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Capoeira
Capoeira is an African style of weaponless fighting. African slaves in the 16th century are believed to be the ones who started Capoeira. These African slaves were taken to Brazil and bound to perform hard labor in sugar cane fields. The slaves' hands were shackled so they were unable to fight back with punches. This is the main reason for the lack of display of punches in Capoeira. Instead, the Capoeira art of fighting features fighting while standing on one's hands. Capoeira attacks depend largely on kicking and sweeping leg techniques. For defense, Capoeira uses evasion instead of blocking in order to avoid or deflect blows and attacks. Even though Capoeira is largely a fighting art that doesn't use weapons, the African slaves nevertheless transformed the tools they used in fields such as sugar can knives and the three quarters inch stick into weapons.
Since the African slaves were prohibited from practicing Capoeira or any other martial art, they performed Capoeira under the guise of a dance. Dancing in a circle called the "roda," the slaves practiced Capoeira with music that used percussion and non-percussion instruments. In these "dances", the African slaves practiced their acrobatics, somersaults, headstands and back flips. The Capoeira martial artist is constantly moving and is never allowed to stay in one stance. Instead he moves from one leg to the other in continuous motion. This Capoeira technique is highly effective in keeping an opponent at a good distance. Capoeira also involves footwork referred to as Ginga, and fundamental kicks that include roundhouse kicks, side kicks, front stomping kick, low and high turning kicks, and outside and inside crescent kicks.
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