In August 2009, Cambridge Academy hosted the first GBSF Canne de Combat Championships. The Leys School Sports Complex was an excellent venue, with good space and facilities, and even allowing us to mark-up the ring on their Sports Hall floor.
The largest contingent of fighters and officials was, as expected, from Cambridge. Others came from London, Watford, Oxford, Surrey and Marburg (yes, Marburg, in Germany!)
As Canne is a growing sport, the event was open to cannists of all levels from beginner to expert. It began with a morning training session to ensure that novice fighters were aware of the technical requirements and rules. The competition was held in the afternoon - 20 fights in all. Results were as follows:
Men
1st place - Matthew Smith, Marburg
2nd place - Newman Burdett, Cambridge
3rd place - Stu McIntyre, Cambridge
Women
1st place - Morgan Alexander, Cambridge
2nd place - Julie Gabriel, Cambridge
3rd place - Agnes Aubert, Cambridge
There were some very good performances from other fighters, particularly from James Southwood (London) and Laura Gilbert (Oxford). You can find photos of the event in the Photo Gallery of the GBSF website.