La Canna

**Capo Ferro** · Posted On: 7/23/2009 6:00am

La Canna is french martial art created in 19th century to be used with walking stick.

Do you know something more about it? Thank you for any help.

**DdlR** · Posted On: 7/23/2009 1:10pm

It's spelled "la canne" in French and (usually) English; the English translation is "stick" or "cane".

Yes, I know a fair bit about it. Do you have any particular questions?

**Capo Ferro** · Posted On: 7/24/2009 12:46pm

Well, thanks for spelling correction.

I want to know everything! I know that it has been build for walking stick.
So my questions are:

How does it work?
Is it useful?
If I will be walking with the stick and will be attacked by a band of gipsies will I beat them to death?

You know... always the same questions.

**DdlR** · Posted On: 7/24/2009 1:50pm

Originally Posted by Capo Ferro

Well, thanks for spelling correction.

I want to know everything! I know that it has been build for walking stick.
So my questions are:

How does it work?
Is it useful?
If I will be walking with the stick and will be attacked by a band of gipsies will I beat them to death?

You know... always the same questions.

OK ... the historical canne systems were directly based on saber fencing and tradition has it that the style evolved when it became illegal (or at least extremely unfashonable) to wear swords in public.

The earliest detailed records, such as the mid-1800s instructional manuals by Leboucher, Larribeau and others show what is basically saber fencing with walking sticks.

By the late 1800s and early 20th century the style was still being taught for self defense but had also evolved into a conventionalized combat sport and exercise program. Some critics, notably including Bartitsu Club instructor Pierre Vigny, complained that the sporting version was too far removed from the realities of self defense.

French and Italian canne play almost died out during the period of the two World Wars in the 20th century, but have been undergoing revivals at least since the 1970s.

Modern French canne fencing is usually described as an "artistic sport" and is not practiced as self defense. It requires a great deal of skill and is spectacular to watch:

YouTube - Canne de combat

There are also individuals re-developing the older, self defense oriented forms of canne fighting. This clip is from Craig Gemeiner's school in Australia and is more typical of what you'd normally find in a Bartitsu class as well:

YouTube - La canne Vigny

Personally, I'd recommend a mostly double-handed method (using the cane primarily like a bayonet or two-handed sword) for real fighting.

**Capo Ferro** · Posted On: 7/25/2009 2:38am

Okay, I have found a school here in Prague so I will go there and try.
I have some experiance with rapier fighting so I would preffere one handed combat. There are some similar points.
Thank you for your explanation.

**Capo Ferro** · Posted On: 10/12/2009 12:59pm

He he, some news here.
The school was actually not workning now. So I found the leader, asked him to start my training and get some friends. So, day after tommorow we will have our first one. I will reffere after.

**sz332** · Posted On: 10/12/2009 1:43pm

Hello! I train la canne de combat in Hungary, Budapest, which is quite close to Czech. La canne de combat is a modern combat sport played with a light stick (100-150 gramm) and a length of 95-97 cm. This sport is quite athletic, you have to be able to run, jump, turn (volte), do lots of lunges.

The origin of this combat sport is called la canne, which means the stick, the walking stick. The walking stick was a common clothing accessory in the beginning of the XX. century, also used for self defense purposes. There were lots of different schools teaching self defense with the stick, from my point of view, they were different, like today's escrima/arnis/kali styles.

If someone is interested more deeply in la canne just ask the questions, i try to respond them.

**Capo Ferro** · Posted On: 10/14/2009 3:03pm

Well, todays training was cool! You know, we just practice walking with the walking stick (if we can call this way the combat moves) but, hell thats good. Well the movements are basically the same as the renessaince fencing (wow...surprise!).

Hell I look forward for next wednesday! Our leader is gentle, you know.

**Permalost** · Posted On: 10/14/2009 5:13pm

Originally Posted by DdlR

YouTube - Canne de combat

This has been one of my favorite stickfighting videos on youtube for a while now. Excellent mobility and deceptiveness.

**SBG-ape** · Posted On: 10/15/2009 1:22am

So, having done a little sabre in high school & a little half-swording in recent years, I find that I rather like the style of cane fencing.

If someone were to begin to study La Canne, or Bartitsu, how/where would someone go about getting a cane/stick suitable for Vigny style training?