Coup de Flanc
Coup de Flanc
Literally: flank strike
Coup de flanc is a horizontal stick strike to the opponent's left flank from classical la canne, not separately named in competitive canne de combat.
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Coup de flanc, literally a strike to the flank, is a horizontal la canne strike aimed at the opponent's left side, its stick tracing a level path unlike the vertical strikes to the head or legs. The target is a hit on the centre line of the opponent's body. The term belongs to the vocabulary of attacks and parries of classical la canne, distinct from the standardised sport canne de combat of the FFSAVATE federation. The Columbia Classical Fencing glossary places it among strikes to the body together with coup de ventre, which instead targets the stomach from the inside line. Strikes to the face stand apart, where the same source places latéral extérieur and latéral croisé, along with strikes to the lower leg. Among the six officially named strikes of competitive canne de combat under FFSAVATE there is no separate coup de flanc; the flank is only part of the centre-line target zone. We have not been able to document who introduced the strike or when it emerged.