Capoeira moves
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Cutelo

Cleaver
Beginner
Also known as
Cutilada De Mao (Edge-of-the-hand strike)
Description
In Capoeira, the Cutelo (also known as Cutilada de Mão) is a traditional knifehand strike or hand chop delivered with the rigid outer edge of the hand. Meaning "cleaver" in Portuguese, it functions identically to a classic karate chop
Lore
The Cutelo is considered an "old-school" technique. Legendary masters, such as Mestre Pastinha (the father of Capoeira Angola), regarded the knifehand strike as one of the essential, foundational techniques of traditional Capoeira. It was also heavily integrated by Mestre Bimba into his early combat systems. While still highly respected, hand strikes like the Cutelo are far less common in modern, mainstream rodas (Capoeira circles) than they used to be