Mestra Colibri, also known as Katia, is a Capoeira teacher with over 30 years of experience currently based in Chicago. A proud gay Afro-Brazilian woman, Mestra Colibri directs the Chicago Capoeira Center under Grupo Capoeira Brasil (GCB) and supervises GCB schools in Arizona, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Long Beach, and West Point. With her students, Mestra Colibri emphasizes training with strong technique and a good base. She values creating a safe training space that supports and challenges students based on their different levels of experience.
She started training in the Afro-Brazilian martial art of Capoeira in her hometown of Niterói, Rio de Janeiro at the age of 14 with Contra-Mestre Tom and Grupo de Capoeira Arte Brasileira. In 1992 she joined Grupo Capoeira Brasil under the leadership of Mestre Paulinho Sabiá, one of the founders of the international group. After moving to the United States in 2010, she started teaching in NYC. In 2013 she moved to Chicago and went on to open the Chicago Capoeira Center in 2016. After her years of dedication to the martial art, she received the title of Formada and was presented her black cord in 2016, and later the title of Mestra in 2023.
In addition to directing the Chicago Capoeira Center, Mestra Colibri is often invited to travel around the world to teach and share her knowledge of Capoeira. She has traveled across numerous cities in the United States and in various countries such as Brazil, France, Canada, Mexico, Colombia, Argentina, Netherlands, Peru, and Australia.
