Sydney Capoeira

Our Mission

The mission of ABADÁ-Capoeira Sydney (ACS) is to preserve, develop, and share the art of capoeira with integrity, and to use capoeira to enrich disadvantaged communities and the lives of people from all backgrounds.

Founded in 2005 by Capoeirista Fabiano Paixão Bilia, ACS seeks to inspire and empower people-- especially youth from disadvantaged backgrounds-- to realize their full potential as responsible, confident, productive members of society. By consistently seeking out new creative ways of exploring and sharing the dynamic aspects of the multi-faceted art of capoeira and related arts, ACS remains a pioneering force in the preservation and development of Brazilian cultural arts.

Sydney Capoeira

International Affiliation

ABADÁ-Capoeira Sydney shares name and philosophy with the international organization of 40,000 members, which was founded in 1988 by Mestre Camisa, and is based in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The letters ABADÁ-Capoeira, translated into English, stand for the Brazilian Association for the Support and Development of the Art of Capoeira.

Mestre Camisa developed his own philosophy and methodology for teaching capoeira by following the innovative concepts of his teacher, the great Master of Capoeira Regional, Mestre Bimba. Mestre Camisa's vision for ABADÁ-Capoeira has been to create an organization that strives to move forward by keeping one foot in the past and one foot in the future, maintaining tradition while adapting to society's changes.

The organization strives to improve and promote capoeira— allowing it to reach its full potential as an internationally respected art, while maintaining its dignity, character, history, and traditions.

The organization is driven by the life-long commitments of Mestre Camisa, his brother Grão Mestre Camisa Roxa, and the eleven highest-ranked ABADÁ-Capoeira artists who have achieved the level of “Mestre” or “Mestrando/a.” Today, ABADÁ-Capoeira is the largest and most successful capoeira organization in the world and is represented throughout Brazil and in 19 countries— Angola, Israel, Japan, Tahiti, Morocco, Spain, France, Italy, England, Belgium, Holland, Austria, Germany, Sweden, Portugal, Poland, Russia, Mexico, Australia and the USA.