Capoeira Basics

Martelo Rotado
(jumping):Now
the common
jump kick of
Capoeira, the
Martelo Rotado.
Not too difficult
if you practiced
the other kicks
before. Stick to
the first line of
pictures first.
You start as if
you did an
Armada- do
everything as described there; twist your upper body so that you get your partner back into
view and to generate lots of tension. Unleash the tension by taking off your first leg (the
kicking one if you did an Armada). However, keep it bent now. Lean back a little with your
torso and jump off with your support leg. Open your hips on the side of your second leg, don't
bend them there. As you spin around, the second leg gets dragged behind. Since it is the
kicking leg, try to execute the strike in the same way as with the standing Martelo Rotado.
Keep it bent at first, then pull it powerfully around (where it gets stretched and hits like a
whip). Hit with the instep- watch the descriptions of the normal Martelo. Don't kick with your
foot pointing up (like Armada, Meia Lua de Frente etc.). Now while the second leg flies
around you gently land on your first leg. Pull down your second leg and put it to rest behind.
Rotate (both feet now grounded) till you face your partner again.
Note: 1. In the picture the kick is executed in the opposite direction compared to the scribble
of the standing Martelo Rotado. Don't let that confuse you. 2. Because of the arrangement of
frames one could believe that you have to jump far to the front.. Don't travel too far, it's better
to stay stationary (still depends on situation).
The second line shows a one-legged MR. This one is quite hard: You have to jump really high
and delay the rotation as long as possible. You lean back even a little more. Then when you
reach the apex/peak, you have to pull off the kick so violently that you complete the rotation
still in the air. Now you land on your kicking leg first which by now has overtaken your first
one.
Escorão/Chapa: The Escorão is a kick that is somehow
similar to the Bênção and the Martelo; you have to hit
with the sole but your body takes a
sideways/lateral(?lack of vocabulary!) stance. At the
Escorão (from the front), you put for instance your right
foot from behind into parallel stance. Then you turn
your body a little bit to the right, drag your left leg
along, lift it up a little bit and push it in the direction of
your partner's chest (watch picture). You can do it from behind as well, crossing your legs as
with the Queixada and then throw the kick. Or do a Esporão, aka spinned Chapa, where you
have to spin -similar to the armada- and then deliver the blow out of the rotation in a straight
line. However I'm not sure what the arms do during the motion; if someone knows exact
details, feel free to email me (or perhaps I'll ask my teacher tomorrow).