| Creole |
Portugese |
English (Translation may vary) |
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| -A- |
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Abertu
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Aberto |
open |
| Agogo |
Agogo |
a two or three ended “cow bell” used in the roda |
| Akrobatikas |
Floreios |
acrobatic movements |
| Alunu |
Aluno |
student |
| Amarelu |
Amarelo |
yellow; Graduated student rank in Grupo Ondas |
| Angola |
Angola |
a traditional style of Capoeira |
| Angoleru |
Angoleiro |
a practitioner of the Angola style |
| Arnis |
-- |
stick fighting (Accredited to Master V.) |
| Arami |
Arame |
metal string on the berimbau |
| Arami |
-- |
hook kick (straight leg) |
| Aranha |
-- |
hook kick with back turned (see scorpion) |
| Araston |
Arrastão |
Capoeira takedown, pulling both legs from under an opponent |
| Atabaki |
Atabaque |
drum used in the capoeira roda |
| Ataki |
Ataque |
attacking move or movement initiative |
| Armada |
Armada |
spinning reverse crescent kick |
| Armada duple |
Parafuso/Armada Dupla |
tornado kick |
| Armada ku meia Lua/martelu |
Armada com martelo |
rainbow kick |
| Armada na txon |
Armada no chão |
spinning reverse crescent on the floor |
| Au |
Au |
cartwheel |
| Au batidu |
Au batido |
one handed kick |
| Au di Kabesa |
Au de Cabeça |
cartwheel on the floor |
| Au di kosta |
Au de costa/Volta ao mundu |
backward cartwheel |
| Au maxada |
Au machado |
cart-ax |
| Au maxada torsida |
-- |
opposite hand cart-ax |
| Au rolê |
Au rolê |
cartwheel into Role transition |
| Au Torsida |
-- |
twisting cartwheel |
| Au y meiu |
-- |
cartwheel plus half (Windmill movement) |
| Avisu |
Aviso |
a berimbau rhythm formerly used to warn players of a police raid |
| Axé |
Axé |
the life force, support and energy |
| Aza |
Au sem mão |
butterfly kick |
| Aza y meiu |
Parafuzo |
corkscrew; butterfly twist |
| Azul |
Azul |
blue – beginner levels (main CV flag color) |
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| -B- |
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| Balansu |
Balanço |
part of the basic Capoeira move (ginga - Angola) |
| Balarina |
-- |
leading Xibata or Armada kick (2 types) |
| Bananera |
Bananeira |
Hollow Back (arch) |
| Baraventu |
Barravento |
a berimbau rhythm; refers to a prepossession trance state |
| Baziu |
Base |
the fundamental stance/movement |
| Baziu Baxu |
Base Baicho |
low Stance |
| Batizadu |
Batizado |
the Capoeira initiation ceremony; baptism |
| Batuku |
-- |
traditional Cape Verdean Dance (refer to CV history section) |
| Baxu |
Baicho |
low |
| Beja flor |
Beija flor |
one hand pause (looking up) |
| Benson |
Benção |
a front kick; blessing |
| Benson na txon |
Benção no Chão |
front kick on the floor |
| Berimbau |
Berimbau |
(lead) rhythm instrument in Capoeira |
| Bermedju |
Vermelho |
red (Profesor rank in Grupo Ondas) |
| Branku |
Branco |
white; Mestre Maior rank in Grupo Ondas |
| Boka/pé di roda |
Boca/pé da roda |
entrance to the roda where the instruments are |
| Bola |
-- |
front role |
| Brinka |
Brincar |
to play (like a child) |
| Brinkadera |
Brincadeira |
playfulness; game |
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| -C- |
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| -D- |
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| Da volta mundu |
Dar volta ao mundo |
“take a turn around the world” |
| Dedera |
Dedeira |
eye poke |
| Defesa |
Defesa |
defensive move or movement response |
| Disíplu |
Discípulo |
the loyal, decdicated Capoeira student |
| Djongotu |
Cocorinha |
squatting |
| Dobron |
Dobrão |
coin used to play the berimbau |
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| -E- |
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| -F- |
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| Finta |
Fintar |
to fake |
| Fitxadu |
Fechado |
closed |
| Fitxa korpu |
Fechar o corpo |
to close the body |
| Fiksu |
Asfixiante |
front punch |
| Folha Seka; Xutu pa lua |
folha seca |
flash Kick, 'kick to the moon' |
| Forro |
Forro |
traditional Brazilian partner dance |
| Funana |
Funana |
traditional Cape Verdean dance |
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| -G- |
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| Ganju |
Ganjo/Ganju |
hook(ing) kick |
| Gazela |
-- |
leaping Benson |
| Golpi |
Golpe |
strike or blow; (attacking) movement |
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| -H- |
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| -I- |
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| Iuna |
Iuna |
advanced ceremonial game |
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| -J- |
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| Jugador |
Jogador |
(capoeira) player |
| Juga |
Jogar |
to play games (in this case – Capoeira) |
| Jinga |
Ginga |
the fundamental Capoeira movement |
| Jogo |
Jogo |
game |
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| -K- |
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| Kabasa |
Cabaça |
gourd used as the resonator on the berimbau |
| Kebesa |
Cabeça |
head |
| Kabesa di raiba |
Arpão de cabeça |
vicious headbutt |
| Kabesada |
Cabeçada |
head butt |
| Kai na etc |
Queda de etc |
'fall to/on etc.', Cai na rin, cai na kuatu/tres |
| Kaida |
Queda |
fall, basic way to lose advantage in the game |
| Kamara(da) |
Camara(da) |
comrade; friend |
| Kantiga di Kapuera |
Cantiga de Capoeira |
capoeira song |
| Kapuera |
Capoeira |
"I'm not going to tell you – he he he" |
| Kapuerista |
Capoeirista |
a Capoeira player/Capoeirista |
| Kexada |
Queichada |
reverse crescent Kick |
| Kexada na txon |
Queichada no chão |
r. crescent Kick performed on the floor |
| Koladera |
-- |
traditional Cape Verdean dance |
| Konpasu |
Compasso |
au into a negativa |
| Koridus |
Corridos |
song that repeat continuously |
| Kumpra jogu |
Comprar o jogo |
entering by cutting in on another player |
| Kontra-ataki |
Contra–ataque |
entering by cutting in on another player |
| Kontramestri |
Contramestre |
an Assistant Instructor |
| Korda/Kordon |
Corda/Cordão |
colored belt for ranking |
| Koridos |
Corridos |
call and response songs |
| Kupalma |
Galopante |
palm strike |
| Kutelu |
Godeme/Cutelo |
backhand strike |
| Kutuvelada |
Cotovelada |
elbow strike |
| Kruz |
Cruz |
cross takedown |
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| -L- |
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| Ladainha |
Ladainha |
introductory solo; litany |
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| -M- |
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| Makaku (di ladu) |
Macaco (de lado) |
side monkey retreat |
| Makaku (konpletu) |
Macaco (Completo) |
full monkey retreat |
| Makulele |
Maculele |
traditional Brazilian stick dance (used in the roda) |
| Malandragem |
Malandragem |
art of Trickery |
| Malandru |
Malandro |
street tough, hoodlum, conman, trickster |
| Malísia |
Malícia |
deception, trickery, cunning, misleading |
| Martelu |
Martelo |
roundhouse kick |
| Martelu na txon |
Martelo no chão |
low roundhous; floor sweep |
| Martelu rotadu |
Chapeu de couro |
rotating roundhouse kick |
| Maxadu |
Pissada |
ax kick |
| Meia lua di konpasu |
Meia lua de compasso |
one hand spinning kick |
| Mestri |
Mestre |
senior instructor, teacher, mentor |
| Mueda |
Moeda |
coin used to play the berimbau |
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| -N- |
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| Negativa |
Negativa |
covered low stance (regional) |
| Negativa Angola |
Negativa Angola |
covered low stance (Negative – 2 of them) |
| Nominhu |
Apelido |
Capoeira nickname given at Batizado |
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| -O- |
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| -P- |
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| Panderu |
Pandeiro |
tambourine |
| Parada |
Banda |
movement to trip or stop an opponent |
| Pasada |
Passada |
footwork, especially in the ginga |
| Pasada |
Passada |
modern Cape Verdean Dancing |
| Petubrasu |
-- |
forearm strike |
| Pion di kabesa |
Peão de Cabeça |
head spin |
| Pion di mon |
Peão de mão |
hand spin |
| Pinu |
Bananeira/parada de mão |
handstand |
| Pinu di kabesa |
parada de Cabeça |
headstand |
| Pomba Gira |
Pomba Gira |
a mix of rasteira and puxa |
| Pozinhu/Baketa |
Vaqueta |
stick used to strike the string of the berimbau |
| Pontera |
Ponteira |
raising front kick |
| Ponti |
Ponte |
bridge; back bend |
| Puxa |
-- |
Sliding; to give one's all |
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| -Q- |
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| -R- |
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| Rabu d'araia |
Rabo de arraia |
2 hand spinning hook kick (angola move) |
| Rabu dragon |
-- |
jumpin' spinning kick |
| Rastera |
Rasteira |
general term for sweep |
| Reco-Reco |
Reco-Reco |
ribbed bamboo scraper (instrument) |
| Regional |
Regional |
style of Capoeira accredited to Mestre Bimba |
| Roda |
Roda |
circle; space for playing Capoeira |
| Rolê |
Rolê |
role transition |
| Rolê konpletu |
Rolê completo |
“full role” |
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| -S- |
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| Saída |
Saída |
exit |
| Saltu |
Salto |
mortal back flips |
| Samba |
Samba |
traditional Brazilian dance |
| Skada ku matelu |
Martelo Crusado |
stepping stool kick; fast kick |
| Skada na mon |
-- |
one hand stepping stool |
| Skizitu |
-- |
role (get)away |
| Skorpion |
Escorpião |
hook kick from the back |
| S-dobradu |
S-dobrado |
“Folded S” – Similar to a skada na mon |
| Sekuensia |
Sequencia |
sequence of moves learned by players in Regional style |
| Stilu torsida |
-- |
1 hand spin 'n pause |
| Skiva |
Esquiva |
dodging - escape movement |
| Skiva rolê |
Esquiva com rolê |
a combination of Jinga, Baziu Baxu, Negativa and Rolê |
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| -T- |
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| Tanboru |
Tamboro |
general term for drum |
| Tapona |
Galopante |
one hand strike to side of face or ear |
| Tilifoni |
Telefone |
telephone strike |
| Tizora |
Tizora |
scissors takedown |
| Tizora na txon |
Tesoura no chão |
scissors sweep |
| Toka |
Tocar |
to play (a musical instrument) |
| Torsida pomba |
-- |
one hand spinning pause |
| Troka |
Trocar |
switch |
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| -U- |
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| -V- |
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| Vara |
Vara |
wooden pole of the berimbau |
| Verdi |
Verde |
green – intermediate levels (main BR flag color) |
| Vêrga |
Vêrga |
wooden pole of the berimbau |
| Vingativa |
Vingativa |
takedown from behind someone |
| Vira/Gira |
Virar/Girar |
redirecting ‘bazio' to the other side |
| Volta di mundu |
Volta do mundu |
taking a break circling the roda |
| Vou di morsegu |
Voo do Morcego |
flying double sidekick |
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| -W- |
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| -X- |
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| Xamada |
Chamada |
the basic kind of inner game (Angola) |
| Xibata |
Chibata |
spinning hook kick |
| Xikalu |
Caxixí |
woven rattle played with the berimbau |
| Xula |
Chula |
special introductory song, always follows ladainha |
| Xutu pa Ladu |
Chapa do Ladu |
sidekick |
| Xutu di kosta |
Chapa de costas |
back kick |
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| -Y- |
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| -Z- |
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