Negativa de Angola

1305

Pronounced “ne-gah-chee-va gee an-goal-ah”

Move Background

The name of this dodge gives away the origins and inspiration for its creation. Angola is one of the three major schools of Capoeira created in the 20th century (Angola, Regional, and Contemporânea). Negativa de Angola is an esquiva that is as close to the ground as you can get. Despite gaining inspiration from Angola, the esquiva can be used in any type of game where a low kick is used against you.

Step by step guide

From the parallel position, bring both hands to the ground, perpendicular to your legs.
Once you place your hands on the ground, you should resemble a sprinter’s starting position.
Here, the torso will be parallel with the ground.
Next, twist the chest towards your opponent and lower the body further, with the right elbow sliding past the ribs as if to do a push-up.
At the bottom of the movement, you should have only your hands and feet touching the floor.
A common problem most people have with this movement is the push-up part.
If you have difficulty doing push-ups, then this will likewise feel difficult.
The best thing to do in this case, feel free to use your knee or butt as added support.
This is a regression of the movement in the same way that knee push-ups are a regression of normal pushups.