My reader Thomas sent me an interesting question:
Would it be possible to use Pontape(LightLegs Ponteira, link ) in old capoeiragem [Bahian capoeira is meant]? Especially the version where the foot is turned inward, to attack opponent's lower ribs (in the style of Martelo)?
The answer is more complicated.
First of all, yes, it is possible to throw Pontape in old capoeiragem.
But, you probably only did it against a layman.
That is because for a capoeira expert, there existed a very easy and unpleasant counter to it; I call it Pontape-breaker (or Ponteira-breaker).
Pontape-breaker
When the opponent kicks a Pontape into my left side, I do not evade; instead, I equip Tiger+Child, stand straight and block the kick with my left hand, scooping his leg up with my left arm.
(This is only possible with Pontape; all others LightLegs kicks of capoeira - Mldf, Armada, Mldc, Chibata, Bencao, Jawkick - cannot be blocked with your hand).
Then with opponent's leg so locked up on my arm, I throw a special cabeçada into his chest - not just Tiger, but Tiger+Child (this gives the cabeçada a slight jump).
If you take the opponent down like this using full power, you will dislocate his standing hip. This is why I call it Pontape-breaker.
Mestre Bimba demonstrating Pontape-breaker against Ponteira
So that is why you only used Pontape against a layman: Because using it against a real capoeira expert might easily mean a dislocated hip.
And unlike all other kicks counters - that usually have Au escape against rasteira -, there is no escape once the opponent catches your kick with Pontape-breaker.
So this is not a game challenge like the rest of Bahian capoeira kicks. In fact, Pontape-breaker was more of a punishment; to teach people not to throw Pontape in a capoeira game.
This is why I do not even usually list Pontape-breaker as real capoeiragem technique. It is more a technique to punish a dabbler.
Update 9.10.2025:
Thomas brought up a good point: What if the Pontape/Ponteira goes to your chin? Then you cannot just block it to the side as when it goes to your body.
In that case, you can still use Pontape-breaker; the archetype remains the same (Tiger+Child), but the blocking movement changes:
As the Pontape flies up towards your chin, arch your head backward a bit; while blocking upward with your left forearm, scooping opponent's leg up; then wrapping it leftward and downward under your left arm as you move forward.
With opponent's left trapped under in your left armpit, change the forward movement into a jump; giving a hopping cabecada to his chest as normally, breaking his standing hip.
Conclusion
So to reiterate: In real capoeira, you never evade a Ponteira/Pontape! Evasions are reserved for real capoeira kicks that cannot be blocked (LightLegs Mldf, Armada, Mldc, Chibata, Bencao, Jawkick).
Ponteira/Pontape you simply block with your hand, scoop up and apply Pontape-breaker, breaking opponent's hip.
And vice versa - if in a capoeira game, the opponent throws Ponteira/Pontape, you punish it with Pontape-breaker, to teach people not to mess up real capoeira game with stupid kicks.
I hope that explains why you could use Pontape in old capoeiragem; but most of the times, you would not.
I also hope it will help people understand the difference between real capoeira kicks - LightLegs/RubberLegs kicks that you evade and rasteira, while the opponent can escape with Au; and the 'other' kicks that you just block and might break opponent's hip as a bonus.
General rule: If you can block it with Pontape-breaker, it is not a capoeira kick!!!
Excursus:
In Carioca, the counter to Pontape (from Peneiraçao) is similar but even worse.
Excursus:
In fact, you could probably punish many of modern capoeira kicks with Pontape-breaker - any kick without LightLegs where opponent's torso is upright, so you can block and scoop up his leg and throw Tiger+Child cabeçada into his chest.
Modern Martelo is perfect example; from this, it is clear that modern Martelo is not a real capoeira Martelo (that is Nemer Martelo). Real Nemer Martelo cannot be broken using Pontape-breaker! Bimba would never use such a kick!
Modern capoeira kicks are lousy precisely because in golden age capoeira, nobody would even bother evading those - they would block them with Pontape-breaker and break your hip.
Evading kick that can be blocked is one of the stupidities in modern capoeira. Evading kicks became pure ritual in modern capoeira, because you can easily just block them! (People just do not usually do it, because 'it is not done in capoeira').
In real capoeira, you do not evade kicks because it is a ritual - you evade because they cannot be blocked!
Excursus:
The original question was why there was not some Martelo-like kick in old capoeira.
The answer is, in old capoeira, it was not easy to come up with an usable Martelo-like kick.
1) it had to be unblockable, otherwise, you opened yourself for Pontape-breaker, and
2) if it was unblockable, it also had to be rasteira-proof - either you must be able to escape with Au from rasteira, or rasteira does not work against it (otherwise, it is just a fall on the butt waiting to happen)
This is why Bimba's Martelo (Nemer Martelo) is such a genius kick - because it is both rasteira-proof and cannot be blocked with Pontape-breaker. (Moreover, it is very hard to block in general).
Of course, none of that applies for modern Martelos - hence, they are not proper capoeira kicks.
There was only one proper Martelo in capoeira history - Mestre Bimba's Nemer Martelo!
Excursus:
This article is more about Bahian capoeira. In Carioca, you use evasions even against normal attacks (punches, kicks etc), so you can continue with a banda.
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