldwide and running Canada’s largest capoeira school which will allow me the freedom to bring guest instructors to train with us on a bi-monthly level.

What’s your favorite movie?
Cidade de Deus, Tropa de Elite

What’s your favorite book?
Rich Dad Poor Dad

What’s your 2nd most favorite thing to do?
Sleep!

FILL IN THE BLANK:
If I wasn’t a capoeirista, I would be an entrepreneur.

Welcome to the 2012 Afro-Brazilian Block Party!

Date: Saturday, July 28 and Sunday, July 29, 2012
Time: 11:00am to 7:00pm
Location: Granville Street 

Mark Your Calendars and Join The Party!

Open Press Conference: Capoeira Q&A with the Mestres

WHEN:
Friday, July 27, 2012 @ 12:00pm
WHERE:
Woodwards
128 W Cordova Street
Vancouver, British Columbia

CALLING ALL MEDIA & CAPOEIRISTAS:
You are invited to join an open press conference and Q&A session with a panel of guest mestres from around the world in Vancouver, BC, Canada! This event is open to capoeira students of all groups, and we encourage all local media and members of the general public to attend. The panel is hosted by Axé Capoeira as a feature event of their 30th Anniversary batizado event and Afro-Brazilian Block Party 2012!

Read more…

Schedule of Events

You can download a copy of the schedule here:

Vancouver Event Schedule 2012

Visa Invitation Letter

Here is a link for an invitation letter to our event if you are applying for a visa. The file is password protected and must be opened in Microsoft Word. To receive the password, please email shows@axecapoeira.com.

Visa Application Letter

Registration Forms

Here are the registration forms for the event. You can also register online here.

Registration Forms

Housing

For any inquiries about billeted accommodations please send your questions to housing@axecapoeira.com.

If you are interested in staying at a hotel, the YWCA [http://www.ywcahotel.com/] is sponsoring the event and all registrants receive 10% off. The YWCA Hotel is conveniently located 3 blocks from the academy and has single and group rooms available. Mention that you are with Axé Capoeira to get the discount.

Capoeira Competition

Rules and regulations are up!

Check it out.

Vendor Applications

Vendors, please download the applications and hand them in by June 9th, 2012.

Vendor Applications

Sponsorship Package

If you are interested in sponsoring our event, please have a look at our sponsorship package.

Sponsorship Package

Sponsors

Thank you to our sponsors for making this event possible.

Check them out here.

Contact Us

GENERAL INFORMATION:
Marcus Aurelio – (604) 537-8943
Julie Ali – (604) 761-4635