Mestre Suassuna
Brazilian capoeira master from Itabuna who, with Mestre Brasília, founded the group Cordão de Ouro in São Paulo (registered 1967) and is associated with the Miudinho style.
Quick Facts
BrazilBiography
Mestre Suassuna, born Reinaldo Ramos Suassuna, was born on 3 July 1938 in Itabuna in Bahia. He is a co-founder of the capoeira group Cordão de Ouro and is often named as the author of the Miudinho style of play.
He began practising capoeira in childhood because of muscle problems in his legs, in his home town at street rodas with the local masters Sururú, Bigode de Arame and Maneca Brandão. On trips to Salvador he trained with Bahian masters, among them Bimba, Canjiquinha, who later certified him, and Pastinha; he was also influenced by Waldemar and Caiçara. In 1965 he moved to São Paulo.
He founded the Cordão de Ouro group together with Mestre Brasília. According to the group's history it was formed in 1966 and officially registered on 1 September 1967; another source gives 1 September 1967 in the Vila Mariana district as the founding date. Its name comes from a song by Baden Powell that refers to the capoeirista Besouro Cordão de Ouro. At the academy Suassuna taught capoeira regional, Brasília capoeira angola. From 1966 to 1968 the academy was called Consulado Baiano and gave refuge to capoeiristas from the north and northeast of Brazil. The group trained the masters Flávio Tucano, Biriba and Marcelo Caveirinha. Since then it has spread to branches on all continents.
The Miudinho style emphasises fast, fluid and technical movement at close range without hard contact. One source attributes it to Suassuna, another links its origin and spread to Mestre Brasília.
Associated Martial Arts
Organisations
- Cordão de OuroFounder · 1967