Aú
Aú
Literally: cartwheel
An acrobatic sideways cartwheel from capoeira that, unlike the static bananeira, turns dynamically to the side.
Quick Facts
⚠️ Common Mistakes
Not keeping an eye on the opponent during the turn, which opens the way to a low head strike or another attack.
About
Aú is an acrobatic movement of capoeira that the Tucson Capoeira glossary describes as a capoeira-style cartwheel. The name means sideways cartwheel. The body turns to the side with an energetic impulse, so it is a dynamic movement, and this is how aú differs from bananeira, a static handstand. Aú comes from Capoeira Angola, and its name derives from the Bantu technique known as okusana omaulo-ese. It is traditionally believed that the inverted movements of aú come from Bantu shamanic rituals imitating the ancestors' handstand; at the start of the game, aú is performed ritually as a passage between worlds. It serves for movement, attack and evasion alike, and together with the negativa position it helps the capoeirista recover quickly after a sweep or a loss of balance. Known variants include aú batido, with a kick while supported on one hand, the rotational aú helicóptero with a deceptive direction, aú chibata with a strong heel kick, aú fechado with the legs close to the body, and aú sem mão without the hands. Anthony Pettis introduced aú batido into MMA.