Norival Moreira de Oliveira was born in the village of Coroa, Itaparica Island - just off the coast of the city of Salvador da Bahia, Brazil on June 22, 1945. His grandfather gave him his first capoeira lessons when he was 4 years old. At 7, Norival and his family moved to Massaranduba, a poor neighborhood near the church of Bom Fim. Masters Nilton and Cutica, brothers and highly respected capoeiristas who lived down the block, took young Norival to meet the elder Masters Pirro and Zeca.

Pirro, Zeca and Nilton organized and commanded many capoeira rodas in the streets. On special occasions, Mestre Traira, Mestre Waldemar and other Mestres from Liberdade, another poor neighborhood known for it's large population of African descendants, got together and organized incredible rodas; 20 masters would show up to sing quadras,corridos, ladainhas, play berimbau, pandeiro and vadiar or play capoeira. Norival was always present at these capoeira rodas, but he did not yet enter the circle. These rodas were reserved only for mestres.
During an intense Capoeira roda,in front of a church one Sunday afternoon, Mestre Nilton told Norival to "buy the game". Norival began playing in the Mestre's rodas and in 1965 he started teaching in his own academy of capoeira angola.

Mestre No has been teaching capoeira for over thirty years. He founded Capoeira Angola Academies Retinos, Orixas Da Bahia and Capoeira Angola Palmares. He has taught thousands of capoeristas and is called the "mestre dos mestres" or master of masters for having graduated an exceptionally large number of masters. He is founder, president, and grand master of Associacao Brasileira Cultural De Capoeira Angola Palmares (ABCCAP) an organization dedicated to teaching, promoting and maintaining the traditions of Capoeira Angola.

Today, Mestre No lives with his children and grand children in Boca Do Rio, Salvador. He teaches capoeira at his Academy in Boca do Rio and travels throughout Brazil instructing and guiding all capoeiristas and the many academies of ABCCAP.