Gancho

The gancho ( Spanish for hook ) is a hook-shaped movement in various dances.

The gancho in Tango Argentino is a movement in which the flow of the dance is interrupted and one of the dancers hooks one leg around a thigh or trunk of the other. This movement is often performed with whip-like suppleness and speed and sometimes resembles regular kicks. It can be dangerous (for inexperienced dancers) for other couples on the dance floor, which is why it is only danced in moderation by level-headed dancers. The more advanced a dancer is, the less his dance flow is interrupted by the gancho movement. This movement can then be a controlled technique without any potential danger.

In the Brazilian fight dance capoeira , the gancho is a kick. The heel is hit. The hallmark of this is the extreme snap movement of the leg that is hit. First the kicking leg is lifted and the standing leg rotated 90 ° outwards. The kicking leg must now be moved outwards so that the heel is facing the opponent. Now pull the kicking leg out of the knee towards the opponent and hit it with your heel. Since the approach is very similar to the Martelo , this kick is a very good deception, especially since the opponent is more likely to expect a Martelo than a Gancho.