Savate, also known as boxe française, French boxing, French kickboxing or French footfighting,
is a traditional French martial art which uses the hands and feet as weapons combining
elements of western boxing with graceful kicking techniques.
Only foot kicks are allowed unlike some systems such as muay thai, and silat which allow the
use of the knees or shins.
Savate is a French word for "old shoe".
Savate is perhaps the only style of kickboxing in which the fighters habitually wear shoes.
A male practitioner of savate is called a savateur while a female is called a savateuse,
or tireur/tireuse.
Early history Savate takes its name from the French for
"old boot".
The modern formalized form is mainly an amalgam of French street fighting techniques from
the beginning of the 19th century.
There are also many types of savate rules.
Savate was then a type of street fighting common in Paris and northern France.
In the south, especially in the port of Marseille, sailors developed a fighting style involving
high kicks and open-handed slaps.
It is conjectured that this kicking style was developed in this way to allow the fighter
to use a hand to hold onto something for balance on a rocking ship's deck, and that the kicks
and slaps were used on land to avoid the legal penalties for using a closed fist, which was
considered a deadly weapon under the law.
It was known as jeu marseillais, and was later renamed chausson.
In contrast, at this time in England, kicking was seen as unsportsmanlike.
Traditional savate or chausson was at this time also developed in the ports of northwest
Italy and northeastern Spain.
The two key historical figures in the history of the shift from street-fighting to the modern
sport of savate are Michel Casseux(1794–1869), a French pharmacist, and Charles Lecour.
Casseux opened the first establishment in 1825 for practicing and promoting a regulated
version of chausson and savate.
However the sport had not shaken its reputation as a street-fighting technique.
Casseux's pupil Charles Lecour was exposed to the English art of boxing when he witnessed
an English boxing match in France between English pugilist Owen Swift and Jack Adams
in 1838.
He also took part in a friendly sparring match with Swift later in that same year.
Lecour felt that he was at a disadvantage, only using his hands to bat his opponent's
fists away, rather than to punch.
He then trained in boxing for a time before combining boxing with chausson and savate
to create the sport of savate.
At some point la canne and le baton stick fighting were added, and some form of stick-fencing,
such as la canne, is commonly part of savate training.
Those who train purely for competition may omit this.
Savate was developed professionally by Lecour's student Joseph Charlemont and then his son
Charles Charlemont.
Charles continued his father's work and fought in 1899 an English boxer named Jerry Driscoll.
He won the match with a fouetté médian in the eighth round although the English said
that it was a kick to the groin.
According to the well known English referee, Bernard John Angle of the National Sporting
Club, in his book 'My Sporting Memories' London, 1925, "Driscoll did not know what he was taking
on" when he agreed "to meet the Frenchman at his own game..."
Angle also said that, "The contest ended in Jerry being counted out to a blow in the groin
from the Frenchman's knee."
He further alleged that "the timekeeper saved Charlemont several times."
After the fight Driscoll bore no grudges, considering the blow to have been "an accident."
the French, of course, claimed victory to their man by stoppage, following a round-kick
to Driscoll's stomach.
Savate was later codified under a Committee National de Boxe Francaise under Charles Charlemont's
student Count Pierre Baruzy.
The Count is seen as the father of modern savate and was 11-time Champion of France
and its colonies, his first ring combat and title prior to World War I. Savate de Defense,
Defense Savate, Savate de Rue is the name given to those methods of fighting excluded
from savate competition.
The FIS is the official World Federation.
Perhaps the ultimate recognition of the respectability of savate came in 1924 when it was included
as a demonstration sport in the Olympic Games in Paris.
In 2008, savate was recognised by the International University Sports Federation – this recognition
allows savate to hold official University World Championships, the first was held in
Nantes, France in 2010.
The 25th anniversary of the founding of the International Savate Federation, in March
2010, was celebrated with a visit to Lausanne, to meet with IOC President Jacques Rogge.
FIS President Gilles Le Duigou was presented with a memento depicting the Olympic Rings.
In April 2010, the International Savate Federation was accepted as a member of SportAccord – a
big step forward on the road to Olympic recognition.
Modern history Despite its roots, savate is a relatively
safe sport to learn.
According to USA Savate, "savate ranks lower in number of injuries than American football,
ice hockey, football, gymnastics, basketball, baseball, and inline skating".
Today, savate is practiced all over the world by amateurs: from Australia to the USA and
from Finland to Britain.
Many countries have national federations devoted to promoting savate.
Modern codified savate provides for three levels of competition: assault, pre-combat
and combat.
Assault requires the competitors to focus on their technique while still making contact;
referees assign penalties for the use of excessive force.
Pre-combat allows for full-strength fighting so long as the fighters wear protective gear
such as helmets and shinguards.
Combat, the most intense level, is the same as pre-combat, but protective gear other than
groin protection and mouthguards is prohibited.
Many martial arts provide ranking systems, such as belt colours.
Savate uses glove colours to indicate a fighter's level of proficiency.
Novices begin at no colour.
Depending on the association or commission that one belongs to, a savateur can compete.
In the French Federation a yellow glove can compete, in Belgium a green glove can compete,
in United States, savate the competition levels start at novice and in Russia with no gloves.
The ranking of savate: Boxe Française is divided into three roads that a savateur can
choose to take.
Technical road: blue glove, green glove, red glove, white glove, yellow glove, silver glove
I, silver glove II and silver glove III Competition road: bronze glove, silver glove
I, silver glove II, silver glove III, silver glove IV and silver glove V
Teaching ranks: initiateur, aide-moniteur, moniteur and professeur
In some clubs there is no rank of aide-moniteur, while in other associations there is no rank
of initiateur.
Eight to twelve years of training on average are necessary for a student to reach professeur
level; eight years in the Italian Federation, and just two years in other federations.
In France the professional professeur must have a French state certificate of specialized
teaching.
These diplomas are university level education in sports with specialisation in savate.
The international federation, however, is still allowed to award professeur instructorship
to non-French nationals without requiring such rigid system of education.
French nationals have to submit and succeed to the rigid system of education and prove
themselves in competition as well as being respected by peers, in order to have a slight
chance to become a DTD.
Like any sport federations in France, the French and International Federation of Savate
are under the control of France Ministry of Sport and Youth.
This make theses two federations extremely powerful federations on the world scene.
These two federations have follow a set of national traditions.
Nowadays, savate is just a term meaning Savate-Boxe Française.
In the 1970s the term "savate" was rarely used in France to refer to the formalised
sport: people mostly used the term Savate boxe française, Boxe-Française Savate, B.F,
B.F.S., S.B.F. or simply boxe française.
The term savate remains in use mostly outside France or when speaking a language other than
French.
The global distribution of schools today is best explained through their stylistic approaches:
La Savate-Boxe Française: the technical abilities of both savate's major kicking arsenal and
English boxing were merged into a definitive sport of combat.
La Savate Défense: was first presented by Professeur Piere Chainge then produced into
Self-Defense by Eric Quequet in 2000.
After the French Federation dismantled Prof. Change and placed Michel Laroux in charge
of the formations.
It is based on La Boxe Française Savate, La Savate of the late 19th century, La Lutte
Parisienne and the discipline* of La canne de Combat *includes also Le Bâton Français,
Le Couteau, Le Poignard, La Chaise and Le Manteau.
Re-constructed historical savate: some savate has been re-constructed from old textbooks,
such as those written in the late 19th or early 20th century.
As such, this form of savate would be considered a historical European martial art.
Re-construction of these older systems may or may not be performed by practitioners familiar
with the modern sport and is not at present likely to be particularly widespread.
La savate forme: Cardio-kickboxing form of La Boxe Française-Savate.
These are the different stylistic approaches of the French arts of pugilism in the world
today.
Dress In official competitions, competitors wear
a coverall suit called intégrale or a tanktop and a savate trouser.
They wear boxing gloves and savate boots.
Savate is the only kicking and punching style to use footwear, although some other Combat
sports, such as Shoot Fighting and some forms of MMA sometimes also wear grappling type
shoes/boots.
Savate boots can be used to hit with the sole, the top of the foot, the toe, or the heel.
Sometimes a helmet can be worn, e.g. in junior competitions and in the early rounds of Combat
bouts.
Techniques In competitive or competition savate which
includes Assault, Pre-Combat, and Combat types, there are only four kinds of kicks allowed
along with four kinds of punches allowed: Kicks
fouetté, high, medium or low chassé or front piston-action kick, high,
medium or low revers, frontal or lateral making contact
with the sole of the shoe, high, medium, or low
coup de pied bas low only Punches
direct bras avant direct bras arrière
crochet uppercut
Savate did not begin as a sport, but as a form of self-defence and fought on the streets
of Paris and Marseille.
This type of savate was known as savate de rue.
In addition to kicks and punches, training in savate de rue includes knee and elbow strikes
along with locks, sweeps, throws, headbutts, and takedowns.
In popular culture Savate was also featured in the first Ultimate
Fighting Championship tournament, where Dutch savate champion Gerard Gordeau beat a sumo
wrestler and an American kickboxer.
The British The King of Fighters character, Bonne Jenet uses a technique similar to savate,
called LK Arts, also, some savate moves are used by other female characters like Elisabeth
Blanctorche The Marvel Comics villain Batroc the Leaper
uses savate as his signature fighting style.
A version of the character appeared in the film Captain America: The Winter Soldier,
portrayed by Canadian MMA fighter Georges St-Pierre.
In The Adventures of Tintin comic Flight 714, Professor Calculus mentions being an old savate
performer.
Savate is used by the main character in the Belle Epoque-based 2004 feature film Arsène
Lupin and The Tiger Brigades.
In Ben 10: Alien Force, Ben mentioned and performed a savate move when he and Gwen were
practicing on the punching bag.
Savate was also the martial arts style of the French antagonists and police officers
in the 2001 Jet Li film Kiss of the Dragon.
In the X-Men series the mutant Gambit incorporates savate into his basic fighting style and is
shown to be extremely proficient in it.
Savate was featured on the TV show Human Weapon, in Episode 4.
The hosts, Bill Duff and Jason Chambers, travelled to France and met Gilles Le Duigou, to learn
basic techniques of savate.
After practising the techniques they had learned, they then used the moves against the instructor.
Savate was featured on the TV show Fight Quest, in Episode 6 of Season 1.
The hosts, Jimmy Smith and Doug Anderson, travelled to France and discovered this fighting
style under the supervision of Christian Robert, Frank May, Frederic Baret, Laurent Bois and
Patrick Gellat.
Savate was mentioned in Robert Heinlein's book Starship Troopers.
Captain Frankel and Sergeant Zim were said to be very proficient in it, and the style
was part of the training curriculum during basic training at Camp Arthur Currie.
In the 1995 film Savate, Olivier Gruner plays a savate expert French officer, who wanders
into Texas to get revenge of his friend.
In the manga and anime One Piece, one of the main protagonists, "Black Leg Sanji," uses
kicking techniques very similar to savate.
Remy from Street Fighter III: Third Strike uses savate as his fighting style.
In the manga Medaka Box, one of the main protagonists "Hitoyoshi Zenkichi" uses savate as his general
fighting style after being taught by his mother.
In the film The Matrix, savate is mentioned as one of the fighting styles programmed into
Neo.
In Meredith Duran's novel Wicked Becomes You, the hero practices a form of savate.
Dick Grayson, the original Robin, was a master of savate and other forms of martial arts.
In Children of Paradise, the mime Baptiste uses savate to defend himself against the
thug Avril.
Batman is a master and practitioner of savate.
The Punisher's archrival in The Punisher War Journal's storyline includes a French and
Spanish mercenary by the name of Tarantula.
Vega's martial art skills include Savate along with ninjutsu and bullfighting.
Savate makes a brief appearance in the Portuguese film Tabu in which the son of the owner of
a house in which Mario's Band play has learnt 'boxe française'.
There is one scene in which he is seen practising it in the grounds of the house.
In Les Brigades du Tigre, the protagonists practise French boxing.
In Dans les Cordes, Joseph owns a club of savate and we see a French boxing championship.
See also La canne and Bâton français, two related
martial arts which use a walking stick and a quarterstaff, respectively.
Description de la Savate à partir de ses formes techniques de base par Amorous.
Défense et illustration de la boxe française.
Savate, canne, chausson, Bernard Plasait, 1972, Paris, Sedirep
L'art de la savate, Michel Casseux.
Théorique et pratique de la boxe française, Joseph Charlemont, 1878.
La Boxe Française, historique et biographique, souvenirs, notes, impressions, anecdotes,
Joseph Charlemont, 1899.
References
External links Official website of the Fédération Internationale
de Savate Official website of the Fédération Internationale
de Savate Official website of the Fédération Française
de Savate boxe Française et DA Official website of the Federation Russia
de Savate Boxe Française Techniques of Savate