Capoeira Angola Quintal

Love this place, love the classes, the instructors, and the rest of the crowd! I’m incredibly untalented for capoeira and not necessarily in shape due to recovering from a serious concussion, but this place is totally encouraging and inspiring! It will get you in shape, it’s a proper workout, it will make you more agile, more coordinated, more graceful, more balanced, stronger, faster… It’s really a body/​mind trip! I’m hooked! Loving it so hard right now, i’m about two weeks in and i’m looking forward to learning more and each morning class! It sets the tone for my day and just makes me happy to be alive! It’s good stuff, come try it out! I’m telling all of my peeps about it! And there are cuties attending, if that makes a difference to you, it does to some, it’s an additional selling point! ;)

I was lucky enough to get to train Capoeira with Tucano and his group for a few months. They are such a warm and supportive group – very welcoming to new-​comers even though they seem like a family.
I won’t go into the merits of Capoeira as an art but I’ll just say that if you are looking for a badass workout that will make sore muscles you didn’t even know you had, look no further. I run marathons and still ached for a week after my first class with Tucano.
Tucano is able to motivate; his excitement is contagious. He’s so dedicated to teaching Capoeira of the highest quality but he never makes class feel stuffy. He breaks down movements into simple, digestible pieces. I’m prone to embarrassment and dis-​coordination but Tucano was able to make me feel supported and comfortable
Prices are totally reasonable considering the workout you get. Tucano is flexible and accommodating. The space is gorgeous – it feels spiritual with the light and the community. So lucky to have been a part of this!

The classes at CAQSF are the perfect combination of fun, focus, challenge, sweat, strength, love and freedom.
With Tucano’s support, I have had the opportunity to develop my skills by teaching classes at the Center on somewhat-​regular basis — and I couldn’t have asked for a more supportive and gracious community to exercise skills as a leader.
I recommend Tucano’s kids classes for the exact same reason.
Tucano has created a space that is fun, focused, challenging and ripe with leadership building and community building experiences.
Bring your friends and family! and be a part of this wonderful practice. You will never regret it!

It’s been a full year since I started training with Tucano and I wanted to update my review to talk about what kind of experience I’d been having.
First off: I can do some amazing handstands… something that I never new would be possible. I feel so much more acrobatic and free to move in multiple directions. I notice that all of my core balancing muscles have completely changed. There’s been an incredible shift in my fitness level, all of my muscles are being worked out, and confused at the same time. When I had a trainer at the gym, that was a key component of his fitness strategy — to confuse my body and cause it to react differently. EVERY single day is this type of movement in Capoeira — I find my body doing trying to grapple with new movements.
I also do yoga, and I find that capoeira pushes many of my yoga buttons and then some. It’s a bit like to doing yoga with more interesting movements and with the added fun of playing games (sparring) with others. It gives me an extra incentive to perfect those poses, because they have a real effect on how well I do when challenged by another person. I’ve done several martial arts in the past, karate (Tae Kwon Do) and Tai Chi in the past and I find this to be more enjoyable, more fluid, and more playful. The dance aspect keeps my brain entertained, the game-​playing keeps my whits sharpened and Tucano’s style keeps my heart happy.
My journey with bill started with me being very awkward in class. I now feel very graceful. He is able to break down very complex moves into very simple, attainable steps — that allow me to get a sense of accomplishment as I learn them instead of being frustrated by everyone pulling these moves around me. I’m very surprised at what acrobatics are now easy do to for me.
In the past I have enjoyed yoga classes that incorporate the spiritual aspect into them, and I find that Tucano also has this down. He doesn’t lead with this aspect, but his focus on the spiritual practice

where. do. i. begin?! i am so grateful that CAQ, SF exists. it’s rare to find spaces (whatever the venue) that make you feel really grounded and at home. CAQ is such a place.
Tucano is an incredible teacher. a natural. always in tune with where a student is, what level they are and how to push the student to best serve them and deepen their practice. the art of capoeira moves through him graceful and true blue. the space is clean and welcoming and makes you, well, want to move in and give your life to the craft frankly.
i love his morning classes M-​F at 8am. but i’ve heard the night classes shouldn’t be missed.
i live in New York currently but every time i visit SF i go to Tucano’s class everyday. In fact, i now plan my trips so that i can be sure to take the most classes possible.
also, every time i take his class i learn something new. there are moves that i long since thought i could never do that he knows how to break down, strengthen and illuminate where the move originates. he’s kind and fierce, a true capoeirista.
i recommended CAQ to my best friend for her child since there are kid’s classes — i have no kids so i have to live vicariously… ;) and her kid is addicted to this beautiful art form. certain schools can be very harsh and even violent, but CAQ is slow and deliberate. his capoeira strengthens and elongates. you can’t help but smile and laugh throughout his class. it’s hard! and so much fun. :)

I had heard of Capoeira, always imagined as something I could never do or something I should ve picked when I was much younger. One day by chance, I saw 2 people doing capoeira at a street event of the Center (an awesome place by the way), who were students of Bill Stark (Tucano), it looked so fun and beautiful I wanted to try it myself at his school.
The philosophy of the school is to make capoeira accessible to everyone, and this really shows when you go to their classes. Everyone I have met in class is very welcoming, friendly, has a really good atitude on their own work as well as helping others. The energy and inspiration you get off them is really high. I d never done Yoga, I had just been trying to keep in shape with gym and tennis sometimes, I have been doing 2 and a half months of Capoeira at CAQ, I can now do stuff I could never imagine myself doing and I feel stronger than ever, and this is only the beginning…
Tucano is a very nice, friendly, inspiring guy. His capoeira is awesome and knows how to feed knowledge on his students. Once you got the most basic things right, he works on the details, one by one, making the move/​sequence you are working on more challenging at every step. If you are a more advanced student, he still does this, there is always room for improvement in Capoeira! He also talks about strategy at the games and gives you very constructive feedback when he sees something wrong.
The place where we train is really nice and conveniently located at Lower Haight. Lots of classes — Mon-​Fri 8−9AM, Mon-​Thu 6:30 — 7:30, and a weekly roda (really a lot of bang for your buck). First week is 18 bucks for you to try it out, then $ 135 a month.
Join us!

I was in town for a few days and decided to check out the academy.
The location is nice — the room is large, peaceful, and clean. Although it’s not a dedicated space, the teacher is able to keep the musical instruments there, and the other classes don’t overlap or interfere.
Tucano was a great teacher. Many of the students are relative beginners, and he was good at getting them going as well as at dealing with having a range of students in one class. I have an injury, and he worked around it. Plus, he was able to help me with a kick that I have been struggling with for a long time. All the other students were very friendly and played a good game — there was none of killer instinct you see at some academies when strangers visit.
I will definitely be back next time I am in town.

I have done capoeira for years, and when I moved to San Francisco I tried a couple of schools, but I could not find a good fit.
A few months ago, I found by chance the capoeira quintal school, and I was thrilled from the first class.
The group is very friendly and welcoming. The place is gorgeous and perfectly located in the center of the city. There are a lot of classes with convenient schedules: mornings and evenings.
Tucano is awesome, and knows what he is talking about. He goes into details, and is giving a lot of attention to both beginners, and more advanced students.
I do really appreciate the spirit of the group. We are taking the time to taste the movements, be aware of what we are doing, repeat them, go deep. Working at different speed, different height etc. And also training on acrobatics.
It’s a great and fun workout too.
Definitely recommending it to anyone wanting to start capoeira, as well as more experienced capoeiristas looking for a warm home.
The price is a steal considering the number of classes you can do with the unlimited pass!
Come play!

Beautiful studio, great people, fantastic instructor and a super fun time! I had a blast and can’t wait to go again. Capoeira is such a fun workout and the energy in the class has me inspired for more:-)

I’ve been doing Capoeira for over 6 years and I’ve got to say — this is one of the most fun, balanced and still challenging classes I’ve ever been to. Tucano really inspires the students and is able to teach many levels of players effectively. As much as I like some of the studios in SF — I’m going to CAQSF full time and would suggest any beginner to try this out — plus, $ 20 for the first entire week is insanely cheap — that’s like $ 2 a class if you go everyday!

There are two things that right away make CAQSF different from all other martial arts I have done (BJJ, Muay Thai, karate).
First of all is that I find it to be much more of an art. The beauty and grace that comes out of CAQ doesn’t exist anywhere else, even in other styles of capoiera that I have seen. The game or, dance is conversation between the two players. In this conversation the metaphors of life are expressed, as space is opened and closed and the flow maintained.
The other thing that sets caqsf apart is the instructor Tucano. This man breathes Capoiera in its essence. He understands the art at a high level as well as how it expresses at a meta level. He is committed to the growth of his students a well as the at itself.
Before doing CAQ I couldnt handstand or cartwheel. Now I can do both and, I think I may even be taller because my posture jas improved dramatically.
I would recommend tucano and CAQSF to anyone looking for a fun, fulfilling challenge, or even just a solid full body workout.

CAQSF is a great new addition to the San Francisco Capoeira scene, not to mention the only group to train the Angola style of capoeira in the city. Finally! The space is nice, the classes are small, and Monitor Tucano will make capoeristas of all levels feel both welcome and challenged in class.

I’m completely addicted and thrilled to have found such an inspiring school of Capoeira in my neighborhood! Capoeira Angola Quintal meets twice a day — once early morning at 8am and again in the evening. I’ve been attending for a little over one month and through Tucano’s clear and diligent training I am starting to develop a real sense of the game.
As a movement teacher (yoga, dance) myself I’m quite picky about choosing teachers who have a real gift and passion for their offering. Tucano certainly does and then some. Whether raw beginner or advanced practitioner, you’ll be in good hands!
The Center SF is also one of the most beautiful spaces I’ve seen here in the city. A hidden gem!

Capoeira with Tucano at The Center is awesome! I’ve taken several classes there now, and have nothing but great things to say.
I’m a black belt in a Japanese martial arts, and a teacher in that practice as well, so I can say with great confidence that Tucano’s class is a great blend of workout, theory, and play.
As a beginner capoeira student, I really liked his pacing, though I’ve seen Tucano take on a mixed class of advanced and new students, and the more advanced students had a blast, too. I would recommend this school to anyone looking for mental, physical or spiritual exercise.