Born in Guatemala, Amunka started training capoeira in the summer of 1979 in Palo Alto, California with Mestre Acordeon when Mestre Acordeon first started to teach in the United States. Baptized in August 1979, Amunka traveled to Brazil and participated in the first US/Brazil capoeira tournament in 1983 in Sao Paulo. He received his Formatura on October 6th, 1984 from Mestre Acordeon in Oakland, California. In January of 1992, Contra Mestre Amunka founded Capoeira Yokayo and started teaching in Ukiah, California. Four years later (1996) in Madison Wisconsin he received his Contra Mestre from Mestre Acordeon. In July of 2006 was honoered with Mestre in Berkeley California.

Amunka is a graduate of Stanford University and practices family medicine as a physician's assistant in Ukiah, California. He is also a percussionist, plays in the Mendocino salsa band Pura Vida, and teaches Afro Caribbean music in Ukiah. He recorded music on Mestre Acordeon's first two records. He is happily married and has a talented, musical daughter.

Professor Maluco