Zé do Saco

Zé do Saco was a capoeirista of Salvador, Bahia, active during the early-to-mid 20th century. His name appears in one of the most important primary sources in capoeira history: Mestre Pastinha's 1967 interview with Revista Realidade magazine.

In February 1967, the 78-year-old Pastinha—nearly blind but still teaching at his academy in Pelourinho—spoke with journalist Roberto Freire about the great capoeiristas of the past. Pastinha listed Zé do Saco among 17 deceased practitioners of "pure Capoeira de Angola", alongside Bigode de Seda, Américo Ciência, Bugalho, Amorzinho, Zé Bom Pé, Chico Três Pedaços, Tibirici da Folha Grossa, Doze Homens, Inimigo Sem Tripa, Zé do U, Vitorino Braço Torto, Bené do Correio, Sete Mortes, Chico Me Dá, and two women: Júlia Fogareira and Maria Homem.

Pastinha remarked of these figures: "Cada nome destes é uma história"—each of these names is a story. He observed that their apelidos revealed "who they were, how they fought", suggesting these nicknames encoded information about their fighting styles, personalities, or physical characteristics.

The apelido "Zé do Saco" follows a common Brazilian naming pattern where "Zé" (short for José) is followed by an identifier. "Saco" means "bag" or "sack" in Portuguese. According to ethnographer Waldeloir Rego, capoeiristas at the Cais do Porto (port docks) in Salvador wore shirts called abadá made from "saco de açúcar ou farinha do reino" (sugar or flour sacks). This suggests the nickname may have indicated someone who worked at the docks or wore such clothing—though without additional documentation, the exact origin remains unknown.

Beyond Pastinha's mention, no other documentation of Zé do Saco has been found. He represents one of the many capoeiristas whose contributions to the art have been largely lost to history, remembered only through the oral testimony of those who knew them.