Mestre Nestor Capoeira

Nestor Sezefredo dos Passos Neto was born on September 29, 1946, in Belo Horizonte, Brazil. At nineteen, in 1965, he began learning capoeira from Mestre Leopoldina, the legendary mestre of Rio de Janeiro known for his synthesis of carioca tiririca and Bahian capoeira traditions.

In 1968, Nestor joined Grupo Senzala in Rio de Janeiro, one of the most influential capoeira groups of the era. There he trained under Mestre Preguiça (Walmir Oliveira) and began teaching as a contramestre under the supervision of Mestre Gato (Fernando C. de Albuquerque) at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro. By 1969, at just twenty-three years old, he had achieved the "corda vermelha" (red cord), the highest rank in Senzala.

In 1971, Nestor became a pioneer of capoeira in Europe, traveling alone at age twenty-five to teach at the London School of Contemporary Dance. This made him likely the first Brazilian mestre to teach capoeira regularly in Europe. He spent three years touring European cities, spreading knowledge of the art across the continent. He continued traveling and teaching internationally between 1971 and 1996.

Beyond teaching, Nestor pursued an academic career. He earned an engineering degree from the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ) in 1969. Later, he obtained a Master's degree from ECO-UFRJ in 1995, a PhD in Communication and Culture in 2001, and completed post-doctoral work at PUC-São Paulo.

In 1976, Nestor starred in the Brazilian adventure film "Cordão de Ouro", directed by Antônio Carlos da Fontoura. The film featured several notable capoeira mestres, including Mestre Leopoldina who played berimbau and sang, and Mestre Camisa who appeared in black body paint. It was a landmark film for representing capoeira in Brazilian cinema.

In 1990, after over two decades with Grupo Senzala, Nestor left to establish his own school, the Escola Nestor Capoeira. He began teaching at the Planetário da Gávea in Rio de Janeiro in 1992, with daily classes from 7 PM to 10 PM. In 2002, the school moved across the street to the Galpão das Artes Urbanas.

His teaching philosophy was distinctive: students who didn't want to pursue graduation didn't need any. Those who didn't want to wear uniforms didn't have to. This freedom reflected his broader philosophy about capoeira as a personal journey rather than a hierarchical institution.

Nestor Capoeira authored ten books on capoeira, translated into multiple languages with over 120,000 copies sold worldwide. His works include the "Trilogia do Jogador" (Player's Trilogy): "Capoeira: Pequeno Manual do Jogador" (1981), "Galo Já Cantou" (1985), and "Capoeira: Os Fundamentos da Malícia" (1992). His English-language works - "The Little Capoeira Book", "Capoeira: Roots of the Dance-Fight-Game", and "A Street-Smart Song: Capoeira Philosophy and Inner Life" - became essential reading for capoeiristas worldwide. He also released music recordings including the LP "Galo Já Cantou" (1985) and the cassette "Os Fundamentos da Malícia" (1992).

Over more than twenty-five years at Escola Nestor Capoeira, he graduated several mestres: his son Jorge Itapuã Beiramar, Wagner Lagartixa, Pedro Bruno Chacal, Raphael Logam Bonezinho, Rafael Barba, Henrique Azul, and Hugo Amendoim. Contramestres include Eduardo Montanha and Thiago Jamaica.

Nestor's son, Mestre Jorge Itapuã Beiramar, became a mestre in his own right, a chiropractor and physiotherapist, and creator of the documentary film "Capoeira - Um Passo a Dois" (Capoeira - One Step for Two).

Nestor Capoeira died on March 29, 2025, in Rio de Janeiro, at the age of seventy-nine. He is remembered as a pioneer who brought capoeira to Europe, an intellectual who bridged academic study with practical mastery, and an author whose books introduced countless people worldwide to the art of capoeira.