Mestre Pastinha was exposed to Capoeira at the age of 8 by an African named Benedito. The story goes that an older and stronger boy from Pastinha's neighborhood would often bully and beat him up. One day Benedito saw the aggression that Pastinha suffered, and then told him to stop by his house because he was going to teach him few things. In his next encounter with that boy, Pastinha defeated him so quickly that the older boy became his admirer.
Pastinha continued his training with Benedito for three more years. Later, he joined a sailor school by his father's wishes, which would not support the Capoeira practice. At the school he would teach Capoeira to his friends. At the age of 21, he left the sailor school to become a professional painter. In his spare time he would secretly practice Capoeira, since it was still illegal at that time.
In 1941, by Aberrê's (Mestre Pastinha's former student) invitation, Mestre Pastinha went to a Sunday roda at ladeira do Gengibirra located at bairro da Liberdade, where the best Capoeira mestres would hang out. Aberrê was already famous in these rodas, and after spending the afternoon there, one of the greatest mestres of Bahia, Amorzinho, asked Mestre Pastinha to take charge of Capoeira Angola.
As a result, in 1942 Mestre Pastinha founded the first Angola school, the Centro Esportivo de Capoeira Angola, located at the Pelourinho. His students would wear black pants and yellow T-shirts, the same color as the Ypiranga Clube, his favorite soccer club.
He participated with the Brazilian delegation of the "First International Festival de Artes Negras" in Dakar, Senegal (1966), bringing with him João Grande, João Pequeno, Gato Preto, Gildo Alfinete, Roberto Satanás and Camafeu de Oxossi.
Mestre Pastinha worked as shoeshiner, tailor, gold prospector, security guard (leão de chácara) at a gambling house (casa de jogo) and construction worker at the Porto de Salvador to support himself financially so he could do what he loved the most, to be an Angoleiro.
Having dedicated his entire life to Capoeira Angola, he played his last game of Capoeira on April 12, 1981 and died that same year on November 13 at the age of 92. He is survived by two of his most learned students, João Grande and João Pequeno who continue to share Mestre Pastinha's Capoeira Angola with the world.
About Capoeira 
Vicente Ferreira Pastinha - Mestre Pastinha - was born April 5 of 1889, in Salvador, Bahia (Brasil). He is known as the father and protector of Capoeira Angola.