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some friends, we were given the opportunity to do 2 or 3 performances in the Brazilian Pavilion. Thus, capoeira was being advertised everywhere: in subways, in magazines etc. And that is how the Chinese people started to look at this Brazilian thing: a dance, a martial art, whatever. So, after 2010 we started to have more Chinese.

      Curiosa: Were there mainly expats in your group?

      Diego: We had only expats until 2009; after, we initially had 2 Chinese, now we have more Chinese and foreigners.

      Curiosa: How did you manage with the language?

      Diego: I went to Beijing for 6 months and I learned it there.

      Curiosa: In what language did you offer your training?

      Diego: At first, in English. I was giving classes in English most of the time until the majority of the class became Chinese, then I mainly used the Chinese language.

      Curiosa: So how did you end up teaching capoeira back in Italy?

      Diego: In 2015, I moved back to Italy, to Milan. I trained with Nadav for 6 months and then in September 2016 a couple students who had trained with me in Shanghai moved to Milan.

      These students comprised of one Italian guy who was originally from Milan, he had been taking capoeira classes here with a group, but when he moved to Shanghai for a year, he ended up training with me.

      The group here was closed and when he moved back, he said I should teach capoeira again because he didn’t want to go back to that group and he wanted to train «my» capoeira.

      So, with me, my wife, him and his girlfriend at that time, there were four of us already, so I agreed to give it a try. I didn’t know where it would lead, for I hadn’t planned to continue teaching when I moved back to Italy.

      Curiosa: You didn’t plan to teach?

      Diego: No, I planned just to give training but not teaching, I didn’t want another big commitment. Because it’s a lot of work to be responsible for a group. It can be huge or it can be nothing if you don’t take it seriously.

      Anyway, we started out few. Now the group has 20 persons; they are all very happy people, some of them are committed, some of them are less committed, but it’s fun nonetheless.

      Curiosa: Nadav said that 2 of his students went to you?

      Diego: Yes.

      Curiosa: He basically said to his students «If you don’t like me, go to Diego.»

      Diego: Yeah. It happens that some students might have difficulties with a group or with a teacher…

      Curiosa: Or with a place or with a metro…

      Diego: Whatever may be the case. It’s better that they continue training with someone else than stopping.

      I mean in Shanghai, I had up to ten thousand students in ten years who have trained with me at least once. Everybody left Shanghai after a while (I am speaking about the expats) and for me the important thing is that they would continue to practice.

      Curiosa: Is this a common experience with expats?

      Diego: Yeah, it was tough. They were getting good and then they were leaving, they were getting good and then they were leaving. It’s frustrating but now…

      Elisa (Diego’s wife): There were people who were coming and leaving but there was also a core group that was always there.

      Curiosa: How did you both meet?

      Diego: In Napoli, in the same university. We were not in the same class, but she was studying Chinese. After we met, in the same day, I said to her, «You know, tomorrow there will be a capoeira roda in the street.» So, I invited her to see a capoeira roda, but she didn’t go.

      Elisa: I didn’t go.

      Diego: And she didn’t go.

      Elisa: I knew about capoeira, but I didn’t think of practicing.

      Curiosa: How did the move to Shanghai come about?

      Diego: I moved first, and then she moved a few months later and started capoeira a year later.

      Elisa: At first, I was just going to the university classes to study Chinese but then I thought that I needed to do some sport. He was always going to the park, and I wanted to see what made it so interesting.

      Curiosa: And now you are an instrutora?

      Elisa: Yes.

      Curiosa: Well done. Now back to Shanghai. Did you need to comply with an legal process to rent a space and teach?

      Diego: No, in Shanghai you need nothing; you just teach. I paid the rent in cash at the time and I gave classes. Yeah, there was nothing to be done: no status, no registration, no association. Nothing, zero.

      Curiosa: Did you have to advertise to attract more students?

      Diego: In the beginning, there were just friends of friends that were coming. So, it was more of word-of-mouth advertising. Then of course, we had these magazines for expats where we posted our news. Then through this network… In the beginning it was an amazing network. Do you know that in 2016, during the World Cup, we were performing capoeira in the middle of the night when Brazil was playing? And we were doing capoeira in that place with the Brazilian community. We just had a lot of contacts!

      Elisa: We also gave performances in local schools

      Curiosa: Did you have children among your students?

      Diego: Not in the beginning, but after, we did have classes for kids. My wife started to teach them; I taught a few classes only. But since the only day available was Saturday, she was teaching kids on Saturdays before our regular class. It still happens in Shanghai in the same format. But it was never for me to teach kids.

      Curiosa: Capoeira Brasil is now in Shanghai. When they first arrived, did you communicate, did you get along?

      Diego: There was Instructor Tanque, a really cool guy. I don’t remember which year they arrived in Shanghai, but I do know that I was a little worried or maybe even scared. But eventually they turned out to be very nice people, I never had any issues with them. I was going to their events and they were coming to ours. We always had a good relationship. And given that their style was different from ours, if was fun training with them.

      Curiosa: Have you ever had some sort of crises in capoeira when you had doubts or wanted to stop?

      Diego: Sometimes… Sometimes yes, it was overwhelming. Especially when I was training with Ido Portal, I was training four times a day!

      In the morning I was working on my mobility and shoulders, then I had work, at lunchtime I was doing my strength routine, then I returned to work, then back at home I would work on my handstand. Then I would go to do give a class, and I was also teaching personal training, (though not for long). So yes, sometimes I was very tired when I considered everything. But most of the time, my thought was just to quit my job and do capoeira. So, the crisis was more on the other side.

      Eventually, I decided to keep my job for my stability and to keep enjoying capoeira and not depend on it for my financial needs. Because I realized that it is a risky business anyway, and I don’t want to depend on my body.

      Curiosa: You have already said a lot about your students, but your Chinese students, who are they? Why do they come? What are they looking for? Are they young or old?

      Diego: They are mainly around 20 to 30 years-old. As to why they come, I think there are a lot of reasons. In practicing capoeira, there is a lot of freedom, improvisation, creativity and Chinese people are

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