Grupo Senzala

GRUPO SENZALA

The largest and most renowned capoeira group

Our school belongs to one of the world’s largest, most respected, and possibly most famous capoeira groups. This story is about how capoeira of Grupo Senzala traveled through Brazil, across the Atlantic Ocean, and all around Europe to reach our country and find its home in Novi Sad and Belgrade.

FOUNDING

Pioneers of the modern capoeira style

Grupo Senzala was founded in the 1960s in Rio de Janeiro by a group of young men, including Marcelo Azevedo Guimarães—today known as Mestre Peixinho.
Many of the group’s founders were university students, which gave them a theoretical and innovative approach to capoeira, differing from the traditional practices of the time. They were pioneers in systematizing capoeira training, creating what later became recognized globally as the “Senzala style.”
The young founders drew inspiration from legendary masters of the era, including Mestre Bimba and Mestre Pastinha from Bahia, as well as Mestre Leopoldina from Rio de Janeiro.

In 1967, they decided to compete in the capoeira tournament Berimbau de Ouro. Realizing the need for a strong identity, they chose the name Grupo Senzala, referencing the slave quarters on plantations. To further define themselves, they adopted white pants as their uniform, inspired by other Afro-Brazilian cultural traditions such as candomblé and samba de roda. Though they considered using chains as belts to symbolize the plight of enslaved people, they opted for red belts, which represented the slaves’ suffering and resilience. Later, Grupo Senzala developed its own grading system.

To their surprise, and the surprise of many others, Grupo Senzala won the tournament—a success they repeated for three consecutive years.

Group growth

Capoeira has arrived in Europe

Grupo Senzala expanded rapidly. By 1974, its founders had established individual departments across different areas of Rio de Janeiro, each developing its unique style. In the mid-1980s, capoeira began to spread beyond Brazil, and Grupo Senzala played a major role in its international growth. Mestre Grilo and Mestre Samara introduced Senzala to the Netherlands, while Mestre China began teaching in France. In 1987, Mestre China and Mestre Peixinho co-organized the first-ever international capoeira meeting outside Brazil, held in France.

Capoeira and Grupo Senzala reached Denmark in the 1980s through Ana Pompeia. She had studied physical education at the University of Rio de Janeiro alongside Mestre Peixinho and Mestre Toni Vargas, training capoeira with them. After completing her studies, she moved to Copenhagen with her Danish husband and continued promoting capoeira there. Why is Denmark important in this story about Grupo Senzala? Because Denmark was the last stop for capoeira before it finally reached Serbia in 1998. Learn more about how capoeira arrived in Serbia.

Today, Grupo Senzala is a global phenomenon, represented by thousands of students, teachers, and over 100 masters, including our Mestre Steen—the first European to become a capoeira master. In 2023, Grupo Senzala celebrated its 60th anniversary, marking six decades of cultural and martial arts excellence.

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Mestre Steen - our master

Mestre Steen is the founder and head of Capoeiraskolen Senzala in Copenhagen, Denmark. We owe him immense gratitude for his patience, leadership, and the care with which he embraced a small group of Serbian capoeiristas in 2001, making them part of his school.

His capoeira journey began in 1987 when he was captivated by the virtuosity of Mestre Peixinho and Mestre Toni. The movements, acrobatics, and beauty of the “acrobatic dance” ignited a lifelong passion for capoeira—a passion that still burns strong more than 35 years later. In 1990, after six months of intensive training under Mestre Peixinho in Rio de Janeiro, he returned to Copenhagen and founded Capoeiraskolen Senzala, establishing a foundation for the growth of capoeira communities in Denmark and later Serbia.

In 2011, after decades of dedication, Mestre Steen became the first European to achieve the title of Mestre de Capoeira in Rio de Janeiro. His mentor, Mestre Peixinho, bestowed this honor upon him shortly before his passing. Mestre Steen’s passion for Afro-Brazilian culture, his dedication to sharing knowledge, and his vision for preserving and expanding capoeira have made him an irreplaceable figure in the global capoeira community.

You can read more about Mestre Steen on his school’s website.

Mestre Peixinho – the capoeira legend

Marcelo Azevedo Guimarães, better known as Mestre Peixinho, was born in 1947 in Vitória, Espírito Santo, Brazil. He began practicing capoeira in the 1960s and was one of the founders of Grupo Senzala.

Known for his superior technique and precision, Mestre Peixinho had an extraordinary ability to always stay one step ahead of his opponent. His approach to capoeira was harmonious and efficient, characterized by a combination of movements, attacks, and acrobatics that captivated audiences. His disciplined training methods and innovative performances in the roda left a lasting impression on all who witnessed them.
A remarkable teacher, Mestre Peixinho successfully trained children and adults alike, constantly challenging his students to reach new heights. His workshops were always enriched with fresh techniques and ideas from his “capoeira lab.”

In the 1990s, as capoeira began to resemble a battlefield, with frequent conflicts and serious injuries both in and out of the roda, Mestre Peixinho introduced a new form of capoeira. He developed the “Jogo de Dentro” game, emphasizing fluidity and acrobatic balance within a small roda, a visionary approach highlighting capoeira’s artistic side. As the leader of the largest group of students in Grupo Senzala, Mestre Peixinho mentored generations of skilled capoeiristas, many of whom continued his work around the world. He was also known for his empathy and often provided moral and financial support to less privileged students.

Mestre Peixinho was a master craftsman of capoeira instruments such as the atabaque and berimbau, whose sound and craftsmanship remain unmatched. He was also a skilled artisan, creating knives, jewelry, and beach tennis rackets—a hobby he loved dearly.
His curiosity and passion for learning and exploring the world led him to organize the first European capoeira events in Paris in the late 1980s.

Mestre Peixinho passed away on May 16, 2011, leaving an indelible mark on the world of capoeira and in the hearts of all his students.