Since we don't block in Capoeira, we use the Esquiva. The esquiva in a way is like ducking away from kick. So we have three esquivas.
Usually the esquiva entrada, is basically telling me to take a step forward. We have esquiva lateral, which is like an esquiva to the side. And we have an esquiva baixa, which is lowering yourself in a ginga position to a lower position.
And to demonstrate the esquivas, I'm going to call here Professor (? ) . And slowly, he's going to start on a ginga position.
He will place in this case right foot back always keeping a good form, keeping that arm up and making sure you're always working with your core. He's going to step parallel with his right foot going into esquiva entrada, always looking at your partner. Imagine the kicks traveling over you.
And then from there, always recovering back to a ginga position, and switching your arm. Now from there, he's going to do the esquiva lateral, which he will turn sideways and now keeping his knees bent, being very careful so the knees won't drop and looking straight at your partner. And then from there, he brings it back, always rotating on the ball of your foot, making sure that you are straight forward.
And from there, he goes into an esquiva baixa, which is you place your hand on the floor pretty much, originate from the ginga position. All you have to do is lower yourself and then from there you can recover again and once again, he's going to do the esquiva baixa. One more time and he pushes back up.
Now if the esquivas are done in a similar way basically, he will just work on the ginga and he can esquiva to both sides, going back and forth and always looking straight at your partner the esquiva entrada, lateral, baixa, ginga arms up right there you see. So pretty much all of the esquivas originate from the ginga. As you see, we don't really block, so it's the esquiva, you're always clearing the kick and going back to ginga position.
