Boxe-Française Savate is an Anglo-French kickboxing sport and martial art which provides fun, energetic, safe exercise and accurate ring fighting skills.

Style

Savate uses the shoes and the gloves only (no knees, elbows or shins) to create graceful, effective strikes. The kicking is French in origin, and the handwork is from English pugilism. Accurate moves are characteristic of Savate and the style is efficient and elegant to watch.

In London, we train for Assaut Savate, in which strikes are made with all force excluded, enabling fighters to practice without fear of injury. There is also a full contact style called Combat (see below).

Proficient Savateurs take advantage of the shoe to move nimbly and accurately, striking with finesse and style, rather than with simple brute force. Top practitioners combine punching and kicking to flow between ranges, heights and techniques.

History

Modern Savate started in the late eighteenth century, springing from the Southern-French slipper fighting art of Chausson, plus Savate (meaning old boot) which was used in street confrontations in Paris. Meetings between English and French fighters brought pugilism to the style. Several practitioners have refined the art across the years, notably Charles Lecour in the 1830s, who created Boxe-Française Savate after being beaten by English boxer Owen Swift. A fuller history of Savate has been written by Ollie Batts of the Great Britain Savate Federation.

Jeet Kune Do followers, philosophers and practitioners still debate the influence of Savate on Bruce Lee's methods and the art he developed.

Related arts

• Canne de Combat is a stick-fighting system that uses many of the same body movements and mechanics as Boxe-Francaise
• Savate Defense is another extension of the art, in which street self-protection is learnt, without the sporting aspect.
• Savate Forme is a workout or dance in which the moves of Savate are utilised, but no contact is made

Competition

There are two forms of competition in Savate. One is called Assaut, in which fighters score points for light, controlled contact. The other is callled Combat, in which full contact is used. In the UK, we mainly practice Assaut. In Assaut, rounds typically last 2 mins with three or four rounds to a bout. Judges sit at ringside and award points in two areas: firstly, for accurate hits made with legal attacks to designated body areas; secondly, for style and technique. Excessive force is penalised and leads to disqualification. Invention and precision will impress the judges, and good form is regarded over brawling.

Gradings

Grading awards in Savate are termed 'gloves' and are referred to by their colour. A student starts at no colour and progresses through:

Grades up to and including Red Glove represent the first phase of technical training. Upon reaching this level students can compete in international tournaments (if so selected), begin instructor training and attend higher level seminars or training camps. White and Yellow glove are senior technical grades and Silver (gant d'argent) is the highest grade attainable by examination. Gold glove can be awarded honourifically for services to the sport.