One of the most important tactics of old Bahian capoeiragem was a Low Bahian rasteira; done as a counter against punches; and kicks, in the game of capoeira.
It is no wonder that against such a popular technique, they taught a defence....
In Bimba's teaching sequence, there is an interesting maneuver taught: To escape from rasteira by doing an Au right from the kick.
It is there, silent; a relict of the old capoeira, documenting the degeneration that happened to capoeira!!!
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Let me explain why.
First of all, modern capoeiristas - when they do Bimba's sequences, which is seldom - are puzzled by this maneuver. And indeed; it is not easy nor natural to do a cartwheel off the standing leg of the kick;and it does not make much sense, as you wouldn't escape the rasteira in time anyway.
So often, modern capoeiristas either do a funny step-down-and-au:
https://youtu.be/-kOsGT74uT8?t=245 (4:08)
or even do the au completely to the other side, by stepping down with the kicking leg.
https://youtu.be/PDoH5cHFpig?t=37 (0:37)
Both are huge slaps across Bimba's face and just two testaments to the stupidity of modern capoeira.
(I stress it: Both these ways to do au in sequencia are nonsense).
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In the end, the only correct technique to do au in sequence is demonstrated by Filhos de Bimba (as expected):
https://youtu.be/mo-QsntFmqU?t=70 (1:10 and below)
However, they are still missing something; as even using the correct technique, they would not be able to escape the full-power rasteira in time.
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So what is the point behind all this? What are they missing? The answer is LightLegs.
As I wrote in my article on LightLegs in capoeira; in old Bahian Capoeira, all kicks were done using LightLegs; and the kicks themselves and ginga were designed to permit it.
Now, if you try to do an Au from a normal kick, it is unnatural, as noted above. However! If you do a Au from a LightLegs kick, it feels perfectly natural! Not only that; the Au itself is a fast jumping LightLegs one!
This together gives you enough speed to escape the rasteira that is aimed at your leg!
This is one of the secrets behind Bimba's sequences! The kicks have to be done with LightLegs, so that the Au can be also done with LightLegs; giving you enough speed to escape the Low rasteira!
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Now you know why the skill cannot work today; as I wrote in my other article, today's ginga does not permit to do LightLegs kicks; neither the way the kicks are done allow LightLegs.
Thus, it cripples the capoeirista even in this aspend - he cannot escape the rasteira using the Au, because he does not, cannot have LightLegs!
Thus, modern capoeirista cannot escape the rasteira using an Au, like the old (Bahian) one did!!!
This is another testament to the utter degeneracy of modern capoeira, hidden there in Bimba's sequences.
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(Unfortunately, the degeneracy started with Bimba himself; it was him who introduced the first kicks that do not allow LightLegs execution (Queixada and Martelo); probably out of his ignorance of this powerful concept. He sure used LightLegs; but didn't know about it. So he was unable to stop the degeneracy perhaps introduced by his white students.)
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Conclusion:
So this was the secret behind the old capoeiristas' ability to escape the rasteira using Au: Jumping into the The LightLegs Au; and for this, you have to do the LightLegs kicks; and for this, the proper ginga (Monkey+Seduction1) must be done.
Modern capoeristas cannot replicate this skill; as they have wrong kicks; and they cannot do the proper kicks, as they have wrong ginga.
Also, the modern rendition of this technique makes no sense; as without LightLegs, the Au is too slow to escape a real rasteira.
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Excursus:
Therefore, it is possibl to escape rasteira with Au from the original Bahian kicks (all with LightLegs):
-bencao
-armada
-mldf
the kicks of original Bahian Capoeira.
From Mldc, Au escape is not possible; but that applies even for normal Mldc (Leopard mechanics). People fake mldc with Dragon mechanics so that they can jump off the standing foot, but that is not the same kick; at it would be impossible if they did the kick for real.
However, you can - if you use the proper mldc with LightLegs - switch to Eagle archetype mid-kick; then the kick automatically turns into 'Au com role'. This can be used to escape rasteira or even a ponteira to the face. But this also only works for LightLegs mldc!
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