Hello,
I'm Karina, and I'm a martial artist. My main focus is karate, and I hold a black belt in a Kyokushin‑based style, but my passion extends to martial arts as a whole. As of early 2026, I'm traveling through Europe and visiting different dojos and martial arts clubs wherever I happen to land.
Just recently, I attended a canne de combat class, and I’m dying to share the experience with you, my fellow martial artist or fighter.
What is canne de combat?
Canne de combat is a dynamic French weapon art built around fast, precise strikes with a lightweight cane. It began as part of 19th‑century French cane self‑defence—linked to savate and the urban bourgeoisie—and later evolved into the modern sport known as canne de combat. You can find more about its history in the article dedicated specifically to canne de combat.
My background
I’m not completely unfamiliar with stick fighting. During my karate and aikido practice, exercises and kata with the staff and arnis were part of the curriculum. I was never an expert in staff work, but I knew the basics and had a sense of what it feels like to hold a bo.
Let me make a small detour here and mention an interesting difference in bo training between the karate and aikido dojos I attended. In the aikido dojo, bo and bokken practice were introduced at all levels, though of course the complexity of the exercises varied with rank. Many aikido techniques come directly from sword principles:
- Irimi mirrors stepping inside an opponent’s cut.
- Tenkan echoes avoiding a sword strike while staying in range to counter.
- The hand paths in throws like shihonage or kaitennage follow the arc of a sword cut.
Aikido without understanding sword lines often becomes soft or vague; bokken practice sharpens the geometry.
In contrast, in my karate dojo, bo and arnis practice were introduced only after earning a black belt. The logic was simple: when you hold a weapon, it becomes an extension of your hand. Any small mistake in hand movement becomes a huge mistake at the tip of the weapon as it travels a longer distance. If your punch misses by one centimeter, your bo strike may miss by ten (the math is vague, but you get the idea). Weapon training was treated as proof of the sharpness of your technique.
These ideas formed a very serious attitude toward weapons in my mind. And with this attitude, I went to my first canne de combat class.
My impressions
My very first impression was surprise at how light the cane was. For some reason, I didn’t expect it to be so lightweight and thin. The first thought that popped into my head was:
“Wow, you can be incredibly fast with this.”
When I later watched the practitioners spar, that guess was immediately confirmed.
After a thorough 20‑minute warm‑up, one of the experienced students took me aside and showed me six basic strikes, basic blocks, and how to salute. Of course, you can’t grasp an entire art in 30–40 minutes, but given my previous experience, I think I did a great job. By the end of that segment, I had a basic understanding of the fundamental principles. In the video below, you can see me performing the six basic strikes. They’re not smooth or sharp yet, but yes—those are the six foundational strikes of canne de combat.
Then I was gently thrown into group sparring. The rounds were short, and we switched partners after each one. My sparring was nothing dynamic or rapid; I mostly tried to apply the six strikes I had learned and block whatever came my way. I didn’t sweat from physical exertion but from intense thinking. Still, with respectful and understanding partners—and every single partner that day fit that description—the sparring was a lot of fun and an overall very enjoyable experience.
After the final salute, the class was over.
My thoughts on the whole experience
I’m genuinely very happy that I attended the class and got familiar with this amazing combat discipline. It was unlike anything I had done before.
First, the whole principle of fighting for points is somewhat new to me. I never did competitive sport karate, and I’m a bit ashamed to admit that I’ve always had a somewhat conflicted feeling about martial arts turning into point‑gathering activities (I’m working on that attitude!). I talked to a couple of students from the canne de combat club, as well as some of my martial arts friends, and gathered a variety of perspectives.
One good point came from my karate friend. He said:
“You probably don’t want to smash someone’s skull with a stick, right? And if your whole sport is fighting with a stick, you need strict rules.”
That made me think. Yes, kendo took the same approach. And honestly, fighting for points is fun. I support methods that make an art or combat sport sustainable. When it comes to stick fighting, a point‑based system adds safety and enjoyment. The club I visited has practitioners aged 50+, with the eldest being 72. That alone says a lot.
I hope to practice more point‑based sports in the future to refine my attitude and gather more material for reflection.
My advice to fellow martial artists and combat sports practitioners
Never hesitate to try new disciplines. Go in curious and open‑minded. You’ll be surprised by how much your horizons can expand. Not only did I try a new discipline, but I also met a wonderful and welcoming group of people who accepted me as I was—without questions or judgment. They shared their experience and passion with a complete stranger and influenced me in subtle ways that will shape my martial arts journey, one way or another. We never know how, but it surely will.