Savate is also known as French boxing, French Kickboxing, or French foot fighting. It is a French martial art in which the hands and feet are used as weapons. It combines elements of Western boxing with graceful kicking techniques.
Only kicks with the foot are allowed, unlike Muay Thai, where kicks with the shin and knee are also permitted.
Savate is probably the only style of kickboxing in which shoes are worn (savate is a French word for “old shoe”). A male practitioner of savate is called a savateur, while a female practitioner is called a savateuse.
History of Savate
The current style of Savate originated at the beginning of the 19th century. At the time, it was a form of street fighting that was popular in Paris and northern France.
In the south, especially in the port of Marseille, sailors had developed a fighting style centered around high kicks and striking with an open hand. Punching with a fist was considered a deadly weapon.
It was known as jeu marseillais (game from Marseille) and was later called chausson. This martial art also began to gain popularity in the ports of northern Italy and eastern Spain.
The two key figures in the history of Savate are Michel Casseux (1794–1869) and Charles Lecour (1808–1894). They transformed the sport from street fighting into a genuine sport.
In 1825, Casseux opened a school where a regulated version of savate was taught. Later, savate was recognized as a sport by the Comité National de Boxe Française. This was partly due to the major efforts of Count Pierre Baruzy.
Today, he is regarded as the father of modern savate and was an 11-time champion of France. Savate received its ultimate recognition in 1924, when it became a demonstration sport at the Olympic Games in Paris. In 2008, savate was recognized by FISU, allowing the first official university world championship to be held in Nantes in 2010.
Savate Today
Today, savate is practiced all over the world, from Australia to America. Many countries have national organizations to promote the sport.
There are three levels of competition: assaut, pre-combat, and combat. In assaut, participants must focus on their technique. Penalty points may be awarded if the fighting is too hard.
In pre-combat, competitors may fight with full power and wear protective equipment. Combat is the most demanding level, involving full-contact fighting without protective equipment. Only a mouthguard and groin protector are mandatory.
Ranks in Savate
In many martial arts, a practitioner's rank is indicated by a colored belt. In savate, colored gloves are used to indicate that a practitioner has reached a particular rank.
Beginners start with uncolored gloves. They can then earn blue, green, red, white, and yellow gloves by passing tests. Only practitioners with yellow gloves or higher may compete.
Silver gloves are the highest rank in savate. Gold gloves are an honorary rank awarded to people who have made significant contributions to the sport.
Techniques in Savate
In competition Savate, only 4 types of kicks and 4 types of punches are allowed.
Kicks
- fouetté – roundhouse kick
- chassé – front kick
- revers – hook kick
- coup de pied bas – low kick
Punches
- direct bras avant – jab
- direct bras arrière – cross
- crochet – hook
- uppercut – uppercut
Savate did not originate as a sport but as a form of self-defense, practiced in the streets of Paris and Marseille. This type of savate became known as Savate de Rue.
In addition to kicks and punches, Savate de Rue also includes knees, elbow strikes, throws, sweeps, and headbutts. The concept is that the entire body is a weapon.
