Mestre Nasr ‘Versátil’ Ismail has over forty years of martial arts experience and thirty years in Capoeira. He is one of the few American-born practitioners to achieve the rank of Mestre in the United States. Versátil teaches regularly in Los Angeles and Orange County, California, and travels to teach in the USA, Mexico, Croatia, Lebanon, Japan, Korea, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand.

Known for his detailed and motivating teaching style, Versátil blends dance and combat. He holds a Master’s in Counseling Psychology and developed The Warrior Class, a suite of therapies combining Capoeira, Martial Arts, and Movement. His work focuses on youth addiction, developmental differences, couples, individual clients, Transformational Justice, Community Accountability, and Repair. Versátil views Capoeira as a method for community well-being, promoting mindfulness and professionalism.

As a member of Capoeira Batuque, Versátil continues the tradition brought to Southern California by Mestre Amen Santo, rooted in the teachings of Mestre Waldemar da Paixão and the legendary Besouro Mangangá.

I have always loved martial arts and animation, and the first time I encountered capoeira was through Japanese animation when I was in elementary school. At the time, I never thought it was real—I assumed it was just part of the animation.

Around 1999, I happened to see capoeira in person for the first time at a park by accident. From that moment, I was captivated by the movements and the music. I immediately started learning from the group I saw, while also studying through books and the internet.

I’ve learned from various capoeira groups whenever I had the chance, whether Regional, Contemporânea, or related to Afro-Brazilian culture. I kept practicing, trying different approaches, whether they were right or wrong, but I persisted.

I am proud to be the first-generation capoeirista in Thailand, still training, teaching, and promoting capoeira and Afro-Brazilian culture. To this day, I remain part of Capoeira Batuque Study Group Thailand, under the tutelage of Mestre Versátil. I have also applied the knowledge and skills from capoeira to shape the life I want to live.

Other martial arts experience: •⁠ Black Belt (WTF, Taekwondo Federation) •⁠ Black Belt in Hoshinsul (International Martial Arts Dan Certified by the World Kukmuwon) •⁠ Black Belt in Hapkido (Korean Kido Association) •⁠ Weapons & more

A pioneer of capoeira scene in Croatia. He was the first person in Croatia that got the rank of Capoeira professor in 2012 and was officially recognised as contramestre in 2021 by a wider Capoeira community.
Now actively teaching in Slovenia (Balanço da Meia Lua) with professora Katjuša; they are also active in Borneo with a group Arvore da Vida lead by estagiario Bocao; the 3 of them organise a yearly Capoeira festival: Gathering of tribes in Slovenia and Borneo. He travels a lot and has taught Capoeira and Fluid Balance – Creative Acrobatics workshops in Europe, Americas, Asia and Africa.

Nikola has over 30 years of experience as a teacher and performer in various mind/body/movement practices and works with individuals from different artistic disciplines, abilities and walks of life.

Since 2003, he has been professionally active as a stuntman (Game of Thrones, Hitman’s wife’s bodyguard, The Union, Dig, Strike Back, The Ipcress file…).

Katjuša Kovačič fell in love with capoeira in 2006 and has been dedicated to it ever since. Initially, she was part of Tradicao Baiana led by Mestre Alegria and became a student of Gran Mestre No (Angola Palmares), achieving the rank of professora in 2014, the first from Slovenia. She later worked closely with Mestre Pontape and formed the tribe Balanço da Meia Lua in Ljubljana.

Katjuša works with children, adults, and persons with disabilities, integrating capoeira into performances and various projects. In addition to capoeira, she completed an 8-year contemporary dance school, and later engaged in improvisation, physical, and street theater, starting her own street performances at 15. In her 20s, she spent a year in Beijing at BIAS Circus acrobatic school. She runs Fluid Balance – creative acrobatics with Nikola, exploring and connecting different disciplines, cultures, languages, and expressions. She is currently working on a CD, “Guerreiro,” featuring her songs composed with capoeira and other instruments.

Katjuša has trained and lived with several renowned teachers in Brazil and other countries, including Mestre Salvador (CDO), Mestre Umoi (União na Capoeira), Mestre Bamba (Associação de Bimba), Mestre Trovoada João Paulo (Nação), Mestre Pitbull (Jacobina Arte), Mestres Magrelo & China (Raça), Mestre Versátil (Capoeira Batuque, USA), Mestra Rosita & Mestre Cigano (LGDM México).

Upon returning to his hometown of Kuching in 2012, Malcolm, known as ‘Bocão’ in the capoeira community, established the first capoeira school in Sarawak and began promoting the art. He has worked extensively with children and youths as an instructor, mentor, and role model. Malcolm initiated a weekly program for the Salvation Army children, running for four years, and has conducted workshops for schools, NGOs, and events like the Rainforest World Music Festival (RWMF) in 2017, as well as private and corporate events. His corporate experience in strategic management and hospitality makes him a versatile planner and communicator.

For Malcolm, capoeira is a way of life that extends beyond martial arts into a love for life. It has opened doors for him to study and teach around the world and serves as his anchor and model for living life to the fullest. Capoeira inspires him to reach his potential and help others find their motivation and passion.

He is currently under the tutelage of Mestre Nasr ‘Versátil’ Ismail of Capoeira Batuque (USA), Contramestre Cavalo (Croatia), and Professora Katjuša Kovačič of Capoeira Balanço da Meia Lua (Slovenia).

Tempero’s passion for Capoeira began in 2000 when he joined the initial interest group in Singapore. 

Since then he has trained in the styles of Capoeira Regional, Angola and currently Contemporânea. The further he delved into Capoeira, the more his passion for Brazilian culture grew. This led him to take his first trip to Brazil as a sort of pilgrimage to experience and learn from the source. 

Aside from Capoeira, he has also been involved with other Brazilian performing art forms like the Samba dance and Samba Batucada enredo (percussion). 

Tempero is also a swimming instructor/coach by day and has worked with toddlers, youth and adults locally and overseas for over twenty years.

Aiezad, also known as Instrutor Ligeirinho, began practicing martial arts at the young age of 10, exploring disciplines like Capoeira, Silat, and Muay Thai.

Driven by a deep passion for martial arts, his primary objective is to share the numerous benefits and values they offer with as many communities as possible. This dedication is evident in his active participation in various martial arts communities and events. Aiezad holds a significant role as one of the earliest pioneers in Malaysia’s Capoeira scene, contributing to the formation of several other Capoeira movements since the early 2000s.

For the past 15 years, he has been under the guidance of Mestre Eclilson de Jesus from Capoeira Aché Brasil schools, earning recognition as a senior teacher representative in Malaysia. Beyond Capoeira, Aiezad’s accomplishments include a black belt (2 DAN) in Taekwondo, a history as a former state athlete in sport Taekwondo, and serving as an Assistant Coach in the combative style of Silat.

Despite these achievements, Aiezad continues to walk the path of learning and mastery, always seeking to improve and deepen his martial arts expertise.

Meet Sucuri, the martial arts prodigy, whose journey commenced at the tender age of six. Eight years of unwavering dedication saw him master Taekwondo, while Judo added finesse to his skills.

Yet, his passion didn’t stop there; he immersed himself in the captivating world of Kalaripayattu.

At 14, a fateful encounter introduced him to Capoeira, an Afro-Brazilian martial art, and he never looked back. Seventeen years later, Capoeira isn’t just an art for Sucuri; it’s a transformative way of life.

Driven by the positive change it brought to him, he’s on a mission to share this art with others, shaping a brighter future through movement and culture.

Jimmy, also known as ‘Calango’ within the capoeira community, began his capoeira journey at the age of 26 in his hometown of Taipei, before that he didn’t have any experience of martial arts and sports. “It’s never too late to encounter capoeira.” He always said.Jimmy started training with Professora Cristiane, the only one Brazillian capoeira instructor at that moment in Taiwan. The more he get deep into capoeira the more he is attracted by it. In 2010, Jimmy participated in the event of Capoeira Mandinga in Shanghai and encountered with his mestre and good friend Mestre Marcelo Caveirinha, also known for being the developer of Eddy Gordo’s movements at Tekken Game, one of the early students of Mestre Suassuna and founder of the international Capoeira Mandinga group. Jimmy returned to Taipei and created Capoeira Mandinga Taiwan with some partners. Since 2021 Jimmy decided to embark on a new journey with partners by creating Formosa Capoeira.

Jimmy moved to Tokyo for more opportunities to learn capoeira since the end of 2019. For Jimmy, capoeira is a art form, a tool to make life better and also make people much closer. Capoeira opened a door for him to connect people in different countries and discovered all aspects capoeira gave to create motivation and passion for life.

First discovered Capoeira in Mumbai circa 2005, and very quickly it became an obsession, which led him to Mestre Alabama in Salvador Bahia

Upon returning to India he continued his practice with different groups and like minded capoeiristas by regularly traveling around the country seeking out any and every capoeira encontro.

As a dancer who loves martial arts, Jaja discovered capoeira when she was in the university in Thailand and fell in love with it right away.

About 10 years ago, she moved to California for dancing and still kept training capoeira with Mestre Versatil. Capoeira actually helped her get through difficult parts of life and that made train more and got her deep into martial arts. So she’s also trained boxing and Brazilian Jiu-jitsu.