Mestre Gideon (Gideon Borges de Souza) was born in Ipiaú, Bahia, in 1968. Already as a child of 6 he was completely fascinated by capoeira. In Bahia, the cradle of capoeira, people saw at any time of the day capoeiristas play in the streets and in the village squares. Even then he took part in these rodas.
He received his academic training from Mestre Zé Bala of the Associação de Capoeira Ginga do Mestre Zé Bala in Ipiaú, Bahia. He perfected his style in capoeira Angola in Salvador, Bahia with Mestre Curió.
In 1985 he started teaching capoeira in Búzios, Rio de Janeiro and founded the Associação Cultural de Capoeira Meia Lua de Búzios, which continues today in Brazil, Belgium and Chile.
Mestre Gideon was trained as a teacher-instructor in capoeira in Rio de Janeiro by Mestre Nestor Capoeira and later as master of capoeira in Bahia by Mestre Zé Bala.