Professor Betinho “Karkara,” who currently has 24 years of experience with this art form, began training capoeira in his hometown of Salvador, Bahia, Brazil when he was just ten years old. Capoeira immediately became his passion, and he has not stopped training ever since. For his first five years of training, his teacher was Mestre Berico, a student of Grand Mestre Dinho of the International Group of Capoeira Topazio. In 1991, he began training with Mestre Dinho himself in Liberdade, a neighboorhood in Salvador, Bahia. He earned his blue cord, deeming him a graduated student of capoeira, on September 25th, 1994.

As a graduated student, he began travelling around Brazil, gaining experience as a teacher of capoeira and as a performer in cultural shows. From 1997-1999 he performed regularly at the Restaurant and Show House Solar do Uniao in Salvador, Bahia. From 1999-2000, he performed in shows daily at Restaurant and Show House Explode Coracao in Foz de Iguacu, Parana. From 2000-2003, he worked at the renowned Restaurant and Show HousePlataforma I as a capoeira perfomer in Rio de Janeiro. Throughout this period of time in his life, Professor Betinho continuously taught capoeira classes wherever he was living, including the states of Alagoas, Parana and Rio de Janeiro. Also during this time, in 2001, he earned his green and white cord, which signifies the first level of “Professor” in the International Group of Capoeira Topazio.

In 2003, Professor Betinho auditioned with the Sambrasil Revue Corporation and was selected to travel to the United States for an opportunity to perform as a capoeirista for up to a thousand people nightly at the Beau Rivagecasino in Biloxi, Mississippi. After six months, he was contracted by Brazilian Tropicana Restaurant in Pompano Beach, Florida, to work as a performer in their cultural dinner show, where he worked until 2005. Since then, he has continued to work as a capoeira performer in a variety of shows all over Florida and other locations around the United States.

Professor Betinho contintued his capoeira teaching career upon his arrival in Florida. In April of 2006, he began teaching in the city of Boynton Beach, where he continues to teach today and has developed a very strong and successful group of students of all ages and levels, which is currently based out of the DeVos Blum Family YMCA of Boynton Beach. In 2007, he moved up another level, and he now wears a yellow and white cord, which signifies the second level of “Professor” in Grupo Topazio. Decades after Professor Betinho was first introduced to capoeira, his passion for and dedication to this art form remains as the central focus of his life. As a lifetime member of the International Group Capoeira Topazio, Professor Betinho’s unique style of capoeira has required that he also regularly train other martial arts, namely boxing, muy thai and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, to further strengthen his ability as a strong capoeira fighter, artist and performer.