Cane of combat

The canes of combat is a canes ordinary used as arms with defense. Its techniques of use constitute a Sport of combat and a Martial art.

Employment

The use of the canes of combat , originally used in the rooms of weapons, was codified by the Masters of Savate and saber so that the cane was taught as arms with defense. The use of the cane as object of defense is attested as of the 18th century. At the 19th century, the cane had become an object of the everyday life and an accessory impossible to circumvent of the wardrobe male, which could offer a notable advantage in the event of combat.

Several treaties are then published, of which that of Leboucher (1843), of a pupil of Michel (towards 1848), of Larribeau (1853) then of Charlemont (1899). In parallel, the French Army introduces the collective teaching of the stick and the cane and publishes a big number of handbooks devoted to their use, often associated with French boxing. The companies of gymnastics which develop in second half of the 19th century offer to their members a gymnic practice of cane of combat and stick. It is the great time for the French cane of combat; attacks of cane in public are given of which several confrontations of Pierre Vigny and Charlemont wire. The cane is even with the program of the Olympic Games of Paris in 1924 in the category of the national sports.

Today still, the French law considers the leaded cane, i.e. ballasted with the end, like a Weapon of defined use. The martial techniques of cane which did not disappear in France, are mainly used in the police systems of telescopic canes, Matraque S and Tonfa S. the sporting cane (competition canes, canes of weapon) reappeared in the Années 1970 under the impulse of Maurice Sarry which created the CNCB (national committee of cane of combat); it is a sport of very codified combat, esthetic, but, in spite of beginnings very prometeurs, this sport has evil to leave a discrete audience.

There exists also a martial tradition of the cane transmitted by the Grenoble-native Master Pierre Vigny at the beginning of the 20th century and which was used as reference to the system Bartitsu of Edward William Barton-Wright then to that of the Indian cane, the Lathi, codified by English Lang in 1923. We know by this last that the system of Pierre Vigny was inspired partly by the techniques of Calinda stick fighting of the island of Trinidad. Today, one can speak about the cane plume of Roger Lafond, who proposes an approach closer to coil-defense than the cane of combat. To be completely exhaustive, it is still necessary to speak about the cane " fouet" who appears as an evolution of the cane of combat, because it was also codified by Maurice Sarry.

Description of the object

Such as it was codified in the Années 1970 to be practiced in sporting event, the cane of combat is light, in Châtaignier and of slightly truncated form.

It approximately has a length of 95cm for a weight of 120g and is made up of 3 parts which are base at the top:

the cuff (15cm)
the surface of parade
the authorized surface of key (the last 20 cm)

Summary description of the authorized attacks

There exist 6 codified attacks, in the modern federal cane (French federation of slipper, boxes French and associated disciplines):

2 side blows: side crossed side outside and, each one being able to be carried on 3 levels:

figure (in high line).
side (in average line, between the belt and the pectoral ones).
leg (in low line, between ankle and the knee).

2 vertical blows in heads: the crusader head and broken.
2 vertical blows in legs: the low crusader and removed.

These 6 techniques being able to be done one or the other hand, or by changing the cane of hand within the framework of the attack, thus constituting an element surprised, of tactical and technical diversity. this variety of gripping is an additional element, even fundamental of the richness of this discipline.

Old practice, as developed in the treaties of cane of the 19th century and the 20th century, watch of other typologies of blows. Thus, the blows could be delivered according to methods different from the current practice: sometimes oblique trajectories, strike with all the parts of the weapon (blows of tuck, blows with the heel of the weapon, use of was like means of striking) or touches targets now prohibited in practice sporting (the upper limbs in particular and the " zones sensibles" body).

The richness of this sport does not come from the diversity of the blows, but in the multiple ways of carrying them out. Shifts, dodgings, jumps, voltes (revolving movements), pretended, form integral parts of the attacks of cane. Authorized freedom of movement makes it possible each cannist to acquire his own style.

Behavior

behavior of leisure: sport shoes and track suits
reduced behavior: helmet of fencing matelassé, a pair of gloves matelassée and pairs of protects tibia.

behavior of competition: in addition to the reduced behavior, a jacket and pants both matelassés as well as a shell for the men.

Ranks

Before the reform of 2003:

3rd with 5th cane (beginning);
6th with 8th cane (confirmed);
1st and 2 degree (main).

After the reform:

blue pommel (beginning);
green pommel;
red pommel (confirmed: allows to be initiating);
white pommel;
yellow pommel (main: allows to be monitor).

Attacks

The attacks in competitions are done in several recoveries, of duration adapted to the category of the gunners and the types of competition. Each key successful on the adversary saves points. The attack is not stopped after a key (one can thus connect them). That which has the most points with resulting from the last recovery is declared victorious.

Surface of combat

The engagements are held in a circle (9m of diameter). If one of the gunners leaves this circle, the combat is stopped and begins again after the gunners were replaced in guard inside the circle, the gunner in fault, at the place where it left.

Beginning of the attack

After being itself greeted, the gunners are placed in position of guard, each gunner on both sides of the center of the air, and remote of guard (i.e. approximately a step further that the distance necessary to touch). When the referee deviates and says " Go! " , the attack starts.

Judges and the referee

To manage the attack, there is in the air a referee who follows the gunners and which decides when and how to stop the attack and to take it again, following a fault, to finish a recovery, or any problems being able to harm the good progress of the attack. There are also 3 judges, in equilateral triangle around the air, who make the calculations of the successful keys, and vote yes or not when the referee asks for a warning against a player.

Validity of a key

A key is considered to be valid if:

the gunner having touched respected the principle parades/dodging - response. I.e. that it was not let touch to be able to touch.
the gunner touches after one armed (the pommel of the cane passes behind the axis of the spinal column).
the gunner touches with one of the six techniques codified while having deployed its technique in a frank way (not jerked), with amplitude (not sabred), with in the ideal an alignment of the shoulder, hand and end of the cane at the time of the key.
the gunner touched on a surface authorized in competition:

with dimensions ones of the helmet as well as the grid (if the blow is clearly directed towards the face, and does not make only pass very close to the grid).
sides (only at the men), i.e. above the belt and below the pectoral ones.
the legs, i.e. above ankle and below the knees.
is considered to be dangerous the keys with the low belly, in the back and the back of the head.
All keys on a zone not - authorized a sanction by the referee involves proportional to the gravity of the affected area.

the gunner touched with the surface of key of the cane (20 last centimetre).
the blows on line low are accompanied by a slit.
the blows of Estoc are proscribed and sanctioned.

Counting of the points

1 points for each judge having declared a key valid (a technique considered to be perfect will thus give 3 points).
-1 for each penalty:

to release of cane after first releasing (only one to release of cane not-sanctioned by meeting).
an exit of air.

-3 for each warning voted by the judges.

Derived techniques

the Double cane where one uses two canes at the same time;
the plume (or cane-slipper), where one adds the kicks of the Savate but also of the techniques of coil defense;
techniques of stick French or federal stick which draws the majority from its attacks of the cane of combat.
the Cane defense which associates with the cane techniques of self-defense or which uses the cane as object of personal defense.

External bonds

Information and documentations on the cane

the illustrated newspaper of the canne
Presentation of the basic techniques
Some old treaties of cane, stick and others, on line: Treaties, in translated French or, remote loading and Western hoplology

List clubs

In France

Cane of combat and stick ASCA PARIS Discussion forum around cane ASCA PARIS
Academy of Fencing to the Whip and the Stick in Paris. Cane of Weapon according to the last technique creates by Maurice Sarry.
Charlemont Circle: cane and Paris stick a site on the cane realized by pupils of the Charlemont circle.
Association scéenne of Cane and Stick
Cane of combat in the island of the Meeting
ASCBS: Cane and stick in Strasbourg Articles and forum of the members of the ASCBS
Club Cos Villers - Slipper Boxes French - Cane of Combat & Baton Nancy

Abroad

the site of the slipper and the cane in Canada and in Montreal.
Cane of Combat - Hungary
Cane of Combat - Slovenia

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