Batizado literally translates to "baptism" and is the name given to the festival where capoeira initiates are transformed into students. Apart from a right of passage for the new, it is also a time of graduation and celebration for others in the group.

Sinha Bahia de Capoeira has two batizados every year. Each batizado is a special event for the school and students alike. The first batizado of the year is the bigger of the two, where both higher and lower graded students are evaluated for further graduation. The second batizado, held later in the year has a troca de corda (change of cordels) for the lower graded students who stay on their cordas for only 6 months.

Once students reach corda amarela they are required to stay on that level for a minimum of one year and will only be evaluated for graduation at the start of the year.

As students progress higher through the ranks of capoeira, they will be required to stay for longer periods of time on their cordels. A first degree Mestre will spend 10 years as a Mestre before being evaluated for his next corda.

Naturally some students will advance quicker and further than others. No two students are alike and when a student is evaluated, that student will be judged on a broad range of subjects relating to his/her capoeira ability and not purely by the time the student has spent in training.

Batizado isn't just a time of individual grading, but is also a festival to celebrate the progress of our grupo Sinha Bahia de Capoeira. Every passing batizado signifies our continuous improvement as a group, growing in strength, numbers and ability.