https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J77dnA_7X9U
Cocada was one of the most powerful weapons of old Carioca. It is a cabecada that is thrown upward into opponent's chin.
(Note that in the video, David does the technique loosely so as not to hurt Zbynek. In reality, you hold him down tight during the technique).
(Cocada on Calixto's drawing, 1909)
However, it must be done properly!
First, it must be done using LightLegs (the technique uses Monkey+LightLegs+Seduction1 mechanics); without LightLegs, it will not work.
Here is how you throw it:
Equip LightLegs; grab the clothes on the sides of opponent's waist (or just grab his waist).
Then pull back and down with your hands and squat forward on your toes, turning your head to the side. This is a high-energy point("He!").
Done properly with LightLegs, this is nerve disruptor; it makes the muscles around opponent's waist give up so he is forced to arch backward; and he is pulled forward, so his chin hits the top of your head. At the same time, his arms are forced to spread to the sides.
This is the key to Cocada; without LightLegs, you cannot make him arch with the pull; and without the arch, the headbutt does not work.
Immediately, spring up from your rear leg, step forth with your front foot and drive the top of your head under opponent's chin, throwing your head backwards, as if trying to look under opponent's chin.
This is high-energy point("Haaaa!").
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Note that the technique is not really a strike with the head; but more of a chin wrench done with the head.
Take care! Not only this will probably dislocate opponent's jaw; it might also break his neck. Cocada is that powerful (and dangerous).
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The vocalization for the whole Cocada is "HeHaaa!"
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Additionally, opponent's spine is extended like a rubber band; so the moment you let go with your hands, he will fly upward and fall on his back.
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If you cannot grab opponent's clothes, grab the oblique muscles on the sides of his waist (grab directly the muscles with your fingers; "kungfu grip")
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Cocada can be used as banda(after a jab entry) or as a guardbreaker; if Banda de lado is the king of capoeiragem techniques, Cocada is the queen
Cocada can be used directly from Peneiracao; in fact, the Peneiracao with arms down (low guard) was specially designed to tear into the opponent and grab his waist to finish him off with a Cocada.
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Cocada, as all good cabecadas, will lock opponent's arms to the sides the moment you pull him down; thus he cannot gouge you or attack you with an edged weapon.
However, Cocada is even better! As the first part will force the opponent to spread his arms and make room for your headbutt; so he cannot defend it.
In fact, Cocada works even against weapons; because the moment you tug the opponent, both his arms are spread to sides, thus the weapons is taken out of the game; then you break his neck.
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The only usual way to defend against Cocada is to use a very tight guard; or to push the opponent away the moment he reaches for you. If you fail at that point, you are toast.
However, you can use the traditional Capoeiragem way and use Clube X; this will disrupt opponent's nerves when he does the initial grab, stopping the technique. (see my article on Clube X)
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According to the photos in the article "Cyriaco vs jujutsu"(1909), Cocada was probably also called 'sledgehammer'(marreta) or 'bark the wood'(cascar a madeira); and was 'good against weapons'.
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Capoeiras of the age described Cocada as 'bringing the tower of thought into the chewing apparatus of the poet'.
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Some people try to do similar upward headbutt to the chin, without the initial pull. This is not a good headbutt, and certainly not a Cocada.
The key to Cocada is the initial body manipulation technique that locks your opponent's spine (using nerve disruption!) so that he cannot escape the lifting pulse done with your head.
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Cocada in self-defence
While Cocada is a great fighting technique, the risk of breaking opponent's neck with it is just too high. So you do the math if you can afford killing the person you are fighting against.
For training and when you just do not want to kill the opponent, do the initial pull loosely; just like David does in in the video. This way, Cocada is just a takedown.
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