Roanoke Capoeira
As in other martial arts, Capoeira uses a ranking system to recognize each students’ knowledge. The capoeira ranking is presented in a form of belt (cordão). A student can get his degree only at the Capoeira Ceremony, also known as the Batizado (baptism) where each individual demonstrates his knowledge in Capoeira fight and related elements of history and philosophy.
There are five Capoeira ranks for adults.
We also use a unique belt system for child capoeiristas:
Children Capoeiristas
Children have the opportunity to grow in rank with the following belt colors (as seen above: left-side) - brown, light green and brown, dark green and brown, yellow and brown, orange and brown, light blue and brown, dark blue and brown, purple, red and brown, black and brown, and yellow, black, and brown.
The five Capoeira ranks for adults are:
Student (Aluno)
Every capoeira student is called Aluno. It might be beginner or advanced and according to the knowledge of the student in capoeira fight, history and philosophy, his belt may have the following colors - green, yellow, blue, or green-yellow.
Graduated (Graduado)
Once a capoeira fighter become excellent in the capoeira style he is learning, he is called a Graduated Student. This kind of student may start teaching and give other capoeira students his skills and abilities. A Graduated Capoeira student gets a green-blue belt.
Formed (Formado)
After a graduated student forms his own capoeira, he is called Formed Capoeira Student. Still, the Formado can only assist the head capoeira instructor. He himself may not be the main instructor. The color of the belt a formado wears is green and blue followed by blue and green.
Professor (Professor)
The next level in the capoeira ranking system is professor. In some capoeira schools a professor may be called Contra-Mestre. The main difference between the formed student and the professor is that the second can be the head capoeira instructor in a capoeira school. The Professor is given yellow and blue followed by blue and yellow.
Master (Mestre)
A capoeirista can be recognized as Mestre only by a capoeira community. As this is the highest rank in capoeira, nobody can call one a Mestre and only the Mestre can assign the rank a capoeirista can get. There are 4 degrees of Capoeira Mestres – 1st degree Mestre gets white and green colored belt; 2nd degree mestre – white and yellow; 3rd degree Mestre – white and blue; Grand Mestre – white.