Coup de Manchette
Manchette
A French forearm strike from savate and self-defence, delivered circularly from below upward to the opponent's throat, face, or nose.
Quick Facts
⚠️ Common Mistakes
A linear, theatrical execution without training under stress, unsuitable for real use.
About
Coup de manchette is a French forearm strike, documented in the area of savate and French self-defence. It targets the opponent's throat, face, or nose, though the throat remains the primary target. The technique combines a circular forearm strike from below upward with a following downward elbow pressure against the jaw or nose, which destabilises the opponent's cervical spine; the elbow then serves as a lever for a follow-up takedown or throw. According to the French self-defence source, manchette is used as a counter-technique after parrying a high knife attack, with the forearm serving as the nearest weapon at close range. Unlike the theatrically linear execution seen, for instance, in wrestling, in self-defence it is delivered with a circular motion and a bent arm. The same source stresses that effectiveness depends more on reliable execution under stress than on aesthetic precision.