In modern capoeira, Armada is thrown the same way as Mldf(Meia lua de frente) - directly into your front.
Now, in modern capoeira, this does not matter; as both Armada and Mldf are just dance figures for these people; ie just carressing of air that looks pretty.
But if you consider capoeira a martial art, you have to wonder - why would you want to have two kicks that do the same thing?
Or rather, why would you like to spin around before kicking in front of you(Armada) - giving the opponent plenty of time to react - if you can just kick without the spin(Mldf, Jawkick)?
Again, modern capoeira does not care - Armada is just for looks, is just ritual.
However, in old capoeira, Mldf and Armada both have their distinct and specific purposes!
Fast and easy guide to Mldf and Armada
Most laconically:
If the opponent is in front of you, use Mldf. That's it, period. Using Armada when the opponent is standing in front of you is stupid.
To use Armada, you let the opponent move to your left side - or trick him into it.
Because he is to your side, you cannot use Mldf, as you would not reach him; and the opponent also feels you cannot attack him in this relative position.
And this is when you use Armada! When the opponent is to your left, sure you cannot hit him, spin rightward and throw right Armada.
Right Armada should aim precisely to the dead angle about 45 degrees to your left; where the opponent feels you cannot reach him.
But you can, with Armada. This is the true purpose of Armada - a 'dirty' combat trick that allows you to attack where you seem to be unable to attack.
The spin is thus not some useless ornament; but a vital part of the trick/kick.
Armada stealth entry
In the proper stealth entry to Armada we show:
https://youtu.be/GQYIhD47EIc?t=57
The stealthy turning of your front foot inward is done precisely in this situation:
When the opponent is to your left, stealthily turn your left foot inward so it is precisely at right angle to him; so you can conformably to throw right Armada behind his neck (as described in my previous article).
Ixprimenti!
Try for yourself how unexpectedly this Armada flies into your face!
I even had people fearing this kick - fearing Armada, imagine that! Armada, that is otherwise the most laughable kick in capoeira.
Conclusion
As you see, throwing the Armada to your front is stupid - that is what Mldf is for.
Armada is a tricky kick that is designed to hit the opponent that is about 45 degrees to your either side; and thus cannot be hit with Mldf.
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Excursus:
Do not forget that Mldc and Armada were two basic upright kicks (or more precisely, power-clinches) of old capoeira! Back then, they did not use Martelos or Chapas.
So if you want to understand old Bahian capoeira more deeply, try to use Mldf and Armada as your primary fighting/jogo kicks. As for how, that is described in this article and in my previous article.
You should feet the way it changes your capoeira.
If you want to really understand Armada - use it for fighting (at least inside the jogo), not for caressing air!
Historical excursus:
The only mystery is how this basic fact about Armada - that the kick was supposed to be thrown 45 degrees to the side - became forgotten.
I believe the answer is - 50+ years of Armadas being used to caress air. When nobody is using the kick to actually kick somebody, you forget how to do it.
Even when you look at the video of Mestre Bimba's students from the 60's, you can see them resigning on using Armada in any combat-effective fashion.
https://youtu.be/PrDD9qutULM?t=113
They use it as a pirouette, but at least inside opponent's reach.
And it only became worse from there: While the way Bimba's students do Armada can still be repaired into the proper Armada (described above), modern capoeira 'improved' Armada into 'more powerful' three-steps Armada:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rOIGpbP5dg8
Which is totally combat unusable: The thing is seen starting from twenty miles away; it is just rasteira/banda waiting to happen*). (The only thing that saves modern Armada is that people do not use rasteiras properly; but that is a topic for another article). Moreover, as shown above, it is useless - why would you need another kick to your front? As for actually using this Armada in combat - forget it.
Again, modern capoeira, in attempts to 'improve' something, made it combat-unusable.
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*)Back when I still trained 'normal' capoeira, we had no limits on rasteira or bandas; and this made us very quickly stop throwing Armadas altogether.
That was because - with rasteiras allowed - there was just no way the other player would not take you down if you used Armada.
So the most we did was a quick spin with leg down/Armada fake to provoke rasteira/banda so we could do something funny to the other player.
Excursus:
My reader Ilmari reminded me that in many fighting arts people try to move to your side/corner, so they can face towards you while you do not face towards them. Move to your corner, so to speak.
And they believe you cannot hit them when you do not face them. And then the Armada comes flying!
Armada is actually more devious kick than modern capoeira makes it to be.
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