Full name: Raimundo César Alves de Almeida
Born: August 13, 1947 – Salvador, Bahia, Brazil
Primary Affiliation: Founder of Ginga Associação de Capoeira
Lineage: Distinguished disciple of Mestre Bimba

Early Life and Training

Raimundo César Alves de Almeida, known throughout the capoeira world as Mestre Itapoan, began his journey in Capoeira Regional on September 22, 1964, at the age of seventeen. He enrolled at the Centro de Cultura Física Regional, Mestre Bimba’s renowned academy in the historic center of Salvador.

His commitment to Bimba’s teachings was immediate and profound. Within just a few years, Itapoan completed the full sequence of Bimba’s formal training system:

• 1965 – Graduated, receiving the blue scarf

• 1966 – Completed the specialization course, earning the red scarf

• 1967 – Finished advanced specialization, receiving the yellow scarf

By the late 1960s he was already recognized as one of the most dedicated and technically consistent students of his mestre’s generation.

Competitive Highlights

Mestre Itapoan gained early distinction through his performance in the formal tournaments organized by Mestre Bimba. His achievements include:

• 1970 – Champion of the “Graduates Tournament” (absolute category)

• 1971 – Absolute champion and doubles champion at the Bahia University Games

These accomplishments further solidified his reputation as a highly skilled representative of Capoeira Regional.

Institutional Leadership

In 1972, Itapoan founded Ginga Associação de Capoeira, an institution created to safeguard and transmit the principles, structure, and philosophy of Mestre Bimba’s Regional style.
He later established two additional organizations that contributed to the professionalization of the art in Brazil:

• Associação Brasileira dos Professores de Capoeira (ABPC)

• Federação Bahiana de Capoeira (FBC)

Through these efforts, he played a central role in developing standards for instruction, teacher recognition, and organizational unity within the capoeira community.

Recognition

In 1990, the Brazilian Ministry of Education awarded him the National Sports Medal of Honor, acknowledging his long-standing contributions to capoeira as a cultural practice and national heritage.

Style and Influence

Mestre Itapoan is widely regarded as one of the foremost authorities on Mestre Bimba’s methodology. He has devoted his life to cultivating, documenting, and preserving the foundational principles of Capoeira Regional, maintaining a clear, disciplined interpretation of its techniques, rituals, and philosophy.

His scholarship—often discussed alongside that of Mestre Decânio—has helped ensure the survival and fidelity of Bimba’s teachings. For more than five decades, Ginga Associação de Capoeira has remained one of the most traditional and respected schools of the Regional lineage.

Academic Career

Parallel to his capoeira work, Itapoan developed a distinguished academic and professional career in dentistry. He graduated in 1975, becoming a Dental Surgeon, Adjunct Professor at the Federal University of Bahia (UFBA), and a specialist in Endodontics. He also served as vice-president of the university’s Odontologia Restauradora department.

This dual pathway—martial art and academia—has contributed to his reputation as an intellectual and cultural figure of rare depth.

Life and Legacy

Today, Mestre Itapoan continues to live in Itapoã, the seaside neighborhood that gave rise to his nickname. Even after decades of work, he remains active: offering courses, teaching workshops, participating in rodas, and lecturing throughout Brazil.

He is recognized internationally as:

• a scholar of Capoeira Regional,

• a guardian of its traditions,

• and one of the most enduring voices transmitting the legacy of Mestre Bimba.

Cultural Contribution

Among his artistic works, the song “A Palma de Bimba” stands out—a corrido honoring his mestre and reflecting the essence of the Regional style.