Mestre Rui Henrique

Rui Henrique was born on August 19, 1950, in Rio de Janeiro. He began his capoeira journey in 1968 in the Império da Tijuca group under Mestre Zé Maria (José Maria da Silva), who had established himself as the precursor of capoeira teaching in the Tijuca neighborhood.

From 1969, Rui Henrique began teaching capoeira, demonstrating early aptitude for pedagogy and transmission of the art. In 1973, he received recognition as a mestre from the Brazilian Boxing Federation (Confederação Brasileira de Pugilismo), which at that time had jurisdiction over capoeira as a martial art. This institutional recognition came at a pivotal moment in capoeira's professionalization.

While studying Business Administration at UNISUAM (Sociedade Universitária Augusto Motta), Rui Henrique became a dominant force in university capoeira competitions, winning the university championship five consecutive times. During this period, he competed alongside his "capoeira brother" Mestre Canela (Floriano Franklin Canela), who was also a student of Mestre Zé Maria and would later establish the first Italian capoeira school.

In 1975, Rui Henrique co-founded Grupo Irmãos Unidos das Nações Africanas (IUNA) together with Mestres Bené (Benedito Rodrigues dos Santos) and Ziza (Pedro Rosemberg de Alcântara da Silva). The group's name—"United Brothers of African Nations"—reflects the Afro-Brazilian consciousness that characterized the capoeira movement during this period, as practitioners actively reclaimed and celebrated the African roots of their art.

During the 1970s, Rui Henrique was part of the vibrant capoeira scene in Rio de Janeiro. He participated in the legendary roda at Mestre Zé Pedro's academy in Bonsucesso, which operated every Sunday morning from 1973 to 1979. This roda became "a key reference in Rio de Janeiro's capoeira" and attracted only experienced players—the bambas—for games described as "hard," with full-contact kicks and headbutts.

Beyond his career as a capoeirista, Rui Henrique completed his Business Administration degree at UNISUAM and worked professionally as a Work Safety Technologist (Tecnólogo em Segurança do Trabalho), residing in the Parada de Lucas neighborhood of Rio de Janeiro.

With over 50 years of experience in capoeira practice and instruction, Rui Henrique became a member of the Superior Council of Masters of the Brazilian Capoeira Confederation (Conselho Superior de Mestres da Confederação Brasileira de Capoeira), demonstrating his continued leadership and influence in the organization and governance of capoeira at the national level.