Mestre Paulo Ribeiro opens a new training space in 2018

On November 9, 2018, Mestre Paulo Ribeiro opened a new training space in Balneário Camboriú, which he presented as the Centro Esportivo Fitness, “with the presence of great masters”. The photo of the ceremony shows the Mestre in a yellow dobok (Taekwondo uniform) alongside three guests in different martial arts outfits: a blue kimono, a white kimono and Muaythai shorts.

A month of preparation

The first mention of the space came on October 23, 2018. With the caption “on vacation, opening a new space, come for a trial class”, the Mestre invited new students even before the official ceremony (Instagram). The approach is the same one he keeps to this day: the way in is always a trial class.

The opening

On November 9 came the opening post: “Opening of the Centro Esportivo Fitness with the presence of great masters” (Instagram). The caption does not name the guests. From the photo, you can see they represented different arts, which fits the Mestre’s idea of a space open to more than one martial art.

This meeting of arts was nothing new in his career. Besides Taekwondo, the Mestre already chaired FECAMTT, the Santa Catarina Traditional Muaythai Federation, and one of the guests was wearing the shorts of the Thai martial art. Learn about the martial arts on the Taekwondo and Muaythai pages.

Opening Tai Chi class

Eleven days later, on November 20, 2018, the new space hosted an opening Tai Chi class, with the invitation “come along too” (Instagram). Tai Chi Chuan is the Chinese art of slow movements, focused on balance and health, and it is one of the Mestre’s martial arts. Whether the 2018 class is still running has not been confirmed by this site; see the Tai Chi Chuan page and ask the Mestre directly.

What has not been confirmed

To keep this site transparent, some points remain open:

• the address of the center opened in 2018 and whether it is the same as that of the current classes;
• the names of the guest masters, which do not appear in the caption;
• whether the name “Centro Esportivo Fitness” is still in use.

In earlier records, Balneário Camboriú City Hall mentioned the Mestre as coach of the Municipal Sports Foundation’s Taekwondo team, with a free children’s school in the Nações neighborhood in 2014. The connection between those locations and the 2018 space is not documented in any open source.

Why a space of its own matters

A permanent training center allows regular classes by age group, belt exams and preparation for competitions, and it also serves as a base for social projects such as Projeto Campeões do Futuro (“Future Champions”), which takes Taekwondo to schools and neighborhoods. In 2019, just a few months after the opening, the Mestre was at the João Goulart school and in the São Judas neighborhood with the project.

Try a trial class

The 2018 invitation still stands. To see the space and train with Mestre Paulo Ribeiro in Balneário Camboriú, send a message on Instagram @mestrepauloribeiro and book your trial class.