ABADÁ-Capoeira San Francisco’s (ACSF) mission is to preserve, develop, and share the art of Capoeira with integrity. By exploring creative ways of sharing Capoeira and related arts, ACSF remains a pioneering force in the preservation and development of Brazilian arts.

Capoeira, ACSF’s primary discipline, is an Afro-Brazilian martial art created by enslaved Africans in Brazil in response to oppression and used to fight for freedom. Combining self-defense, dance, ritual, acrobatics, and music, Capoeira is a dialogue of body, mind, and spirit. It is internationally practiced, and protected under UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage list.

ACSF uses Capoeira as a vehicle to enrich disadvantaged communities, and to promote cultural, social, and racial equity. Grounded in values of inclusion, respect, diversity, community, and opposition to discrimination of any form, ACSF’s work encourages a healthy, just, and vibrant society in which people feel connected to and responsible for their community.

ACSF shares its name and philosophy with ABADÁ-Capoeira, founded in 1988 by Mestre Camisa — Márcia’s teacher and mentor — in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, to conserve the history and heritage of Capoeira while allowing it to develop and adapt to current times. ABADÁ-Capoeira, translated into English, stands for Brazilian Association for the Support and Development of the Art of Capoeira. Today, ABADÁ-Capoeira has independent branches across 80 countries with upwards of 60,000 practitioners.