Anthony Flores, also known as Pirata, has been studying Capoeira since January of 2001. Pirata was born and raised in Jamaica, Queens, one of the most culturally rich areas of New York City. Pirata is of mixed decent, his mother is Jamaican and father was Puerto Rican. As a child Pirata was always involved with sports and played on basketball and baseball teams for many years, but his first love was always martial arts. His father and uncle were both avid martial artists who influenced him at an early age.

As a teen he wanted very much to join a martial arts school but his family finances at the time prevented this. In 2001 Pirata was attending college and working part time when his good friend Mike Norton, who would later be known as Vermelho in Capoeira circles, was attending Stony Brook University.  At Stony Brook Vermelho had discovered free Capoeira classes being lead by Furacão. Vermelho told Pirata about the free martial arts class but Pirata was not immediately interested.  Weeks later Pirata reluctantly accompanied Vermelho on a two-hour train ride to Hunter College where Instrutor Furacão was holding a week long "intensive" during winter recess and started his first class. Assuming it would be easy, he found it to be the hardest work out he ever had and was amazed at the flexibility and agility that the students had. After the intensive Pirata began taking the hour and half ride to Stony Brook to take classes with Furacão. Stony Brook's classes were held two times a week, and he also traveled twice a week into the city. In June of 2001 Pirata was baptized into the world of Capoeira.

Since then, Pirata has taken part in training workshops, presentations and performances in New York and Brazil. Pirata has traveled to Brazil to train in the Iinternational Congress of Capoeira and trained with the President and Founder of ABADÁ, Mestre Camisa. In 2003 Pirata took part in the "Foreigners Roda" during the IV International ABADÁ Capoeira World Games in Brazil. In May 2004 after four years of vigorous training Pirata became the second student to receive the rank of Graduado from Instrutor Furacão. Pirata has accomplished his goals through hard work, dedication, and focus, lessons that Graduado Pirata passes on to his students in Port Jefferson Long Island as well as his community-based work with the Children’s Aid Society at Manhattan Center High School for Math and Science.

Pirata holds an Associate Degree in criminal justice and currently attends John Jay College of Criminal Justice where he is pursuing his bachelors and masters degrees in forensic psychology. He plans to continue promoting Capoeira through his class both in the city and on Long Island.