 My name is Ubaldo Teixeira Baleeiro. I was born on November 16, 1970 in Pedro Canario ES and moved to Itamaraju Bahia with my family as an infant. I attended a few private schools and completed high school in Inacio Tosta Filho state school.
I have been practicing Capoeira since I was 17 years old. I had to go into the service in Brasil and was not in shape at all. I had heard how once you were in the service you had to run and be in shape. I was nervous about this because I was overweight and I had asthma. I was giving a friend of mine a ride to a Capoeira academy. I asked Professor Sorro if I could work out there and explained to him that I had no interest in learning Capoeira.
I was just interested in the workout that the classes provided. He agreed to let me work out with the class. A few months later he left the town to another state. Two students Tamandua and Piteu continued to teach in his absence. Shortly there after Tamandua joined under Mestre Marinaldo, Grupo de Capoeira Esporão.
A few years later Professor Tamandua moved to Vitoria ES and I took over the academy teaching classes. I had no idea that I would come to love Capoeira as much as I have. Seventeen years later here I am teaching Capoeira in the United States.
Capoeira is very much a part of me and I could not see myself ever not training, teaching or playing Capoeira. |
