Jorge

Jorge is one of six sons of the legendary Mestre João Grande (João Oliveira dos Santos), one of Mestre Pastinha's two principal heirs. He grew up with capoeira as an integral part of family life.

From childhood, Jorge and his brother Jurandir (now Mestre Jurandir Santos) trained together under their father's guidance. João Grande would wake his sons early in the morning to practice capoeira in their backyard—a form of organic, immersive transmission that predated the formalization of academy systems. This daily discipline instilled in them a deep connection to Capoeira Angola as a way of life rooted in respect and tradition.

Little is documented about Jorge's subsequent capoeira journey. While his brother Jurandir continued in the art—becoming a coordinator at Mestre João Pequeno's academy and later achieving the title of Mestre—Jorge does not appear in the major capoeira directories or databases as an independent practitioner or teacher.

A 1988 newspaper article quoted their father saying that "out of his six sons, none likes capoeira—only boxing and cock-fighting, capoeira they say doesn't give anything back." This statement, while possibly reflecting a specific period or family dynamics that later changed (given Jurandir's documented career), suggests that Jorge may not have pursued capoeira professionally despite his early training.

Jorge represents the reality that even in capoeira families with the most prestigious lineage, not all children continue in the art. Yet his early training under one of the greatest masters ensures he carries the knowledge of Pastinha's tradition in some form.