Latéral Extérieur
Literally: outer lateral strike
Latéral extérieur is a horizontal cane strike in canne de combat delivered from outside without crossing the body's axis, to the head, side or shin.
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
Latéral extérieur, literally "outer lateral strike," is one of the six basic attacks of canne de combat. Delivered from outside, without crossing the body's axis, it is a horizontal strike at three levels: head, side of the trunk, or legs. French classification groups it with latéral croisé as one of two lateral strikes; the other four basic attacks are vertical. It differs from latéral croisé by being delivered from outside, whereas latéral croisé crosses the body's axis. In competition, a hit to the side of the head, the trunk between the lower ribs and the hips, or the shin below the knee counts; a leg attack must use a lunge. Maurice Sarry codified the six basic attacks, founding the Comité National de Canne et Bâton in 1975 and publishing the reference manual in 1978.