savate

Savate

Fouetté kick in savate
Also known as	French Footfighting, French Boxing, French Kickboxing
Focus	Striking
Hardness	Full contact
Country of origin	France
Parenthood	Chausson, Boxing, French Street fighting
Olympic sport	Yes (1924 Summer Olympics only)

Savate (French pronunciation: [savat]), also known as boxe française, French boxing, French Kickboxing or French Footfighting, is a 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.

Early History

Savate takes its name from the French for "old boot" (heavy footwear that used to be worn during fights). 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 ("game from Marseille"), and was later renamed chausson ("slipper", after the type of shoes the sailors wore). In contrast, at this time in England (the home of boxing and the Queensberry rules), kicking was seen as unsportsmanlike. Traditional savate or chausson was at this time also developed in the ports of North-West Italy and North-Eastern Spain.

The two key historical figures in the history of the shift from street-fighting to the modern sport of savate are Michel Casseux (also known as le Pisseux^[1](1794–1869), a French pharmacist, and Charles Lecour (1808–1894). Casseux opened the first establishment in 1825 for practicing and promoting a regulated version of chausson and savate (disallowing head butting, eye gouging, grappling, etc). 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^[2]. 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 (or boxe française', as we know it today). 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.

Savate was later codified under a Committee National de Boxe Francaise under Charles Charlemont's student Count Pierre Baruzy (dit Barrozzi). 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 One. Savate de Defense, Defense Savate, Savate de Rue ("de rue" means: "of the street") is the name given to those methods of fighting excluded from savate competition.

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 (FISU) - this recognition allows Savate to hold official University World Championships, the first will be held in Nantes, France in 2010.

Modern history

Despite its roots, savate is a relatively safe sport to learn. According to USA Savate [1], "savate ranks lower in number of injuries when compared to American football, 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 (including the United States) have national federations devoted to promoting savate.

Modern codified savate provides for three levels of competition: assaut, pre-combat and combat. Assaut 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 colors. Savate uses glove colors to indicate a fighter's level of proficiency (unlike arts such as karate, which assign new belts at each promotion, moving to a higher color rank in savate does not necessarily entail a change in the color of one's actual gloves, and a given fighter may continue using the same pair of gloves through multiple promotions). Novices begin at no color.

Depending on the Federation or Guild that one belongs too. The Ranking of a student will be respected entirely by recognized or legitimate Professeurs of the Savate, Boxe Francaise, Danse De Rue Savate or Savate: Boxe Francaise.

Solely the Federations or Guilds recognize the ranking systems which may differ in the examinations and curriculums that each one follows. With a common glove rank which is Silver Glove and it is solely given by three Professeurs which is a common rule among true exponents of the art. Certain federations no longer follow the same glove rankings due to the expansion of the sport mentality many European federations the student goes from Blue to Red to Silver in competition.

Again depending of the Federation, Association or Commission that one belongs too, a savateur can compete. In the French Federation a Yellow Glove can compete, in Belgium a Green Glove can Compete, in USA SAVATE the Competition levels start at novice (6 months) and in Russia No Gloves.

The ranking of Savate: Boxe Francaise is divided into three roads that a savateur can choose to take. The Technical road is Blue Glove, Green Glove, Red Glove, White Glove, Yellow Glove, Silver Glove I, Silver Glove II and Silver Glove III (Violet Glove for less than 17 years of Age) 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

Certain Federations there is no rank of Aide-Moniteur, while other Associations there is no rank of Initiateur. Yet a common time frame for a student to reach Professeur is between 8 to 12 years, while now in the French Federation it takes about 6 years while in the Italian Federation is takes 8, and in some federation it takes 2 years. The International Federation of Savate does not govern the ranking as many are lead to believe. Instead they govern the Competition Levels of the International arena.

Savate is now just a term meaning Boxe-Française Savate. In 1970s the term "Savate" was rarely used in France, people mostly used the term Boxe-Française Savate, B.F, B.F.S. or simply Boxe-Française. The term savate remains in use mostly outside France or when speaking a language other than French.

Today in the world there are schools (salles), which belong to the following stylistic approaches:

• La Boxe Française-Savate (1980–present) : The technical abilities of both Savate's major kicking arsenal and English Boxing were merged into a definitive sport of combat.

• La Savate Défense (1994–present): Self-Defens form of Savate created by Quequet Eric. It's based on La Boxe Française Savate, La Savate of the late 19th century, La Lutte Parisienne and the discipline* of La canne de Combat (stick) *includes also La Batôn Française (staff), Le Couteau (knife), Le Poignard (dagger), La Chaisse (chair) and Le Manteau (overcoat)

• La Savate de Rue: 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.

• Chauss'Fight (2007): It is the new sport of savate to compete with the ever losing of boxers (savateurs) of the French Federation of Savate. It will consist of kicks with the tibia to draw boxers from the others Pugilistic Federations of Full-Contact, Kickboxing and Thai Boxing to transfer over to the French Federation of Savate. The new uniform will be patalons/pants similar to kick boxing no top and shoes. Many do not understand that the majority of the world champions of full-contact kickboxing and tai boxing were either European or French champions of savate.

• La savate forme (2008): Cardio-kickboxing form of La Boxe Française-Savate.

These are the different stylistic approaches of the French Arts of Pugilism in the world today.

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: [2].

• Kicks:

1. fouetté (literally "whip", roundhouse kick making contact with the instep), high (figure), medium (median) or low (bas)
2. chassé (side or front piston-action kick), high (figure), medium (median) or low (bas)
3. revers (frontal or lateral "reverse" or hooking kick making contact with the sole of the shoe), high (figure), medium (median), or low (bas)
4. coup de pied bas ("low kick", a front or sweep kick to the shin making contact with the inner edge of the shoe, performed with a characteristic backwards lean) low only

• Punches:

1. direct bras avant (jab, lead hand)
2. direct bras arrière (cross, rear hand)
3. crochet (hook, bent arm with either hand)
4. uppercut (either hand)

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 (Savate Defense) includes knee and elbow strikes along with locks, sweeps, throws, headbutts, and takedowns.

There are six basic kinds of kicks, and four kinds of punches for Savate de Rue:

• Kicks:

1. fouetté (literally "whip", roundhouse kick making contact with the toe), high (figure), medium (median) or low (bas)
2. chassé (side or front piston-action kick), high (figure), medium (median) or low (bas)
3. chassé italien (aimed at the opponent's inner thigh, with the toe pointed at the opponent's groin. Contrast the chassé bas lateral, which targets the front of the thigh.)
4. revers (frontal or lateral "reverse" or hooking kick making contact with the sole of the shoe), high (figure), medium (median), or low (bas)
5. coup de pied bas ("low kick", a front or sweep kick to the shin making contact with the inner edge of the shoe, performed with a characteristic backwards lean) low only, designed to break the shin bone.
6. coup de pied bas de frappe (coup de pied bas which is used to strike the opponent's lead leg)[3].

• Punches:

1. direct bras avant (jab, lead hand)
2. direct bras arrière (cross, rear hand)
3. crochet (hook, bent arm with either hand)
4. uppercut (either hand)[4].

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.
• Savate was employed by the Captain America foe Batroc the Leaper as well as by Professor Calculus in the Tintin comic strip.
• Savate is used by the main character in the 2004 feature film Arsène Lupin.
• In the anime series Cowboy Bebop the main character Spike Spiegel incorporates Savate into his fighting style, as seen in the cafe fight scene in the episode Asteroid Blues.
• In Ben 10: Alien Force, Ben mentioned about as well as 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 (Remy LeBeau) 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 to learn basic techniques of Savate. After practicing the techniques they have learned they then used the moves against the instructor.^[3]

See also

• La canne (or Canne de combat) 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 Amoros (Manuel d'éducation Physique Tome 1, page 414).
• 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

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Boxe française

This article's external links may not follow Wikipedia's content policies or guidelines. Please improve this article by removing excessive or inappropriate external links. (July 2009)

• Official website of the Fédération Internationale de Savate for information on international and world championships, photos, videos & articles on Savate, La Canne, and Defence
• Aachen (Germany) University SavateTeam
• BLOG Savate SAVATE BLOG in English
• Boot to the Head A daily blog about Savate and martial arts.
• Bridgeman Savate website **historical and modern images
• California Savate Association - has pictures of modern savateurs in action.
  • for example women and men in the ring
• Cambridge Academy of Martial Arts good photos of modern savate
• Club di savate in Italia dal 1908.
• English Boxing and the 'French Connection' - by Ollie Batts informative essay on the roots of savate
• Larousse, undated French encyclopaedia, early 20th century
• Montreal Savate Kickboxing Club rules, history, videos, and some stuff about "savate defense" and "la canne"
• Savate Australia contains some excellent transcriptions of historical Savate books and essays
• Savate Domžale(slovenia) Private club in Slovenia
• Savate federation slovenia Contains a lot of information in [ENG] and [SLO] language
• Savate in Mexico
• Great Britain Savate Federation (for information, photos, videos & articles on Savate, La Canne, and Defence)
• Savate Videos Refreshed daily
• Savate Toronto contains lots of information pertaining to savate
• Sport Savate article
• Youtube Savate Search - numerous Savate videos, including a few newsreels of pre-WWII matches and exhibitions.
• Savate-Club Buhlbronn
• Savate World Savate & cane fighting in Montreal QC Canada
• American Registry of Savate Instructors and Clubs ARSIC-International
• United States Savate Federation - Website of the official Fédération Internationale de Savate representative in the USA.
• Iran Savate Association - Website of the official Iran Savate Association
• Buitron Savate Academy - Laredo, Texas Savate Academy
• International Guild of Danse de Rue Savate - Official
• Savate Glossary of Terms
• Great Britain Savate Federation
• Savet-Turkey
• Defense dans la Rue A re-constructed self-defence system including Savate techniques.