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Canne de combat is a French martial arts weapon. It uses a cane or canne (a kind of walking-stick) designed for fighting. Canne de combat is standardized in 1970s for sporting competition by Maurice Sarry. The canne is very light, made of chestnut wood and slightly tapered. A padded suit and a fencing mask are worn for protection.
History
The “Canne de Combat” or “Canne d’Arme” is one of the rare combat disciplines which is a pure product of French history and culture.
It developed in the early 19th century as a self-defence discipline and was particularly used by upper class “bourgeoise” gentlemen in big, unsafe cities such as Paris. Some speak of French martial art although its codification as a sport does not allow this name officially.
The history of the discipline is closely linked to the development of the Savate boxing techniques which at the beginning was mainly using kicks and lately under the influence of the British incorporated also punches.
Gentlemen trained into the Savate techniques mastered cane as a way of fighting from a certain distance as well as close combat kickboxing.
The cane was, in the hands of the city men, what the staff was in the hands of farm men. In fact, cane and staff always had a very close destiny, in all the countries and cultures of the world.
The techniques of “Savate” and “Canne d’Arme” gained in popularity up to the point where is was used in the military and police forces (well depicted in the famous TV series Les Brigades du Tigre, referring to a special police task force of the 3rd French Republic) until the First World War.
The millions of lives that were called during the war caused the discipline to nearly disappear. The techniques continued however to be taught in a few “savate boxing” clubs that reopened in between the two wars and managed to survived the 2nd World war. The cane fighting technique in the late 50’s and 60’s was influenced by a few skilled individuals who revived it.
During the late 70’s, the techniques of the “Canne d’Arme” were codified by Maurice Sarry with a view to rehabilitate it as a sport.
This led to the discipline which is still today associated with the “Federation de Savate Boxe Francaise” (French Savate Boxing federation). Aside from the sport approach, self-defence techniques are still alive: e.g. “Master Lafond” technique.
Today, the sport “Canne de Combat”, is practiced by a thousand of “cannistes”, just as the French staff, by some hundreds of “bâtonniers” or “bâtonnistes”.
Use
The use of the cane as a weapon, as originally taught in weapons schools, was codified by the Masters of Savate so that the cane was taught as a weapon of self-defence. The French tradition includes techniques of medieval stick fighting (see also bâton français), excepting those techniques considered too dangerous to be used in sport. The medieval stick is too heavy a weapon to be used in competition.
Weapons
- Canne (stick) is a chessnut stick that comes in two versions. First (marked with a green line) is heavier and used for training of basic techniques. Canne used in competitions and advanced training is lighter (marked with a black line). Lighter stick are faster and safer to use (you can't seriously injure your opponent because the stick breaks first). The length of a canne is 95 cm, weight is cca 120g for green and cca 100g for the black canne.
- Baton (staff) is a two handed stick of cca 140 cm and 400g.
Parts
Canne de combat has more parts:
- Canne: fight with one stick
- Double canne: fight with two sticks
- Baton: Quarterstaff
- Canne défense: self-defense with the stick
- Canne chausson: savate kicks combined with canne techniques
Canne
Canne is the biggest part of canne de combat. When playing canne, the cannists (canne players) have a stick in their hand, wear a protecting suit and a fencing helmet, and try to achieve more and more hits during the match.
Scoring parts:
- Head: the top, the sides, and from front
- Torso: only for men's
- Calves
During canne you have to use the valid attacks and defenses, combined with jumps and voltes. There is no simultan attack, that means, if one of the player started an attack, the other has to parry or evade, and is allowed to counterattack only after the evade. An evade can be a step, a jump or a crouch. The stick can be held either in the left, or in the right hand, and it is allowed (and suggested) to change hand during the match.
Double Canne
During the double canne the players hold a stick both in their right and in the left hand. They try to make a hit with a right and with a left hand using similar techniques like in canne, whilst they parry and counter-attack. The two stick allows much faster attack and defense.
Bâton
Bâton means quarterstaff techniques, which is based on the movements of the English quarterstaff, extended with the movement base of canne.
Canne défense
Canne défense means self-defense with the canne. It's base is the movements of canne, but it contains thrusts, slashes, parries and counter-attacks, neck and handlocks, releases from holds. During canne défense not only the scoring points are a target, but every vulnerable part of the body: the elbow, the knee, the face, etc. It is under heavy development. There is no competition from défense, only pair techniques.
Canne chausson
Canne chausson combines the savate kicks with the canne stick attacks.
Techniques
[] Attacks
Canne de combat is based on six techniques, combinations, and other elements (jumps, voltes, hand switches).
- Brisé
- Croisé téte
- Latéral croisé ( tête, flanc, bas: head, torso, leg/low)
- Latéral extérieur ( tête, flanc, bas: head, torso, leg/low )
- Enlevé
- Croisé bas
Defenses
You can defend yourself by a parry or an evade. An evade can be a step, a jump or a crouch. There is no simultan attack which means if one of the player started an attack, the other has to parry or evade and is allowed to counterattack only after the evade.
As described above, the simultan attack is not allowed. The logic of canne does not accept the theory of "getting a small hit in order to deal a bigger hit". If player A starts to attack and instead of defending himself, player B also starts an attack, then the following is the rule:
- If nobody hits, nobody gets a point
- If B hits, nobody gets a point
- If both A and B hits, then A gets a point (because he/she attacked first)
Stances
- Avant
- Arriére
- Exterieur
- Balance stance
- Grenouille
Valid attacks
Only valid attacks are counted. An attack is valid, if it is done with the techniques described above, and:
- Every strike must be armed
- The hit is clear
- The hit reached a valid target zone
- The hit is done with the upper 1/4 part of the stick
- The stick is in one line with the hand
- There was no sabring movement
Rules
Bouts are held in a circle with 9 m diameter. The cane is held with one hand but the player can change it from hand to hand during the bout. Strokes are made either horizontally or downward, thrusting or stabbing blows being prohibited. The scoring zones are the calves, the torso and the head.
To count, all strokes must be with the cane, and low blows must have a lunging movement. The bout is won on points, the lightness of the cane and the protective clothing making a knockout impossible. Points are scored for style, according to the correctness of body positions during fighting. Contact with prohibited areas such as the arms are penalized. It is thus possible to win a match without landing a blow on one's adversary, if he or she accumulates penalties.
Rounds and age-groups
- Children between 10-14 years: 2 or 3*1.5 minutes
- Adolescent between 14-17 years : 2 or 3* 1.5 minutes
- Youth between 17-20 years : 2 or 3* 2 minutes
- Adults between 21-40 years : 2 or 3* 2 minutes
- Senior 41- years : 2 or 3* 2 minutes
Grades
[] Blue pommel
- Technical requirements : balance, quality, the 6 techniques , the 8 parries , dodgings .
- Theory : Knowledge of the weapon, and the history of the canne.
Green pommel
- The two hands works together
- Topic: I touch and I am not touched
- Technical requirements : slits, voltes and framing
- Theory: Criteria of the validity of a hit (movement, valid areas)
Red pommel
- The co-operation to the opposition
- Topic: I am not touched and I touch
- Principle: defensive organization and concept of response
- Technical requirements: Shift, overflow, opposition, management of the effort
- Theory: regulation Canes of Combat and Bâton, the behaviour, the equipment, the obligations of the players, the principles of the judgement, the sanctions and penalties
- Allows to be initiator
White pommel
- Topic: I touch before being touched
- Principle: anticipation
- Technical requirements: behavioral diagram, sequence prepared for a demonstration, interiorization of the practice (closed eyes)
- Theory: the file of J/A, the categories of age and the various types of competition
Yellow pommel
- Pommel of the acquisition
- Topic: “I disturb for touching”
- Principle: pretence (see the article on the pretence of B. Dubreuil)
- Technical requirement: work in simple cane, double cane and stick
- Theory: to have the diploma of regional training J/A, take part at the various meetings (official and semi-official)
- Allows to be instructor
Canne de combat in media
Events in Canne de Combat
[] Pal I Basto
European Championship
World Championship
Information and documentation about Canne
List of clubs
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