abada
capoeira pants; a capoeira group
academia
gym or capoeira school
aluno
student; student of a capoeira master
angola
slower traditional style of capoeira performed closer to the ground; rhythm of angola
angoleiro
a practitioner of the angola style
apanhar
to be beaten
apelido
nick-name
arame
wire; wire of a berimbau
armada
navy; basic spinning kicks used in capoeira
arrastão
capoeira takedown, pulling both legs from under an opponent
atabaque
drum used in capoeira rodas
ataque
attacking move or movement initiative
aû
cartwheel
aula
class
aviso
a berimbau beat, indicated what kind of game will be played
axê
capoeira energy or mana
Bahia
Brazlian state on the eastern coast (see Salvador)
bamba
a master of physical sparring and wordplay; also a capoeira expert
banda
band; movement to trip or flank an opponent
baqueta
stick used to strike the wire of the berimbau
base
the ginga, the fundamental movement
bater
to beat
batizado
the capoeira initiation ceremony; baptism
beija flor
humming bird (flower kisser); flourish
bencaõ
straight kick
beriba
wood for making berimbau
berimbau
one-stringed precussion instrument resembling a bow
besouro
beetle; legendary capoeirista from the turn of the century
Bimba (Mestre)
creator of the Regional style
brincar
to play like a child
cabeçada
an attack with the head
capoeirista
practioners of capoeira
cavalaria
cavalry; a berimbau rhythm formerly used to warn of a police raid
caxixi
rattle played with the berimbau
chula
chant
chutar
to kick
cintura desprezada
acrobatic exercises to help capoeiristas land on their feet
cocorinha
squatting movement
comprar
to buy; entering the circle by cutting in on another player
contragolpe
counter-attack
contramestre
one level below a master
corda
colored belt awarded to mark advancement in some academies
corridos
call and response songs accompanying action in the circle
costas
back (anatomy); co
defesa
defense; defensive move
desequilibrante
movement that unbalances the opponent
discípulo
disciple, student of a capoeira master
dobrão
old brazlian coin used to play a berimbau often substitued with a rock
é
is
ele
he
entrar
to enter; to enter in the roda
esquiva
escape movement [basic movement]
eu
I
faca
knife
fazer
to do; to make
fechado
to be closed; bulletproof
fechar
to close
ficar
to stay
floreios
acrobatic movements
folha seca
dry leaves
fome
hunger
força
strength
formatura
graduation ceremony for a new capoeira master
forte
strong
frente
front
frio
cold
fundamentos
basics; used to describe the philisophical roots of capoeira
galo
rooster
ginga
basic movement of capoeira which through continous motion allows an easy entrance to either offensive or defensive action
golpe
strike or blow; attacking movement
gunga
large bass berimbau
iai?, ioi?
terms used by slaves for daughters and sons of the master
iuna
rhythm for slow elegant play by graduate students
ladainha
introductory solo of roda or game, usually sung by a master
lutar
to fight
macaco
monkey; flourish
macaquinho
little monkey
macul?l
rhythmic perfomance stick fighting, often associated with capoeira culture
malandragem
double-dealing or cunning
malandro
crook or streetwise person
malícia
deception, trickery, double-dealing
mandigueiro
sorceror; healer; synonym for capoeira player
martelo
hammer; straight kick
meia lua de compasso
"compass half moon"; spinning kick
meia lua de frente
"front half moon"; spinning kick
mestre
master, senior capoeira teacher
moeda
coin
morena
dark skinned woman
morrer
to die
mortal
deadly; backflip (somersault)
navalha
straight razor
negativa
"negative"; ground equivilant of ginga position
onça
jaguar
pandeiro
large tamborine played in capoeira or samba
parafuso
"screw"; an airial spin [flourish]
passada
footwork, especially in the ginga
Pastinha (Mestre)
"little folder"; famous deceased teacher of angola from Bahia
pé
foot
pé do berimbau
position in front of the berimbau
peixe
fish
pesado
heavy; strong, hard
pião
"top"; headspin [flourish]
pião de mão
"hand top"; handspin [flourish]
pisão
"big step"; side kick [straight kick]
pisar
to step
ponteira
straight kick to the vitals [straight kick]
puxar
to pull
quadras
four verse songs in a call and response format, typical of regional music
quando
when
que
what
queda
stumble, mistep
queda de rins
"kidney mistep"; movement balancing hip on elbow [flourish]
quexada
"chin kick"; a basic cross-step kick [spinning kick]
quilombo
fugitive slave community
rabo
tail
rabo de raia
stingray tail; kick
rasteira
a sweeping trip and trademark capoeira move [sweep]
rasteira em p
sweep without using hands [sweep]
reco-reco
ribbed bamboo scraper, sometimes shaped like a fish
regional
fast athletic style of capoeira developed by Master Bimba
relógio
watch; spin on one hand [flourish]
roda
circle; circle made of people where capoeira is played
roler
"to walk around"; turning movement using hands with feet on the ground [basic movement]
S dobrado
"folded S"; movement that takes a capoeirsta from the negativa to the ginga [flourish]
sabedoria
knowledge
saída
exit
Salvador
capital city of Bahia; birthplace of Capoeira
samba
brazilian rhythm and dance
santo
saint
são
saint; they are(verb)
senzala
slave house; a capoeira group
sinal
sign
ter
to have
terra
land
tesoura
"scissors"; sweep with both legs [sweep]
tocar
to touch; to play music
toques
the various rhythms (angola, regional, banguela, etc.) played by the berim
vadiar
to be up to no good; synonym for capoeira
verga
main shaft of the berimbau
viola (violinha)
the highest pitched berimbau
volta ao mundo
"around the world"; circling the ring when one or both of the players is tired
zumbi
legendary king of the quilombos