 Savate-Boxe
Française is a fighting sport that uses feet and fists in
successive movements called 'hits'. These 'hits' are given according
to precise technical rules which respect the basic principle of
Savate - that every movement must be conceived in order to be both
educative and efficient. Although the technical rules of Savate
were not officially defined until 1899, the roots of kickboxing
in Europe can be traced back to ancient Greece. A portion of the
original Olympic Games were devoted to a one on one combat style,
called Pankration. These fights were not limited by any rules and
involved kicks, punches, throws, and holds. When the tradition of
organized games died out, this type of total body fighting became
relegated to the streets. In 17th century France, two specific forms
of street fighting evolved. Chausson Marseillais, as one style was
named, depended almost exclusively on the power of kicking. The
other style was called Savate, and it involved using a combination
of open handed hits and low kicks. In 1845, Charles Lecour developed
the first rules of modern Savate. After spending many years studying
these two different styles of street fighting, Lecour created Savate-Boxe
Française. He welded the powerful high kick of the chausson
marseillais with the low kicks of Savate and added the strength
of the closed-fisted punches found in English boxing. In 1899, Maitre
Charlemont wrote the first official treatise on the subject. Heavily
influenced by fencing, he incorporated many of its elements into
Savate. Most notably he added the forward lunge which gave a longer
range to the traditional techniques. It is from his writings that
the contemporary rules of the sport are derived. During the course
of this century Savate has become widely practiced. It is taught
in the French Army as part of the basic training, and schools have
opened in Belgium, Switzerland, Italy, and Germany. In 1924, Savate-Boxe
Française was a sport of demonstration at the Olympic games
of Paris. Today Savate is practiced internationally by both women
and men and world championships are held every two years. Two years
ago, the California Savate Association was created to promote and
develop the art by preparing fighters, teachers, judges and referees.
To date the effort has been highly successful with two fighters
representing the California Savate Association chosen to compete
in the semi-finals of the world championships. |