Instrutor Tupinambá has over 10 years experience teaching. He says of his classes:
“The rich part is seeing the students do the movements that I love to do. Or sometimes, the movements I cannot do any more. The students listen, and everyone cheers….I just love it….”
But right now, it’s difficult for Instrutor Tupinambá to teach. He lives in Pleasant Hill, CA, about 30 miles from San Francisco, and between his commute into the city and his day job as a hospital eligibility worker for the SF Department of Public Health, one night of teaching equates to a 16-hour work day and $50 in expenses.
“When I teach, I go to work one hour early so I can leave it one hour early—that way, I can make our six P.M. class,” he says. “I wake up at five-thirty A.M. to make it to work by seven. Then, I see about a hundred clients throughout the day. Next, I drive to the studio, pay for parking, then teach. After class, I stay late to close down because I’m the last one leaving. Then I go to eat around [the studio] because by the time I get home, it’s too late to eat. Sometimes I work weekends just to make up for expenses for transportation. Regardless, I’m happy to be able to teach capoeira. It’s something I love to do and it’s worth it, even though I spend a lot of money to make it to our studio.”
If we could increase the wage we pay our teachers, it would be easier for Instrutor Tupinambá to resume his introductory class. In the summer of 2023, his sessions brought over 100 new students to our school, many of whom have continued to train.