This is a side kick to the lower areas including the thigh, knee, or instep. Impact is usually made with the heel or sole of the foot.
As with the pisà o, the chapa baixa begins with a forward knee raise. However, instead of rising upwards towards the usual kicking targets capoeira (head, chest, stomach), the kick is driven downward towards the other player's lower extremities. It incorporates the malacia in capoeira appearing as a high kick but ending in an unpredictable painful kick to the knee or thigh.