also known as
"Bênção is not a push kick"
In my last article, I described how to perform Armada properly in old Bahian capoeira; so the kick has a combative use.
Today, I will do a similar thing for Bênção. However, with old Bahian Bênção, it is not about the angle; it is about distance.
Problems with distance
Modern capoeira has the distancing of Bênção totally wrong, trying to use the kick as thaiboxing push-kick; like this:
https://youtu.be/wDLSsMxULW4?t=81
https://youtu.be/WV_OH8cuJFw?t=27
(Focus on the distance).
But that, my friend, is not Bênção. Properly, you use Bênção when you are so close to the opponent you cannot use Armada or Mldf!
Yeah, you heard me; that is the key. You use Bênção when absolutely close to the opponent, where even Mldf would not fit between you and the opponent.
You can even see it in Mestre Bimba's sequence if you look carefully:
https://youtu.be/jDmDnR2A018?t=89
- the opponent throws Armada, ie you are close to him so he can hit you with it
- you evade low with Cocorinha, getting even closer to him
- then you get up and kick Bênção from the same place.
If he remained standing, you would see how close to him you are - there is no space for push kick between your bodies. So anybody who ever did Bimba's sequence should know Bênção is not a push kick.
To put it simply:
The proper distance for Bênção is bit less than a punch-length! This is when you throw Bênção - when there is not enough space between you and the opponent for your extended arm; when there is not enough space to throw Mldf or Armada.
How to throw Bênção
But how do you do execute Bênção at such crazy distance?
We have shown the proper mechanics of Bênção in our video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_eCnIGTZw5A
(Use Nemer for windup, LightLegs/RubberLegs for the kick.)
However, in application, you have to get even more extreme!
The opponent is very close; so to get your kicking leg between you and him, you have to lean backward a lot. (Note that the backward lean is stealthy, ie hard to detect, because it is done with Nemer too; it is part of the windup).
The backward lean creates a gap between you and the opponent that you can thread your rear leg through (like we show in the video); and stomp down on his chest, taking him down.
In fact, the position just before the stomp resembles a front split - true Bênção requires great hip flexibility.
Also note that if the opponent has any guard, lifting your leg correctly (with Nemer) breaks it (by bumping into it); so he cannot protect himself with his arms from this Bênção.
(This is one of the reasons you evade Bênção into Negativa in old Bahian capoeira).
Bênção is not a push kick
Note that Bênção is a completely different kick from a push-kick; because the distance is different, you do not push, you tear down.
In fact, Bênção resembles axe-kick a bit; but it strikes from much closer; it represents an ultra-close-range cross between push-kick and axe-kick.
Also, while push-kick rarely leads to KO (mostly pushing the opponent away), Bênção is a finish - a takedown. The opponent does not get hit by your foot (as in push-kick); he gets pushed down and hit with the ground.
Bênção is a combat trick
In fact, Bênção was probably another combat trick of old capoeira (compare it with Armada):
The opponent is so close to you he believes you cannot kick him. And boom, he gets Bênção to the chest.
(Or rather, he gets taken down by Bênção to his chest; as Bênção is a takedown, not a kick.)
When the opponent stands close to you, you expect attacks from his hands; and low kicks. But there is a big hole in your attention in the center; because you know he cannot kick your chest at that close distance.
And Bênção was created to take advantage of that big attention hole. Like Armada, it is a kick that should not be possible; that hits in a situation where the opponent thinks he cannot be hit.
This is the principle of Bênção; another great combat trick of old Bahian capoeira.
People often say 'capoeira uses tricks'. But they do not realize even its basic kicks are combat tricks if done properly!
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Update 15.11.2025 - Video
This is the video of proper Bênção, thrown from Physical-game ginga.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2k2E0ofEc_c
Note that ironically, Bencao is taught as the easiest kick in modern capoeira; while it might actually be the most difficult one.
It it probably not accidental it is taught in the final 8th sequence of Mestre Bimba (as an attack blow).
Conclusion
The proper distancing finally completes the picture of Bênção:
It is a furious wrestling technique; done from very close range, tearing the opponent down unexpectedly. Bênção is not a kick, it is a takedown; just done with your leg.
(Again, look at the freakin' Bimba's sequence; and show me how you would throw a push kick after evading under Armada with Cocorinha and getting up in place!)
You are supposed to use Bênção when you are at less-than-arm-length to the opponent!
This also gives it a tricky entry, because the opponent does not expect to get kicked at such a short distance.
--
In 1948, Borges Higino still knew Bênção is not a pushkick:
Note that he is still too far from the opponent; but the extreme back-arch, front-split-like position, and chest stomp are all there.
Excursus - capoeira was hard!
But do not misunderstand me; proper Bênção is a really difficult kick; it pushes your body to the maximum. Only the good (physically skilled) capoeiristas can use Bênção. It is not a kick for beginners who would probably hurt themselves if they tried it.
People have trouble throwing even normal pushkick with proper alignment; in the extreme wind-up position of Bênção, having proper alignment to issue power correctly is much harder.
This is another point I try to get across: Old capoeira was hard! It was not 'everybody can learn, the general and the doctor'. Unless the general was quite athletic, he could not even throw a proper Bênção!
In fact, if you want 'general and doctor' to be able to learn capoeira, you have to seriously - and I mean, seriously - water it down. You have to take out all the high-level skill, dangerous techniques, LightLegs, RubberLegs.
This is what modern Angola represents - capoeira so physically watered down 'general and doctor' can do it.
Unfortunatelly, it also meant that what was great about old capoeira had to dissapear; just for the benefit of 'general and doctor'.
So if you want to learn "general's and doctor's capoeira", study modern Angola.
But if you want to learn "capoeirista's' capoeira", you have to study the old capoeiragem!
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My educated guess is that in old Bahian capoeira, some players could do Bênção; other simply could not, for physical reasons. But that was ok, as there was no 'standardized curriculum' of kicks you had to know to play capoeira back then.
If you could do Bênção, you would use Bênção (and the opponent would have to be up to that challenge). If you could not, you used other kicks.
Proper Bahian capoeira was not about having pretty kicks with all the right angles like today; it was about wrestling the opponent down furiously with your legs.
Excursus:
Consider again how extreme the proper Bênção is: From impossibly close to the opponent, you arch back and stretch your body to the maximum; threading your leg high through the tight space between your bodies, front-split-like; so you can stomp down on opponent's chest, taking him down.
This is not your common martial art kick; this is an absurd wrestling technique; a tear-down.
--
This is another thing I am trying to get across - old Bahian physical-game capoeira was extreme. To use an aphorism, old capoeira did not need flips, because its very kicks were spectacular.
Modern capoeira is boring compared to it, because the legs just swing in the air.
"I am going to tear you down with my legs like an old building!" - that was the motto of old Bahian capoeira. But it was also done with love; but that is a topic for another article.
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