Capoeira is an Afro-Brazilian martial art and game that includes elements of dance, acrobatics, music and spirituality.
A kick is a physical strike using the leg, in unison usually with an area of the knee or lower using the foot, heel, tibia (shin), ball of the foot, blade of the foot, toes or knee. This type of attack is used frequently by hooved animals as well as humans in the context of stand-up fighting. Kicks play a significant role in many forms of martial arts, such as capoeira, kalaripayattu, karate, kickboxing, kung fu, MMA, Muay Thai, pankration, pradal serey, savate, sikaran, silat, taekwondo, vovinam, and Yaw-Yan. Kicks are a universal act of aggression among humans.
Manuel dos Reis Machado, commonly called Mestre Bimba, was a Brazilian capoeira mestre and the founder of the capoeira regional style. Bimba was one of the best capoeiristas of his time, undefeated in numerous public challenges against fighters from various martial arts.
Aú batido is a traditional capoeira cartwheel kick, known under various names in breakdancing, MMA and other disciplines.
Cabeçada is a headbutt in capoeira. It is a commonly used strike and one of the fundamental techniques in traditional capoeira.
The ginga is the fundamental footwork of capoeira. It is a sidestep that can be a prance or a shuffle and it sets the rhythm of the game. The ginga embodies the extraordinary cunning of capoeira, which is its fundamental characteristic.
N'golo is a traditional Bantu martial art and game from Angola, that combines elements of combat and dance, performed in a circle accompanied by music and singing. It is known as the forerunner of capoeira.
Rabo de arraia or meia-lua de compasso is a distinct technique found in the martial arts of engolo and capoeira, that combines an evasive maneuver with a reverse kick.
Rabo de arraia is a parent technique in capoeira for inverted kicks over the head, resembling the stingray's strike. This parent term includes following major techniques:
Meia lua (crescent) or Meia lua de frente is one of the few principal kicks in capoeira. The kicking leg moves in the form of an arc before returning to its original position.
In capoeira, escorpião (scorpion), originally known as rabo de arraia, is a distinct inverted kick over the head, resembling the stingray's or scorpion strike.
Knocking and kicking is a little-known traditional African-American dance-like martial art, arguably practiced clandestinely in parts of the Southern US and on the Sea Islands.
Negativa (negative) also negaça is the essential move of the capoeira martial art. Negativa is used to negate incoming attacks by going low to the ground.
Chapa de frente or bênção (blessing) is a front push kick with the sole of the foot. In some variants, bênção can be done with the heel in the chest.
Rasteira is a foot sweep technique in capoeira, which usually counters high kicks. It is one of the fundamental techniques in traditional capoeira.
Chapa de costas is a back push kick in capoeira, and one of the few principal capoeira's kicks. It is also basic kick in African martial art engolo, the forerunner of capoeira.
Aú is the capoeira term for a cartwheel. The purpose of the "aú" in capoeira includes mobility, offense and evasion. The aú has similarity to handstand in capoeira (bananeira), but it differs because the body rotates laterally with an energetic impulse.
Armada (armed) or meia lua de costas is a back crescent kick in capoeira. It is a very quick 360° spin kick delivered with the outside edge of the kicking foot.
Queixada is a crescent kick in capoeira, like the inverse of a meia lua de frente.
