Meia lua de frente
Capoeira kick
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 capoeira kicks to learn. It is the foundation for others crescent kicks in capoeira, such as armada or meia-lua de costas (back crescent) or queixada, which is like the inverse of a meia lua de frente.
Front crescent (or outside crescent) kick is seen in various martial arts. Meia lua is widely used in African martial art engolo, the forerunner of capoeira.
Other Capoeira kicks
Japanese terms for kicks
| Term | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 回し蹴り | mawashigeri | roundhouse kick; turning kick |
| 飛び蹴り | tobigeri | dropkick; flying kick |
| ハイキック | haikikku | high kick |
| マルテーロ | maruteero | martelo; roundhouse kick in capoeira |
| ネリチャギ | nerichagi | axe kick; ax kick |
| かかと落とし | kakatootoshi | axe kick; ax kick |
| ケイシャーダ | keishaada | queixada (capoeira kick at the opponent's jaw); outward crescent kick |
| サイドキック | saidokikku | side kick |
| 後ろ回し蹴り | ushiromawashigeri | spin kick |
External links
Facts from Wikidata Q122464440 (CC0); text quoted from English Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Data retrieved 2026-10-22.
Data: Wikidata (CC0 1.0); Wikipedia (English) (CC BY-SA 4.0). Retrieved 2026-10-22.