Boxe-Française Savate

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

Style

Savate uses shoes and gloves in graceful, effective strikes. The kicking is French in origin, and the handwork is from English pugilism.  

We train for 'Assaut' Savate, in which strikes are made with all force excluded, enabling you to practice without fear of injury. Accurate moves are characteristic of Savate and the style is efficient and graceful. 

Proficient Savateurs take advantage of the shoe to move lightly 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

La Canne de Combat is a stick-fighting system which shares with Savate the foundations of its movements and the grace of its strikes.

Savate Defense is another extension of the art, in which self-protection is taught, without the sporting aspect.

Savate Forme, at the other extreme, is an exercise-only pursuit in which no contact is made but in which instead the moves of Savate are utilised to create an aerobic workout

Competition

The most popular form of competition in Savate is called Assaut, which scores points for light, controlled contact. Full contact ('Combat') versions also exist. Rounds typically last 2 mins with 3 rounds to a bout. Judges sit at ringside and award points between two areas equally. 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.  Fluid motion, grace 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:

Blue Glove, Green Glove, Red Glove, White Glove, Yellow Glove. Silver Glove

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.

"French Boxing is comprised of conceptions that can be summed up in the three qualities that best describe the human condition: intelligence, courage and physical health."

Marcel PAGNOL