La Roche Maurice, France

Hello, I am Professor Yoko, I was born in Portugal in the city of Braga. At the time I started practicing Capoeira, I was looking for self-defense. In 2004/2005 I joined the ABADA Capoeira group, but I soon saw that CAPOEIRA was more than just a fight! In 2015 I joined the Mandara school where I graduated and today I am a Professor, thus totaling 21 years of Capoeira. The pleasure of teaching and passing on knowledge is very rewarding; I love seeing everyone's evolution, both in children and adults. One of the values I appreciate most in Capoeira is respect and the transmission of knowledge. Capoeira is continuous and we are always learning. As complete as it is, Capoeira gives the freedom to create various songs; my favorites are the *ladainhas* where stories lived by our ancestors and stories of the present are told. It is not for nothing that we say Capoeira is a philosophy of life. Only those who live it understand.