Our Story
Arriving in England in 1999, our Mestre-Luis Negão founded the group with the name Capoeira Pedra do Sal, in honour of his home borough in Salvador, Bahia, Brazil. At first, Luis Negão was teaching classes with no real vision for the group, but seeing the potential of his students, decided to return to Brazil for a period to take courses with reputable masters of the art, in order to feel qualified to pass on his knowledge and skills. He spent some time training with Mestre Salário Mínimo of Grupo Abolição, who gave his Professor graduation, and so he took the name Abolição back to England to establish Abolição Oxford Capoeira. During his work with capoeira, the focus of the group became more ingrained in the teachings and methodology of Capoeira Regional, over the years he has continued studying and searching for information to further his knowledge and understanding of Capoeira, passing this knowledge on to his students, and giving them opportunities to learn from Mestres and teachers via trips to Brazil, and exchanges and workshops in England. Gaining recognition for his work, the founder of Abolição Oxford Capoeira has become known as Mestre Luis Negão, and is a well respected master of Capoeira in England, Brazil and beyond. Students of the group have gone on to be graduated as Formados and Professores, continuing this work in London and Oxford, for many years Mestre Luis Negão ran a project in Abaete, Itapuã in Salvador to help children on the streets where his journey in capoeira began, The Abolição Trust was set up to fund this project, and another project was set up in South Africa by two students from England (Professores Xaruto and Mosqueteiro), now some students from this project are teaching classes of their own across South Africa. Mestre Luis Negão continues teaching classes in Taunton, England.
Join our group today!
Oxford's instructor
Formado Loiro Abolição.
Known in Capoeira as Formado Loiro.
I started training in Oxford with Mestre Luis Negão in early 2007, at 15 years old.
From my first class, I was hooked. After three years training, I went on my first trip to Brazil with the group, I learned so much more about the culture and history surrounding this art, I have returned many times since, including the following year.
Training capoeira has afforded me the opportunity to travel the world, I visited South Africa in 2012, 13 and 14, spending two months in 2014 on a solo trip teaching the classes in our project, and making connections with a new faction in Cape Town, taught by an ex-student of the project.
I have been across Europe, visiting other groups for events and training, but the greatest connection I found is with Brazil; during my visits, I have trained with many fantastic groups, taken courses with great masters and studied the culture and history surrounding capoeira. I have taught classes in Salvador, Brazil, and in South Africa, as a guest teacher.
In 2011, I began helping with our kids classes, and later continued to run the sessions with a great team of other instructors.
I went on to help with adult classes for a number of years, before being awarded my Formado status in 2015.
Since then, I have spent over a year in total visiting Brazil, training with other groups, and completing courses with Mestres of Capoeira Regional, 'bebendo agua na fonte'.
I have administered beginners courses, which I base on the methodology of Mestre Bimba's Capoeira Regional, and took on the running of Abolição in Oxford in 2020, giving classes in person, and online.
What is Capoeira?
Abolição Oxford Capoeira 2005
Capoeira is everything we want to take from it.
Do you have an interest in music?
Would you like to improve your fitness, flexibility, strength, confidence?
Would you like to explore a rich, interesting culture and history?
Are you interested in learning self defence?
In its entirety, capoeira is a cultural lifestyle, many consider it a way of life, but the real question is, what is Capoeira to you?
Abolição Capoeira around the UK
Abolição Oxford Capoeira kids classes are run by a dedicated team of capoeiristas (capoeira practitioners) under the supervision of Mestre Luis Negão. We have many years of experience training in the art form, and have been teaching the kids classes for a number of years too.
Children are welcome from age 4.
Not For Profit Capoeira Community.
Grupo Abolição Capoeira South London is a non-profit community group running classes suitable for beginners, intermediate and advanced in south London.