Formado Aranha was born on December 12, 1980, in Aracaju, Brazil. Raised there, he began training capoeira seriously in 1994 under Mestre Puma of Grupo Capoeira Resistência. In 1999, he began training with Grupo Capoeira Brasil and in 2019 earned the title of formado. He is under the leadership of Mestre Paulinho Sabiá, one of the three founding masters of the group.

Aranha moved to the United States in 2003, first living in Albany, New York, where he established classes at the state university there and a local martial arts school. He came to San Francisco in 2008, where he continues to teach capoeira and grow GCB’s presence.