Mestre Adilson

Adilson Alves da Silva, known as Mestre Adilson, is one of the pioneers of capoeira in Brasília. Born May 30, 1952, in Marechal Hermes, a neighborhood in Rio de Janeiro's Zona Norte, he moved to the new federal capital with his family in 1961, when he was nine years old.

His path to capoeira was unconventional. In 1965, at age 12-13, he began teaching himself from books—specifically Lamartine Pereira da Costa's Ediouro publication and the Barsa Encyclopedia. Before capoeira, he had trained judo with the late Mestre Lhofei Shiozawa at Colégio do Setor Leste. When he continued judo with Mestre Matsuchi at Colégio Elefante Branco, Matsuchi witnessed a meia-lua de compasso and praised his form, recognizing exceptional technique even at that early stage.

A transformative moment came when he discovered capoeira being practiced beneath the pilotis of one of the only two apartment blocks at SQS 209 in Brasília. There he met the future Mestres Cláudio Danadinho, Fritz, and Tabosa—the latter already "one of the most agile capoeiristas in Brazil." This friendship with Tabosa proved formative, and the two would later compete together at the Berimbau de Ouro championship.

Between 1968 and 1978, Adilson taught at Colégio Elefante Branco, having been recommended by professors César and José Gomes. This decade-long tenure made him one of the foundational instructors at what became Brasília's most important school for early capoeira development. He then continued at SESC 913 Sul from 1978 to 1988.

In 1972-1973, Adilson had the opportunity to meet Mestre Bimba in Goiânia—the legendary mestre having relocated there from Salvador. At the academy of the late Mestre Osvaldo, Adilson played in a roda directed by Bimba, with Mestre Gigante on pandeiro. In one memorable encounter, he defeated Mestre Onça (Bimba's adopted son) using a specialized takedown technique. Bimba removed his glasses and observed in silence—then later inquired specifically about Adilson's student Leonides, nicknamed "Diabo louro," demonstrating the elder mestre's recognition of the Brasília school's quality.

The 1977 Campeonato Brasileiro de Capoeira at Clube Botafogo no Mourisco became a defining moment. Adilson reached the final against Mestre Acordeon from Bahia. Though the judges controversially ruled against him for allegedly stepping outside the ring—a decision the audience contested—he finished second and won the trophy for technical highlight ("destaque técnico") for the fastest and most precise strike of the event. Years later, Acordeon would acknowledge Adilson's skill directly. In the same year, Adilson completed his medical degree at the University of Brasília (UnB) and was featured on the cover of Artes Marciais magazine.

Parallel to his capoeira career, Adilson pursued medicine, completing a residency in Plastic Surgery from 1978 to 1980. He maintains his medical practice (CRM-DF 3207) as a plastic surgeon in Brasília to this day.

In November 1993, Mestre Adilson formally closed Grupo Adilson Capoeira. However, he never fully left—returning in 1995 to teach at Academia Almir Fitness for a select group. After the death of his student Mestre Marquinhos, the group was revived in February 2007.

His lineage extends through multiple mestres: Antônio Carlos (AC), Jomar, Roberto (Negão/Robertão), and Marcus Vinícius (Marquinhos). Through Mestre Roberto, his teaching methodology continues in Grupo Capoeira Ouro Negro, which explicitly identifies as "Capoeira Regional de Brasília" in his tradition. Beyond the four formal mestres, Adilson recognized additional students with symbolic red cords: Tavinho, Minhoca, Zé Reinaldo, Enio, Luiza, Clodomir, Marcos Borel, Carlito, Carioquinha, Péricles, Cid, Edu Quadra, João Batata, and Baiano.

In 2008, photographer André Cypriano captured Adilson at the base of the Brasília TV Tower as part of a capoeira portfolio later acquired by the Library of Congress in 2017.

On October 11, 2015, his 50 years in capoeira were celebrated at Colégio Elefante Branco, coordinated by Contramestre Rodrigo (Galego) of Grupo Adilson Capoeira and Mestre Eduardo (Foca) of Grupo UCDF.