''Queixada'' (

jaw The jaws are a pair of opposable articulated structures at the entrance of the mouth, typically used for grasping and manipulating food. The term ''jaws'' is also broadly applied to the whole of the structures constituting the vault of the mouth ...

chin The chin is the forward pointed part of the anterior mandible (List_of_human_anatomical_regions#Regions, mental region) below the lower lip. A fully developed human skull has a chin of between 0.7 cm and 1.1 cm. Evolution The presence of a we ...

strike) is a crescent kick in

capoeira Capoeira () is an Afro-Brazilian martial art and game that includes elements of dance, acrobatics, capoeira music, music, and spirituality. It likely originated from enslaved Mbundu people, of the Kingdom of Ndongo, in present-day Angola. The ...

, like the inverse of a ''

meia lua de frente ''Meia lua'' (crescent) or ''Meia lua de frente'' (front crescent) is one of the few principal kicks in capoeira. The kicking leg moves in the form of an arc before returning to its original position. ''Meia lua'' is considered one of the first ...

''. This kick targets the side of the opponent's head or the opponent's chin (''queixo'' in Portuguese). Queixada is one of the most common kicks in regional capoeira.

Capoeira Angola Capoeira de Angola (Angolan capoeira) or simply ''angola'' is the traditional style of capoeira, the Afro-Brazilian martial art. A newer style, based on the reform of capoeira Angola, is called ''capoeira regional, regional''. However, the term ...

players rarely use queixada.

History

In 1928,

Anibal Burlamaqui Anníbal Burlamaqui (1898–1965), known as Mestre Zuma, was a Brazilian customs officer, poet, boxer and a prominent advocate for the sport of capoeira during its prohibition. He was one of the main proponents of the fighting-oriented ''capoeira ...

claimed in his book that he introduced the queixada, with the front leg kicking, to capoeira. In the 1930s,

Mestre Bimba Manuel dos Reis Machado, commonly called Mestre Bimba (; November 23, 1900 – February 5, 1974), was a Brazilian capoeira ''mestre'' and the founder of the '' capoeira regional'' style. Bimba was one of the best capoeiristas of his time, undefe ...

introduced the queixada, with the back leg kicking, to regional capoeira, likely from

Asian martial arts There are many distinct styles and schools of martial arts. Sometimes, schools or styles are introduced by individual teachers or masters, or as a brand name by a specific gym. Martial arts can be grouped by type or focus, or alternatively by re ...

Mestre Pastinha Vicente Ferreira Pastinha (April 5, 1889, Salvador, Bahia, Brazil – November 13, 1981), known as Mestre Pastinha, was a ''mestre'' of the Afro-Brazilian martial art capoeira and a codifier of the traditional capoeira Angola style. Mestre Past ...

referred to queixada as ''meia lua virada'' (turned ''meia lua'').

Application

Queixada with back leg kicking is a fast and tricky kick. It starts by swinging across the body, then comes back around. This can confuse the opponent and make them dodge in the wrong direction. This makes it a good kick to set the opponent up for another kick. Queixada can also be used to start a series of kicks that are linked together without stopping. Queixada with front leg kicking can be used to move forward to opponent.

Variations

Queixada can be done in two ways: * with the back leg kicking * with the front leg kicking

With the back leg kicking

In Bimba's version, queixada is a circular kick, where the player lifts his or her leg from the inside to the outside in a circular motion and hits someone's chin with the outer side of the foot. Bimba noted that "it's essentially a strike with the outer side of the foot."Mestre Damião, A verdadeira história da criação da Luta Regional Bahiana do mestre Bimba
/ref> This kick is similar to outward crescent kick in other martial arts.

With the front leg kicking

In Burlamaqui's version, the capoeirista takes a step in front of the opponent and, after calculating the distance, quickly raises one leg, causing the foot to strike the opponent's jaw.

Literature

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