Capoeira Moves: Every Kick, Sweep, and Acrobatic Technique Explained

Capoeira's technical vocabulary consists of seven primary attacking kicks, three sweep and takedown categories, eight documented evasion movements, and a floor mobility system (jogo de baixo) that includes ground rolls, cartwheels, and lateral floor positions — all executed from a continuous swaying base called the ginga. UNESCO recognized capoeira as Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in November 2014; the art is now practiced in more than 150 countries. Every technique in this catalog traces directly to the ginga as both launch position and landing position: the movement is circular, not linear. For the broader combat logic that organizes these moves — the jogo, the roda, the berimbau rhythm — see Capoeira Fighting Explained.

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This is a technical reference for capoeira's full movement system. It covers every significant kick, sweep, evasion, and acrobatic movement with biomechanical descriptions, entry conditions, common counters, and direct links to Fight Encyclopedia's technique taxonomy. It does not cover the jogo (the game format), the roda (the circle ceremony), or the berimbau (the musical structure) in depth — those are documented in the Capoeira Fighting Explained article.

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Capoeira's techniques were not codified in a single moment. They accumulated over approximately four centuries, shaped by two primary forces: the combat necessity of enslaved Africans in colonial Brazil, and the systematic codification efforts of two 20th-century mestres.

Colonial Origins (16th–19th Century)

The enslaved Africans who developed capoeira — primarily from Central Africa, specifically Kongo and Angola regions — brought with them combat traditions including engolo (an animal-inspired combat form from the Cunene region of Angola) and batuque (an African-Brazilian dance-fight tradition) (Desch Obi, 2008). The kicks, sweeps, and ground movements that define capoeira today derive directly from these combat origins, embedded inside rhythmic movement to conceal their martial purpose from Portuguese colonial overseers.

The criminal suppression of capoeira under Article 402 of Brazil's 1890 Penal Code forced practitioners to maintain the disguise. Kicks were rehearsed as dance; sweeps were hidden in ginga transitions; takedowns were performed during the fake stumbles of a jogo. The result was a technical vocabulary designed to be unreadable: every movement is an attack, every attack is a movement (Assunção, 2005).

Codification: Mestre Bimba's Eight Sequences (1932)

The decisive structural moment was Manuel dos Reis Machado — Mestre Bimba — opening the first official capoeira academy in Salvador, Bahia in 1932, introducing Capoeira Regional. Bimba codified eight linked sequences (cintura desprezada) that organized the kicks and counters into a teachable curriculum. He also tested capoeira against other fighting systems — primarily luta livre and boxing — adjusting the technical emphasis toward practical striking effectiveness (Capoeira, 2002).

Bimba's sequences formalized the dominant kick-heavy offense and defined the sweep-as-counter-to-kick tactical logic that underpins modern capoeira. When an opponent commits to a kick, the supporting leg is momentarily unguarded — the rasteira enters there.

Preservation: Mestre Pastinha and Capoeira Angola (1941)

Vicente Ferreira Pastinha founded the Centro Esportivo de Capoeira Angola in Salvador in 1941, preserving the older, lower-to-the-ground style that Bimba's Regional had partially displaced. Angola's technique emphasis differs: fewer flying kicks, more ground-level movements (jogo de baixo), a deeper reliance on deception and chamada (ritual call), and more use of cabeçada (headbutt) and cotovelada (elbow) than Regional (Pastinha, 1964).

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The ginga (from Portuguese, "to sway") is capoeira's base movement and the starting position for every technique. It is a three-point lateral weight transfer — center, left side step, center, right side step, continuous — that keeps the body in constant motion while maintaining balance and readiness. No kick or sweep in capoeira is launched from stillness; all begin as natural extensions of the ginga's weight cycle.

The ginga has three mechanical functions critical to understanding how the techniques below work:

1. Load generation without telegraphing. The lateral hip shift pre-loads the legs for kicks without a visible preparatory step. A meia-lua de frente exits the ginga mid-cycle with no additional wind-up.
2. Distance manipulation. The ginga creates and collapses distance as part of its basic pattern. A sweep (rasteira) enters after closing distance through the ginga step, not through a separate dedicated approach.
3. Target evasion as default. The body never presents a static silhouette. Every technique must be understood as launched from, and returned to, a moving state.

Browse the capoeira martial art page for the full technique taxonomy linked to their fight-class classifications.

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Capoeira's primary offensive weapons are kicks. Hand strikes exist — including benção variations delivered as open-palm pushes — but kicks dominate the attack vocabulary at all ranges.

Bênção (Blessing)

Type: Front kick / push kick
Target: Chest, solar plexus, face
Entry: From ginga; the rear leg drives directly forward

The bênção is a thrusting front kick delivered with the heel or the flat of the foot. It functions primarily as a distance-control strike — pushing an opponent back to create space or break their balance rather than generating knockout power. The bênção is often used to interrupt an opponent who has moved inside kicking range. It can also be a setup: the opponent's defensive parry creates an arm position vulnerable to a follow-on esquiva-and-rasteira sequence.

Counters: Step to the outside of the kick; catch the leg for a de-ashi-barai style sweep.

Browse Front Kick techniques →

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Meia Lua de Frente (Half Moon from the Front)

Type: Inside crescent kick
Target: Head, neck, jaw
Entry: Step forward on the base foot, swing the kicking leg in a wide inward arc

The meia lua de frente is an inward sweeping kick traveling outside-to-center across the opponent's face or neck. The foot edge (inner edge or instep) makes contact on the follow-through. It is a medium-range weapon requiring the kicker to step forward before swinging, making the approach readable — experienced capoeiristas often use it as a feint to provoke evasion before following with the armada.

Counters: Lean back (esquiva baixa) to let the arc pass; duck under with cocorinha.

Browse Crescent Kick techniques →

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Armada (Armed / Armada)

Type: Spinning outward crescent kick
Target: Head, jaw, neck (rear arc)
Entry: Pivot on the lead foot, spin 360°, strike with the heel or outer edge of the spinning foot

The armada is capoeira's signature spinning kick: a full 360° rotation delivering a heel strike on the back arc. It is mechanically similar to a spinning outside crescent kick but executed with a pronounced spin rather than a simple pivot, generating significant rotational force. The biomechanical sequence: pivot on the standing leg, use the arms to drive the rotation, chamber the kicking leg during the spin, and deliver the strike as the body faces the target again.

The armada is the kick most frequently cited in documented MMA knockouts attributable to capoeira training. Anderson Silva, who trained capoeira, used spinning-kick patterns throughout his 16-fight UFC winning streak (2006–2012).

Counters: Closing the distance before the spin initiates (jams the rotation); catching the leg on landing.

Browse Crescent Kick — Armada →

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Meia Lua de Compasso (Half Moon with the Compass)

Type: Spinning heel kick / bent-body spinning back hook kick
Target: Head, temple, neck
Entry: Pivot step, lean the torso forward and place one hand on the floor, spin the rear leg in a horizontal arc

The meia lua de compasso is the most distinctively capoeira kick in the entire vocabulary. It is executed bent forward at the waist with one hand touching or near the floor — the bent posture lowers the center of gravity and generates a spinning heel strike that travels below the typical guard line. The kick arrives from an angle that straight-guard systems do not cover because it comes from below-to-horizontal rather than horizontal or above.

The mechanics: the base foot pivots outward; the torso folds forward with one hand bracing; the spinning leg swings in a horizontal arc, delivering the heel to the opponent's head. Recovery is back to the ginga without straightening fully until the spin completes.

This kick has produced the highest documented knockout rate among capoeira techniques in MMA contexts. Its low entry path bypasses high guard positions and creates an unusual angle that fighters trained primarily in linear striking often fail to anticipate. For comparison with conventional spinning kicks, see how to do the perfect roundhouse kick.

Counters: Move to the outside of the kick before it completes; jam the entry before the pivot.

Browse Hook Kick techniques →

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Queixada (Jawbone)

Type: Outside crescent kick
Target: Jaw, temple, neck
Entry: Cross-step entry (rear foot crosses in front), swing the kicking leg in an outside-to-inside arc

The queixada enters with a cross-step: the practitioner steps the rear foot across in front of the lead foot, creating a body rotation, then swings the now-rear leg in an outward-to-inward crescent. The cross-step disguises the kick's initiation by making the approach look like a ginga transition. The striking surface is the outer edge of the foot. The cross-step entry also positions the body for an immediate follow-on rasteira sweep if the queixada misses.

Counters: Esquiva lateral (side lean back out of the arc); catching the leg at the apex.

Browse Outside Crescent Kick techniques →

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Martelo (Hammer)

Type: Roundhouse kick (high)
Target: Head, temple
Entry: Chamber the rear leg, drive hip rotation, deliver with the shin or instep

The martelo is capoeira's direct roundhouse kick — high and linear compared to the spinning entries of the armada and meia lua de compasso. The name (hammer) reflects its direct-impact mechanics: shin or instep strikes the temple or jaw on a horizontal arc. The martelo from the rear leg generates significant power from hip rotation but is more readable than spinning alternatives. A martelo de estalo variation delivers a snapping version with the instep rather than the shin.

Counters: Inside leg catch; esquiva baixa (ducking under); stepping in to jam the chamber.

Browse Roundhouse Kick techniques →

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Chapa (Stamp / Plate)

Type: Side kick
Target: Knee, hip, chest
Entry: Chamber the leg, drive the heel laterally

The chapa is a side kick delivered with the heel or the flat of the foot. It targets structural damage (knee, hip) or drives the opponent back from close range. The chapa de costas (back chapa) is delivered facing away from the opponent — heel driven backward — and functions as a counter-to-clinch-entry. The chapa is one of the few capoeira techniques that deliberately targets the knee joint.

Counters: Side-step out of the kick line; step to the outside and enter for a sweep.

Browse Side Kick techniques →

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Capoeira's defensive system prioritizes evasion over blocking. The eight documented evasion movements share one principle: take the body out of the attack line while remaining in a position to counter-attack.

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Capoeira's takedown vocabulary is smaller than wrestling's but highly specialized for one context: catching an opponent at the moment of kick commitment or weight-shift.

Rasteira (Foot Sweep)

Type: Foot sweep
Target: Opponent's supporting leg
Entry: From esquiva (evasion) or ginga close step

The rasteira is capoeira's primary takedown. The timing window is precise: when an opponent commits weight to one leg — during a kick, during an approach step, or during their own ginga transition — the rasteira hooks or sweeps the supporting foot, removing the base. The sweep is delivered with the inner edge or heel of the sweeping foot, hooking behind or across the opponent's ankle.

The rasteira is biomechanically similar to de-ashi-barai (judo's advancing foot sweep) in targeting the load-bearing leg at the moment of commitment, but the capoeira version enters from an esquiva rather than a grip.

Counters: Maintain two-point base; post the non-kicking foot early to deny the sweep window.

Browse Foot Sweep techniques →

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Tesoura (Scissors Takedown)

Type: Scissor takedown
Target: Opponent's legs or waist
Entry: From ground (negativa or floor position)

The tesoura ("scissors") uses the attacker's legs like scissors — one leg in front of the opponent's lead leg, one behind — to scissor the legs shut and take the opponent to the ground. It is typically entered from a low position (negativa or cocorinha) while the opponent is standing, making it a distinctive takedown: initiated from below. Two variants exist: the tesoura de frente (front scissors, both legs clamping the lead leg) and the tesoura de costas (rear scissors, straddling from behind).

Counters: Widen the stance; sprawl back before the scissors close.

Browse Scissor Takedown techniques →

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Banda (Binding Trip)

Type: Hook trip
Target: Opponent's leg at close range
Entry: Body contact / clinch entry

The banda is a hook-and-trip entered from close contact — the practitioner's leg hooks around the opponent's leg and drives through while using body pressure to unbalance. It is the least acrobatic of capoeira's takedown options and the most wrestling-adjacent. The banda is typically applied during a chamada sequence when both players are in close proximity.

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Capoeira's jogo de baixo (low game) is a floor mobility system that keeps the practitioner mobile at ground level without committing to full grounded positions. The key movements:

The jogo de baixo philosophy distinguishes capoeira from pure striking arts: a practitioner at floor level is not a disadvantaged grounded fighter — they are in a different attack plane. For how rhythm-based arts use ground mobility differently from acrobatic disciplines without combat application, see Dance Fighting Explained: Capoeira, Zumba, and Tricking.

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The meia lua de compasso has the highest documented MMA application rate of any capoeira kick, appearing in multiple UFC highlight finishes. Its below-guard entry path and spinning momentum make it difficult to defend against fighters trained primarily in orthodox striking systems.

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1. Treating the ginga as optional warmup. Every kick in this catalog exits the ginga. Students who stop the ginga to "set up" a kick telegraph their intention completely. The ginga must continue right up to the launch point.

2. Confusing armada and meia lua de compasso. Both are spinning kicks, but armada is upright and spins outward while meia lua de compasso bends forward and uses a different rotational axis. Mixing up the mechanics produces a kick with neither the clearance of the armada nor the low-angle advantage of the compasso.

3. Executing au (cartwheel) as a performance. The au is a tactical evasion that repositions the body. A cartwheel executed without tracking the opponent creates a rotation window where the practitioner cannot see, respond, or protect their landing. Every au should exit facing the opponent.

4. Attempting rasteira without the esquiva first. The rasteira window is a fraction of a second when the opponent's weight is committed. A practitioner who waits until they feel safe and then initiates the sweep is late. The esquiva and the rasteira happen in the same movement sequence — evasion creates the position, sweep is the completion.

5. Using tesoura from standing. The tesoura enters from the floor (negativa). Attempting it from standing requires dropping during the attempt, creating a gap where the opponent can step out, sprawl, or counterattack. The low game positions should be established first.

6. Neglecting the cabeçada and elbow. Angola-style capoeira's close-range tools (cabeçada, cotovelada) are often dropped by Regional-focused practitioners. Against opponents who succeed in closing the kicking distance, these are the remaining weapons.

7. Over-committing to high kicks against grapplers. The armada and martelo targeting the head require the kicking leg to be fully extended and the body briefly on one leg. Any opponent with wrestling or judo takedown training will close before the kick completes when they see the chamber.

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Q: How many techniques does capoeira have?
There is no universally agreed-upon number. Fight Encyclopedia's taxonomy catalogs 11 primary technique categories within capoeira (kicks, evasions, sweeps, ground movements, headbutts, elbow strikes, hand strikes, throws, chamada interactions, and acrobatic entries). Each category contains multiple variations. Mestre Bimba's Regional curriculum formalizes 8 training sequences that together cover the core attack-counter vocabulary. The Angola style adds additional technique families not formalized in Regional's curriculum.

Q: Is the meia lua de compasso actually useful in a real fight?
Yes, with conditions. The kick has produced documented MMA knockouts because its below-guard entry and spinning momentum are difficult to read using linear defensive patterns. The conditions for it to work: the practitioner needs rotational space (a clinch-grabbing opponent prevents the pivot), the opponent must not see the initiating step, and the landing must be controlled. Against trained opponents who know to close distance before the spin completes, it becomes harder to land.

Q: What is the difference between Regional and Angola techniques?
Capoeira Regional (Mestre Bimba, 1932) emphasizes higher kicks, faster rhythms, and more formalized training sequences. Angola preserves lower-to-the-ground movement, slower rhythms, more deception, and a deeper jogo de baixo game. The techniques are the same foundation but weighted differently: Angola uses headbutts (cabeçada) and elbows more; Regional uses flying kicks and the armada more. Contemporary capoeira (also called Capoeira Geral) synthesizes both.

Q: Can these techniques be used in MMA?
Selectively. The meia lua de compasso, armada, and rasteira have appeared at UFC level. The full Angola jogo de baixo (negativa, rolê floor game) is not frequently seen in MMA because it creates positions vulnerable to ground-and-pound and wrestling. The kicks work in MMA; the floor game requires integration with grappling defense to function. Anderson Silva's success came from integrating capoeira's spinning kick angles and footwork with conventional boxing and clinch defense.

Q: What is the au batido and when is it used?
The au batido ("batted cartwheel") is a cartwheel variation in which one leg strikes during the rotation — the practitioner cartwheels over an incoming low attack while one foot delivers a kick during the arc. It functions simultaneously as evasion and counterattack. The timing requirement is precise: the cartwheel must begin before the incoming attack arrives, and the striking foot must connect during the arc. It is an intermediate-to-advanced technique because mistimed execution leaves the practitioner fully inverted and vulnerable.

Q: How is a rasteira different from a judo foot sweep?
Functionally similar in targeting the loaded foot, but the entry mechanism differs. A judo foot sweep (de-ashi-barai, ko-soto-gari) typically uses a grip to control the opponent's balance before or during the sweep. The rasteira enters from an esquiva — the practitioner has dodged a kick, and the sweep follows from the evasion position, without grip. This makes the rasteira faster in the specific window of kick commitment but requires more precise timing than grip-assisted sweeps.

Q: Where can I find all capoeira technique entries in Fight Encyclopedia?
Browse the full taxonomy at /martial-arts/grappling/south-american/capoeira. Specific technique categories are accessible at /techniques/strike/kick/crescent-kick for armada and meia lua de frente, /techniques/strike/kick/roundhouse-kick for martelo, and /techniques/takedown/trip-takedown/foot-sweep for rasteira.

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1. Assunção, M. R. (2005). Capoeira: The History of an Afro-Brazilian Martial Art. Routledge. ISBN 978-0714649337.

2. Capoeira, N. (2002). The Little Capoeira Book (Rev. ed.). North Atlantic Books. ISBN 978-1556434105.

3. Desch Obi, T. J. (2008). Fighting for Honor: The History of African Martial Art Traditions in the Atlantic World. University of South Carolina Press. ISBN 978-1570037221.

4. Pastinha, V. F. (1964). Capoeira Angola. Escola Gráfica N. S. de Loreto, Salvador. (Primary source; Pastinha's own description of the Angola technique system.)

5. Lowell Lewis, J. (1992). Ring of Liberation: Deceptive Discourse in Brazilian Capoeira. University of Chicago Press. ISBN 978-0226476803.

6. UNESCO (2014). Capoeira Circle — Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. Decision 9.COM 10.20. https://ich.unesco.org/en/RL/capoeira-circle-00892

7. Brazilian Ministry of Sport (2016). Diagnóstico Nacional do Esporte (DIESPORTE 2016). Secretaria Nacional de Esporte, Educação, Lazer e Inclusão Social. http://www.esporte.gov.br/diesporte

8. UFC Statistics (2006–2013). Anderson Silva official fight record. https://www.ufc.com/athlete/anderson-silva