You're probably more accustomed to seeing fencing than cane fighting, yet this little-known sport is often featured in literature and film, notably used by Sherlock Holmes and Arsène Lupin! This weapon, used since the late Middle Ages for self-defense, was presented at the1900 Universal Exhibition, then as a demonstration sport at the 1924 Paris Olympic Games, before becoming a combat sport in the late 1970s, developed by Maurice Sarry. On Saturday March 22 and Sunday March 23, 2025, discover it at the Internationaux de France, in the 11th arrondissement of Paris!
The Gymnase Japy hosts this international individual and mixed competition, which takes place every two years and brings together some forty participants from all over the world, from Germany to Hungary, via Madagascar and Canada. There are some 10,000 cane fighters in the world, using a conical, blunt chestnut-wood weapon measuring 95 cm in length and weighing around 110 grams. Shooters perform a series of blows, jumps, lunges, volleys, dodges and parries in an attempt to hit their opponent without being hit, wearing protective clothing and operating in a circular area 9m in diameter.
The organizing club, theAssociation Sportive de Canne d'Arme Paris 11, is one of France's oldest and largest cane and stick clubs. If you can't attend this open-access event but would like to find out more, the competition will be broadcast live on the dedicated Youtube channel: CanneTV.
Dates and Opening Time
From March 22, 2025 to March 23, 2025
Location
Gymnase Japy
2 rue Japy
75011 Paris 11
Prices
Free
Official website
www.batoncanne.com
