List of capoeira techniques
The list of capoeira techniques includes kicks, headbutts, evasions, acrobatics and more. In capoeira, the main emphasis is normally placed on the interaction between kicks and evasions.
Due to historical reasons, different capoeira groups use different names for the same techniques, or the same name for different techniques.
Historical development
Core techniques
considered the core techniques of the traditional capoeira to be the following:- cabeçada
- rasteira
- rabo de arraia
- chapa de frente
- chapa de costas
- meia lua
- cutilada de mão
Pastinha believes that the original martial art, brought by Africans during colonization, was secretly transmitted without further development because slaves were prohibited from practicing personal defense.
Some authors believe that West African martial arts, such as Hausa Dambe, and Nuba wrestling also influenced capoeira techniques.
Carioca street fight techniques
In the 19th century capoeira saw a notable shift to weapons such as razors, knives, sticks and rocks. The late 19th century street-fighting capoeiragem was a mixed martial art, combining five main fighting techniques: headbutts, foot kicks, open hand blows, blades, and stick techniques.The straight razor was most common capoeira weapon, also used for assassinations. Blade techniques were a natural extension of unarmed capoeira. According to Jair Moura, whether fighting with or without weapons, the form remained consistent. The razor was seamlessly integrated into the core art by gripping it between the toes, preserving the feet as the primary weapon while adding efficiency with the blade.
Headbutts were the capoeiras' primary technique, as per police records. In one case, when the soldier attempted to arrest Celestino, capoeirista from Salvador, he instead received a headbutt that "caused his death almost instantly". In other case, a police officer in Rio had been murdered with a headbutt, whose upper body "had been flattened as if the implement of death had been a mallet".
Stick were easily added to capoeira, because many Africans with a tradition of stick-fighting already had that skills.
Bimba's new techniques
After the establishment of academies in the 1930s, weapons were banned and capoeira returned to its original kicking form with occasional headbutts. Capoeira Regional adopted some techniques from Asian martial arts, while capoeira Angola preserved the traditional techniques only.Mestre Bimba incorporated new techniques into capoeira from the African arts of batuque and maculêlê, as well as from Greco-Roman wrestling, ju-jitsu, judo, and French savate. Those techniques include:
- various punches using one or both hands.
- unbalancing techniques involving the arms and upper body to bring down the opponent, and new rasteiras, from batuque.
- the snap kick, the reversed crescent kick and the roundhouse kick, likely from Asian martial arts.
- cintura desprezada or balões, the acrobatic escapes to avoid being grabbed by wrestlers. These movements involve the capoeirista projecting themselves into the air with their head pointing downwards, and then landing softly on their feet.
Cartwheels
Aú is the capoeira term for what is more generally known as a cartwheel. It differs a bit from the traditional cartwheel because of their different intentions. An aú, in its base form, is performed slowly, with arms and legs bent in order to keep a low target profile. Players sometime pause midway during an aú holding it for a handstand position, from which they can execute a wide variety of moves.There is always the existing risk of receiving a low headbutt, front push kick, or some other attack while inverted. To combat this an emphasis is placed on closely watching the movements and intentions of the other player instead of the ground. While the main purpose of using the aú is more geared towards mobility and evasion there are still more ingenious variations of employing it. Capoeira players can incorporate unpredictable strikes as well as floeiros from the aú. These include inverted kicks as well as jumping movements that do not involve the hand.
Open cartwheel (''Aú aberto'')
From [|esquiva], the free arm reaches in an arc over the head in the direction of motion. The leg extended furthest from the body leaves the ground first, kicking off and providing momentum. Then the reaching hand is placed on the far side of the body. Bending the arms at the elbows supports weight as both legs pass over the body fully extended. While inverted, the body should be opened and entirely extended. One foot touches the ground then the other. The arms must be lifted for protection as soon as they are no longer supporting weight.Closed cartwheel (''Aú fechado'')
From esquiva or [|negativa], the free arm reaches in an arc over the head in the direction of motion. The leg extended furthest from the body leaves the ground first, kicking off and providing momentum. Then the reaching hand is placed on the far side of the body. Bending the arms at the elbows supports weight as both legs pass bent in front of and slightly over the body. While inverted, the body should be closed and maximally protected. One foot touches the ground and then the other. The last step is return to esquiva.Front walkover (Aú de frente)
The aú de frente, also known as volta ao mundo or aú cortado, starts much like a regular aú, but once the legs are off the floor, the hips are turned and the move ends in a front walkover.Aerial cartwheel (''Aú sem mão'')
An aú performed without hands in the same manner as the aerial cartwheel. It can be inverted more diagonally in order to attack in the same way as a butterfly kick, or be used as a floreio.''Aú giro sem mão''
The aú giro sem mão, also known as pião sem mão, combines the motions of an aú de frente with those of an aerial. The aú giro sem mão starts just like an aú sem mão, but once the player jumps off with their leg, the opposite arm is driven around and towards the chest to create enough torque for the rotation. The advanced variation is the aú sem mão de frente which is literally a front walkover without hands.Movement
Ginga
The [|ginga] is the fundamental footwork of capoeira. Its constant triangular footwork makes capoeira easily recognizable as well as confusing, since it looks much more like a rhythmic dance step than an orthodox static fighting stance. Only a few martial arts employ similar rhythmic footwork found in the ginga. South Korea's Taekkyeon and some forms of Pencak Silat are a few others.The main purpose is not dancing but rather to prepare the body for any number of movements such as evading, feinting, or delivering attacks while continuously shifting stances and thus providing confusion. The ginga places the capoeirista in constant motion, making them a frustrating target for a forward-advancing opponent. The ginga also allows the capoeirista to continuously maintain enough torque to use in a strike while providing a synchronization of arm movement to avoid and slip under attacks. The ginga is not static, so its speed is usually determined by the toque or rhythm dictated by the bateria.
Capoeira Angola and capoeira regional both have distinctive versions of this movement. In Capoeira Angola, the ginga is more expressive and individualistic, while in Capoeira Regional the ginga has a more structured and defensive look. Most Capoeira regional academies teach the ginga in the same way until the student advances to a certain level and begins to develop their own expressive and comfortable way of using it.
Balanço
The balanço of side to side feints done with the torso to deceive the opponent, throw off their timing, and make it harder for them to track the centerline. In a similar manner as a speedskater, the bodyweight is shifted from one leg to the other in a slight lateral hopping/sliding motion while the arms move in a similar fashion as they do during the ginga. The balanço is usually done from the forward ginga and is also known as the Cavalo. As with other movements in capoeira, all types of kicks, handstrikes, or headbutts can be executed unexpectedly from the movement.- Pêndulo
Most of the movement starts from the upper body but also includes dropping with the knees. When the arms are used while the upper body follows the same path as the letter C. The move works really well with incoming fast or direct attacks.