Capoeira

Afro-Brazilian — Brazil (Bahia); practiced today in Chicago and internationally

A Brazilian martial art combining dance, acrobatics, and music, developed among enslaved Africans in Brazil from the early 16th century. Three styles are practiced: Angola, the traditional form, slower and played close to the ground; Regional, faster and more upright, built on Mestre Bimba's codified moves; and Contemporânea, a modern Regional style emphasizing acrobatics. Every game is played inside a circle of participants, the roda, formed by other capoeiristas who join in to play the instruments and sing — the music is not a soundtrack to the game, it is what the game is played inside of. The music side of Capoeira — the berimbau, the bateria, the toques — lives at earthrhythms.online's rhythms catalog; this page is the movement vocabulary that plays against it.

Ground

Techniques that end in a crouching or forward standing position.

  • Paralela
  • S Dobrado
  • Macaquinho
  • Role

Kicks

Techniques using one or both legs.

  • Armada — Side step, opening the hips parallel to the target, then a crossover step with the opposite foot pointing toward the target while looking over the shoulder.
  • Au — Resembles a cartwheel, but comes from across the body as a side movement rather than straight over the top.
  • Queixada — From the ginga, turn the feet from pointed-at-target to parallel; the front foot steps forward briefly, the back foot skips behind its heel, then rises to strike with the heel in a circular arc at chin height.
  • Martelo — What other martial arts call a roundhouse kick.
  • Meia Lua de Compasso — One of the most recognizable capoeira kicks: the front of the body drops as the kicker moves into a defensive head position, and the back leg kicks forward in a wide arc.
  • Meia Lua de Frente — The 'crescent' kick — a parallel step to the side with the lead leg, then a crescent-shaped strike from the other leg.
  • S Batido

Escapes

Esquiva means 'escape' in Portuguese — the defensive vocabulary.

  • Esquiva Agachado — Side escape, feet parallel: the torso drops to one side while a hand guards the face or head.
  • Esquiva De Frente — Front escape, one foot ahead of the other in a low crouch, torso dropping to the side with a bent forearm guarding the face.
  • Esquiva Lateral — Lateral escape, feet parallel: the torso drops and the head tilts away from the attack while the lead forearm guards the face and the other hand guards the side of the body.
  • Esquiva Diagonal
  • Cocorinha — A crouch that brings the heels together to one side.

Upper body

Less common than kicks and ground movements, but part of the vocabulary.

  • Balanço — A dodging movement — shifting front-to-side and back to evade an attack.
  • Galopante — More a slap than a punch: an open-hand strike to the side of the face, following the trajectory of a hook, usually a distraction or a signal that the opponent's guard is open rather than a full-force strike.

Combinations

The source material recorded one combination twice under two names — an unfinished draft, not a second sequence, so only one is kept here.

  • Martelo combo — Queixada (left), Martelo (right), Meia Lua de Compasso (right), Martelo (opposite side), Meia Lua de Compasso (same side).

References

Source: capoeira.quintessentialcloud.com, captured before retirement

Taiji

Chinese — internal martial art, meditation system, and health practice

Taiji (太极/太極) translates as "great pole" — the "Supreme Ultimate" state of undifferenced, absolute, and infinite potential, the oneness before duality, from which Yin and Yang originate. In the West, "Taiji" and "T'ai chi" most commonly refer to Taijiquan, the martial art and health practice; this page covers its forms, poses, and family styles. Taiji appears across Chinese philosophical traditions — Confucianism, Taoism, and Buddhism — and relates to Wuji, "without limit." Practiced for its stated benefits: calms the mind, centers intentions, improves outlook.

8 Forms

Captured as listed on the source site — more movements are named than the title's count, likely because left/right sides and transitions each get their own heading.

  • Preparation step (Step Left) — Step on ice with light feet.
  • Raise water — Break wrists, finger tips down.
  • Repulse the monkey — Look right, grab shirt and pull with right hand, palms open and turn up; look left, grab shirt and pull with right hand, palms open and turn up.
  • Brush knee (Left Side)
  • Brush knee (Right Side) — Slight pull back, right toes open.
  • Part Wild Horse Mane (Left Side) — Weight rocks back, left toes open, hold ball (left leg behind, compress the ball).
  • Part Wild Horses Mane (Right Side)
  • Wave Hands like Clouds (Left Side) — Step left twice.
  • Wave Hands like Clouds (Right Side) — Step back right twice.
  • Rooster Stands on One Leg (Left Side)
  • Rooster Stands on One Leg (Right Side)
  • Kick with Heel (Left Side)
  • Kick with Heel (Right Side)
  • Grasp Peacocks Tail (Left Side)
  • Grasp Peacocks Tail (Right Side)
  • Mount to Tame the Tiger

16 Forms

Same source discrepancy as the 8-form list — captured in the order given, not renumbered.

  • Preparation step (Left)
  • Raise water
  • Part Wild Horse Mane (Left Side) — Weight rocks back, left toes open, hold ball (left leg behind, compress the ball).
  • Part Wild Horses Mane (Right)
  • Crane flashes it wings (L) — Half step forward, step back with left leg.
  • Brush knee (R) — Slight pull back, right toes open. Transition: point toes outward parallel to target.
  • Brush knee (L)
  • Back fist
  • Parry to punch — Step through leg (left), gung boo, right fist passes open left palm in front of body, left hand flat under right elbow, slip left hand under, wave hands out, push out.
  • Single whip — Bring hands together in front of body, outstretched.
  • Fist under elbow
  • Repulse the Monkey
  • Hold the ball at right hip — Block upwards, step forward, bring hands down, hold the ball (left over right), block upwards.
  • Fair maiden works shuttles in two directions
  • Needle at the Bottom of the Sea
  • Flash Arm — Push out right hand, left hand pushes upward and back.
  • Wave Hands like Clouds (Left to Right) — Step left with left foot.
  • Wave Hands like Clouds (Right to Left)
  • Grasp Peacocks Tail (Right)
  • Grasp Peacocks Tail (Left)

Movements & Poses

Credited on the source site to Shifu Jimmy Chan, "Ten Gates to Heaven" — no working link found for either the teacher or the work, so left as a plain credit rather than a fabricated URL.

  • Wuji — The state of emptiness or the state of void — without limit.
  • Caijao — Hands outstretch to the sides, palms open, blocking the sides, one foot step forward, stand like a tree.
  • GongBu
  • Raising Single Iron Arm

Styles

  • Wu style — The Wu family style (吳家/吳氏) of Wu Quanyou and Wu Chien-ch'uan — the second most popular style of t'ai chi ch'uan today, after Yang, and fourth in family seniority. Distinct from the unrelated Wu style (武氏) founded by Wu Yu-hsiang, despite sharing a romanization.
  • Yang style — The most popular and widely practiced style in the world today, and second in seniority among the five primary family styles.
  • Chen style (competition form) — "The closest I've gotten to competition form would probably be learning 'fan' form sometime around 2019–2022." A translation by Xie Shoude, Competition Routines Four Style Taijiquan, was the recommended reference.
  • Sun style
  • Wu (Hao) style

References

Source: wellness.quintessentialcloud.com, captured before retirement