Savate (), also known as French boxing (French: Boxe Française) or French foot fighting, is a French hybrid martial art and full-contact combat sport that combines principles of western boxing with a wide variety of kicking techniques. Unlike some kickboxing styles which allow knee and/or shin strikes in competitive bouts, savate involves kicking exclusively with one's feet, but participants can nonetheless target any part of the body. The sport is also notable for requiring footwear to be worn by the competitors, as would be expected from individuals fighting in the streets. A male practitioner of savate is called a "tireur" while a female one is a "tireuse".
Savate de rue (), the term used to differentiate the original martial art meant for self-defense from the subsequent combat sport, is an overarching hand-to-hand combat discipline that incorporates knee and elbow strikes as well as joint locks, sweeps, throws, headbutts and takedowns, in addition to punches and kicks.
Etymology
Savate takes its name from the French for "old shoe" or "old boot", referencing heavy footwear (more specifically the boots worn by French sailors at the time the discipline emerged).
History
The modern formalized form is mainly an amalgam of French street fighting techniques from the beginning of the 19th century. Savate was then a type of street fighting common in Paris and northern France.
According to one theory, in the time of Napoleon Bonaparte, his soldiers publicly displayed their "aptitudes" by kicking their prisoners' behinds. The punishment was known as savate, which can be translated as “old shoe”.
Origin Savate originated in France in the 17th century and was practiced by some sailors in the southern port of Marseille. According to historians, it was developed and learned by sailors on board the ships during their trips to the countries of the Indian Ocean and China Seas. Subsequently, in every bar fight in French ports, it was common to see savate kicks. Sailors called this type of combat "Chausson", in reference to the slippers normally worn on board.
Contact with African and Brazilian fighting styles also occurred through interaction between French sailors and martial arts practitioners in the country's colonial holdings. French naval ships between 1820 and 1833 travelled from France to ports in Brazil (Capoeira), Martinique (Danmyé) and Madagascar (Moraingy).
Early history
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 the 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 was a northern French development, especially in Paris' slums, and always used heavy shoes and boots derived from its potential military origins. Street fighting savate, unlike chausson, kept the kicks low, almost never targeted above the groin, and they were delivered with vicious, bone-breaking intent. Parisian savate also featured open hand blows, in thrusting or smashing palm strikes (la baffe) or in stunning slaps targeted to facial nerves. Techniques of savate or chausson were at this time also developed in the ports of northwest Italy and northeastern Spain—hence one savate kick named the "Italian kick" (chassé italien).
Reform
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) (1794–1869) 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. Lecour created a modern edition of the martial art by 1830. He incorporated boxing techniques with kicking techniques and showed how to use them together. He was the first to see savate as both a sport and self-defense system. Lecour was the first to add English boxing gloves to the martial art, which allowed his students to train their punches without injuring their hands.
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. Lecour also took part in a friendly sparring match with Swift later in that same year. Lecour felt that he was at a disadvantage, using his hands only to bat his opponent's fists away, rather than to punch. He 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. Charles continued his father's work, and in 1899 fought an English boxer named Jerry Driscoll. He won the match with a round-kick (fouetté median) 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 claimed victory for their man by stoppage, following a round-kick to Driscoll's stomach.
Codification
Savate was later codified under a Committee National de Boxe Française under Charles Charlemont's student Count Pierre Baruzy (dit Barozzi). 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 the First World War. Savate de Défense, Défense Savate or Savate de Rue ("street savate") is the name given to those methods of fighting excluded from savate competition. The International Savate Federation (FIS) is the official worldwide ruling body of savate.
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 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 International Olympic Committee President Jacques Rogge. FISav 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 (previously known as AGFIS) – a big step forward on the road to Olympic recognition.
Modern practice In modern practice, safety practices are integrated into the practice of savate. Savate is practiced in many parts of the world by amateurs, including in Australia, the US, Finland and Britain. Many countries have national federations devoted to promoting savate.
Modern codified savate provides for three levels of competition: 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 colours. Savate uses glove colours to indicate a fighter's level of proficiency (unlike arts such as many modern styles of karate, which assign new belts at each promotion, moving to a higher colour rank in savate does not necessarily entail a change in the colour of one's actual gloves, and a given fighter may continue using the same pair of gloves through multiple promotions). Novices begin at no colour.
The qualifications for competition vary depending on the association or commission. In the French Federation a yellow glove can compete, and in Belgium a green glove can compete. In the United States, the competition levels start at novice (6 months). In Russia there is no requirement for a specific glove colour in order to compete.
The ranking of savate is divided into three paths:
Technical road: blue glove, green glove, red glove, white glove, yellow glove, silver glove I, silver glove II and silver glove III (violet glove for those less than 17 years of age). Prior to 1985 silver glove I, II, III did not exist. There was only one technical silver glove Rank (Original GAT) (Combining BF Savate and Canne de combat). After 1985 the silver glove technique (GAT BFS/Canne) was broken into 3 subcategories I, II and III and no longer included Canne de Combat. The "yellow pommel" is the "New GAT (post 1985)" of Canne de Combat. GAT vs GAT# patches: pre- and post-1985 patches distinction: The few remaining pre-1985 Silver Glove Rank (combining GAT1, GAT2, GAT3 and Canne de combat) wear a unique "GAT" rectangular patch rank (without number) on their uniform and are probably over 59 years old. The GAT was required for professorship. Post 1985 Silver glove Rank wear a rectangular patch rank with either "GAT1", "GAT2" and "GAT3". Similarly, the former FFBFSDA Professorship of BF-SAVATE requirements included Canne de Combat. New savate "instructorships" tests do not have these requirements. Both sports have split although still under a same federation. These sports can be used in combinations together. Competition road: bronze glove, silver glove I (GAC1), silver glove II (GAC2), silver glove III (GAC3), silver glove IV and silver glove V. Teaching ranks: initiateur (instructor level 1), moniteur (instructor level 2/master) and professeur (rarely given). These ranks require additional knowledge than just savate. Examinations includes anatomy, regulations of savate, education training, first aid certification, savate techniques and other. Referee ranking: Juge arbitre stagiaire, Juge arbitre