A percussion apparatus driven by a pressurized incompressible fluid includes a body with two coaxial bores for slidably mounting of a tool, and separately slidably mounting a striking piston having a stepped configuration. A control device varies a stroke of the striking piston between a long and a short stroke, and is connected to the directional flow valve and to a bottom chamber of the piston cylinder. The control device includes a cylinder in which a spool is mounted. A first face of the spool is situated in a first chamber permanently subjected to a determined pressure, and a second face of the spool is situated in a second chamber connected to the braking chamber for controlling the varying of the stroke of the striking piston.