about
MESTRE RECRUTA
Mestre Recruta, Chris Montiel, began Capoeira in 1996, at the age of 19, with Mestre Acordeon and Mestre Rã in Berkeley, CA. Mestre Recruta graduated as a “Formado” in 2005 by the United Capoeira Association (UCA), an internationally recognized capoeira school. In September of 2016, for work as a teacher to children and adults of all levels, and his continued dedication to the preservation and dissemination of Capoeira, Recruta earned the title of “Mestre,” granted by UCA founders Mestre Acordeon, Mestre Rã, and Mestra Suelly.
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Mestre Recruta is an accomplished teacher who is well versed at attending to the individual needs of a wide variety of people and personality types. In November of 2009, he was able to realize his dream of opening his own academy in Hayward, California, a suburb of the greater San Francisco Bay area. Since 2000, he has had the privilege of being a part of the teaching collective at Mestre Acordeon and Mestre Ra's academy in Berkeley, California, where he continues to regularly teach classes. In addition, he has also worked throughout the San Francisco Bay Area in a variety public and private schools, inspiring children to have an active life, build self esteem, and find joy in understanding a culture that is not their own. Mestre Recruta regularly teaches workshops for Capoeira schools around the US and has taught seminars in Brazil, Korea, and Mexico.​
