French Cane-fighting 101

This photo is copyright of Ollie Batts, please do not copy without permission. It was taken at our gym, in Cambridge. See more photos on our website

SO, what should you do once you have mastered the basics of strikes and defences. It is time to take things up a level!
Fighters need to learn the rules of competition, tactics and the more advanced skills of lunges and jumps.

For competition, the cannists (fighters) wear protective, padded suits and fencing helmet, with padded covers. The object of competition is to score more points than an opponent, with fights taking place in a circular ring.

Scoring is signalled by three judges, arranged around the ring, who raise coloured flags when they see a valid strike to one of the following zones:
- Head
- Torso
- Leg, below the knee

Simultaneous attack is not allowed - if one of the fighters starts an attack, the other must parry or evade, before counterattacking.

The canne can be held in either hand. Changing hands during the match is allowed, and can potentially confuse the opponent.

The video below shows part of the final of the Women's European Championships, held in Cambridge in 2010.

ncaa hockey role models ferdinand porsche gregg williams theraflu masters leaderboard frozen four