Croisé Tête
Literally: crossed head strike
Croisé tête is a vertical cane strike to the head in canne de combat, delivered from inside across the body's axis; one of the six basic attacks.
Quick Facts
⚠️ Common Mistakes
A bent wrist, which lets the cane slip off target; such a strike is not recognized and is called a sabré.
About
Croisé tête, literally "crossed head strike," is one of the six basic attacks of canne de combat. Delivered from inside, across the body's axis, it is a vertical strike to the crown or side of the head. French classification groups it with brisé as one of two vertical head strikes; their leg-targeting counterparts are croisé bas and enlevé. It differs from the lateral strikes latéral extérieur and latéral croisé in its vertical path, and from latéral extérieur also in crossing the body's axis. In competition, a hit to the crown or side of the head with the cane's last quarter scores. Maurice Sarry codified the six basic attacks, founding the Comité National de Canne et Bâton in 1975 and publishing the reference manual in 1978.