Savate is also called 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 allowed. 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 and a female a savateuse.
History of Savate
The current style of Savate originated in the early 19th century. It was a form of street fighting popular in Paris and the north of France at the time. In the south, especially in the port of Marseille , sailors had developed a fighting style that focused on high kicks and open-handed strikes. Striking with a fist was considered a deadly weapon. It was known as jeu marseillais (Marseille game) and later became known as chausson. This fighting sport also emerged 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 changed the sport from street fighting to a real sport. In 1825 Casseux opened a school where a regulated version of savate was trained. Later savate was recognized as a sport by the Committee National de Boxe Francaise. This was partly due to the great efforts of Count Pierre Baruzy. He is today seen as the father of modern savate and was 11 times French champion. The ultimate recognition of savate came in 1924 when it was made a demonstration sport at the Olympic Games in Paris . In 2008 savate was recognized by FISU which made it possible to hold the first official university world championship in Nantes in 2010.
Save today
Today, savate is practiced all over the world, from Australia to America. Many countries have national federations to promote the sport. There are three levels of fighting: Assault, Pre-Combat and Combat. In Assault, competitors must focus on their technique. Penalties can be given for fighting too hard. In Pre-Combat, full power is allowed and competitors wear protection, Comat is the toughest level and full contact is fought without protection. Only a mouthguard and a toque are required.
Ranks at Savate
In many martial arts, the rank of the practitioner is indicated by a colored belt. In savate, colored gloves are used to indicate that a practitioner has a certain rank . Beginners start with uncolored gloves. Then, blue, green, red, white, and yellow gloves can be obtained by passing tests. Matches may only be fought by yellow or higher gloves. Silver gloves are the highest rank in savate. Golden gloves are an honorary rank and are given to people who have done a lot for the sport.
Techniques at Savate
In Savate competition there are only 4 types of kicks and 4 types of punches allowed.
To kick
- fouetté – roundhouse kick
- chasse – forward kick
- lapel – hook ladder
- low kick – low kick
Bumps
- direct bras avant – jab
- direct bras arrière – cross
- crochet – corner
- uppercut – punch
Savate did not originate as a sport but as a form of self-defense and was 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, elbows, throws, sweeps, and headbutts. The concept is that the entire body is a weapon.
