Our Team
Massape
Andre de Lemos Amado, aka. Massape in the capoeira world, 30 years old, is an authentic Brazilian from Rio de Janeiro that always practiced intensely sports. By the age of 15 after training: swimming, Judo, gymnastics, soccer, volleyball, basquetball, Tae-Know-Do and others, I decided to train capoeira. That was the beginning of a off a hobby matured as a life-style, aged in a profession.
It started at the age of 16 and by then I enjoyed the pleasure off exploring four of the most visible aspects of capoeira: Agility, flexibility, strength, and socialization. After some years of practice with tree different teachers one stop for a little more than a year, to work and study. During this break every sound or vision of capoeira made me play and miss the thing…
I started to teach yoga and got into University. By the end of my first year in Physicology, during the break I had some money left and decided to take capoeira classes, to get in shape and have fun during the Brazilian summer. I chose a teacher I liked and two months after I had no money energy or time to keep going but a lot off desire. My teacher told me that I could keep coming, it was hard but I did for more two years until Mindinho decided to move to US. I kept training here and there for some more months and by 2002, after the end of the third year of Psychology, I joined him already in San Diego to train and live capoeira 100% for one full year. It was the beginning of the profession as a capoeirista. I Trained as never 24/7 and taught a lot of classes for adults and kids at our studio and at after school programs in sanisydro and chulavista, and performed in a lot shows, fairs, like street scene and for private parties. At that year I’ve participated in one of the best documentary about capoeira made in English “Fight for freedom” made also by two of our students by then.
After one year I was back to Brazil to finish my studies, never stopping training and teaching. In the last two years I did every work or study I could in University about capoeira, studding it: psychologically, sociologically, therapeutically, educationally… Ending with my final graduation Work with an analysis about capoeira as a multi-functional tool for people and the different societies.
In the beginning of 2005 I went to New Zealand to teach capoeira and start a group there, tempted to live there. It was a nice and rich experience that last only tree months, when winter arrived I and my family decided to ahead back to San Diego. We were missing our old friends and wormer weather…
Now, almost two years back in San Diego I’ve been teaching again at our studios, at after school programs like Star in Carlsbad and performing once more in a lot shows, fares, night, clubs and for privates parties.
After this 13 year in capoeira and a lot of study I’m still learning a lot about it: techniques, history and culture but I’ve been lately, over all, enjoying improve play and sing the music of capoeira, characteristic that make this art form very different and unique compared to a simple martial-arts.
Penelope Charmosa
Molly O’Hagan, known in the Capoeira world as Penelope Charmosa, began training Capoeira six years ago under Mindinho of Capoeira Brasil San Diego. While Capoeira is her greatest passion it is not her only passion. Molly is also a Degreed Nutritionist and is currently the Nutrition Program Coordinator for the Imperial Beach Health Center where she promotes good nutrition, physical activity and healthy lifestyle changes to increase overall wellness for our local youth.
Molly also partners locally with two non-profit groups, “Athletes for Education” (AFE), a non-profit group of professional athletes working to promote health and fitness within San Diego schools, and “Dancing After School.” (DAS), a local non-profit with whom she teaches Capoeira is after-school programs. Molly is also currently teaching Capoeira for kids at the Capoeira Brasil Cultural Center.
Having worked with children for so many years, and having studied nutrition, Molly knows that there is a great need for activities such as Capoeira in our children’s lives. Capoeira allows children the freedom to express themselves, to dance, to tumble, to use their imagination, to sing and play instruments, all while gaining strength, agility, flexibility, and most importantly, self-confidence. Capoeira is more than just a great form of exercise, it is a wonderful tool to enhance the life and overall health of anyone who practices. Molly has committed herself to continuing her training in Capoeira so that she may continue teaching and share her passion for Capoeira with children throughout San Diego.