I am a cultural anthropologist that focuses on the study of urban anthropology, development, and phenomenology with a specialization in Brazil. I have worked with marginalized urban populations in Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo since 2008. My dissertation research examines the underlying implications of the Brazilian martial art of capoeira, and how it is utilized as a form of social inclusion for participants in the periphery of São Paulo, Brazil. Capoeira was first developed in the 1600s, as enslaved African immigrants disguised it as a dance in order to trick their masters and seek freedom. Because it is historically rooted in resilience and resistance, capoeira has become a philosophy of life for most of its practitioners today. In this research, I explore how individuals in the low-income periphery of São Paulo, Brazil use the Afro-Brazilian martial art of capoeira as a tool for social inclusion in an area of high crime rates, violence and insecurity. My research demonstrates that living as a capoeirista forms a philosophy of life for these practitioners and provides them with a sense of citizenship and resistance to the hegemonic societal norms.