 Boxe
Francaise savate, which roughly means
"fencing with the feet and hands,"
is the national sport of both France and
Spain. Developed in the 1800s on the sailing
ships and back streets of France, boxe
Francaise savate has become a highly
effective means of self-defense and
reality-based full-contact
"kickboxing" sport. In fact, since
some of its kicking methods are potentially
lethal, they have been banned in modern-day
competition.
Brief History
Originally looked down upon, and thought
of as an art of hoodlums and common thieves,
savate, "French foot fighting,"
was mixed with English boxing to become boxe
Francaise savate, the chosen art of the
gentlemen and scholars. Boxe Francaise
savate became highly developed and wide
spread until the start of the First World
War. As a result of the large number of
casualties inflicted by the war, many of the
top savateurs were killed, and the art, too,
almost met with extinction. Thanks to the
effort and dedication of one of the
remaining savateurs, Count Pierre Baruzy,
who is credited with the rebirth of boxe
Francaise savate, this art is once again
blossoming in France and much of Europe, and
to a lesser extent the United States. In
fact, there are discussions on the table
about boxe Francaise savate become an
Olympic demonstration sport.
Savate in the United States
 The
first on-going instruction of boxe Francaise
savate in the United States came through the
efforts of a man named Daniel Duby. Duby's
instruction sparked interest in the art,
especially in southern California, and
because of his work many people became aware
of the French art in this country. Boxe
Francaise savate has enjoyed greater
exposure as a result of the teaching efforts
of Jean-Noel Eynard, Salem Assli, Francis
Echenard, Barry John, Steve Crane, Jerry
Bedka, Mike Young, and Nicolas Saignac and
the promotional efforts of Fred Degerberg,
and Dan Inosanto. Boxe Francaise savate made
its first large-scale U. S. appearance in
October of 1988, with the First U. S. Savate
Championships. The event, sponsored by the
Degerberg Academy of Martial Arts and
Fitness, was held at Chicago's Limelight
club. There were well over 700 spectators in
attendance at the ten full-contact events.
Well-known guests in attendance included
former boxing world champion, Tony Zale,
taekwondo Olympic gold medalist, Arlene
Limas, three-time French savate champion,
Pascal Malis, and arnis grandmaster, Leo T.
Gaje.
The Second U. S. Savate Championships,
sponsored by the Southern California Savate
Club, was held in March of 1989, at The
Strand on Redondo Beach, California. This
was another successful event, featuring ten
full-contact bouts with well over 500
spectators. Well-known guests in attendance
included former kickboxing champion, Blinky
Rodriguez, pencak silat master, Paul
DeThouars, ten-time European savate
Champion, Richard Sylla, and Dan Inosanto.
Other demonstrations and champ ionships
were to follow, but none were really able to
catch the eye of the mainstream American
martial artist. And while the American BF
Savate Federation is the governing body for
the promotion of the art in the United
States, there are a number of renegade
schools and instructors in the country who
are not members and who are promotinf the
art in their own way. Until such a time as
they all work together, however, this French
martial sport will remain an
"underground" art.
What a Difference it Makes
How does boxe Francaise savate differ from
other martial arts? The answer: It's
philosophy, uniform, ranking structure,
kicking methods, and rules of competition.
Boxe Francaise savate, not unlike other
martial sports, is mainly concerned with
sparring practice and training geared toward
full-contact competition. In fact, after one
has attained the level of silver glove
(equivalent to a black belt), the savateur
rarely does more in practice than spar. It
is this training and hard-core mentality
that makes boxe Francaise savate so
devastating, in and out of the ring. The
uniform of the savateur is simple. All
practitioners wear a one-piece,
multi-colored tunic, ten-ounce boxing
gloves, and hard-tipped kicking shoes. The
tunic is made of a Spand-X type of material
which allows for the judges to see clean
technique, as well as a clear view of the
targets being struck. The shoes are similar
to those worn by wrestlers, with an extra
support around the ankle, a flat rubber
sole, and a hard toe kicking surface.
Rank in boxe Francaise savate is achieved on
two levels: technical and competitive.
Distinction of rank is worn on the
practitioner's tunic via a patch of a
colored savate/boxing glove.
The structure of the technical rank
progresses as follows: blue, green, red,
white, yellow, silver (first through third
degree). This is followed by the title
"professeur" of savate. Rank is
awarded on the basis of a savateur's
technical ability to perform the individual
techniques and combinations correctly, and
not on one's fighting skill or competition
abilities.
The structure of the competitive rank
progresses as follows: bronze glove and
silver glove (first through fifth degrees).
Ranking at this level is awarded based on
not only the technical skills of the
practitioner but on his win-to-loss ratio in
full-contact competition.
There are three types of teaching
certificates which can be awarded. These are
initiateur (apprentice), moniteur
(instructor), and professeur (highest
instructor). A gold glove is awarded only to
those possessing exceptional skill and
merit.
The kicking techniques of boxe Francaise
savate are unique in structure when compared
to the mainstream Asian martial arts. Many
of the kicks are designed to be used both
offensively and defensively, on either the
low, middle, or high lines of attack.
Moreover, all kicking methods can be
employed as a means of displacing an
opponent's balance, making him vulnerable
for a follow-up strike of your own.
The Competition
 Competition
in boxe Francaise savate is categorized by
weight class, age, and gender. Legal target
areas for kicking techniques include the
front and side of the head, body, and limbs,
and may be directed to either the high,
middle, or low lines of attack. Illegal
target areas include the nape of the neck,
the top and rear surfaces of the head, and
the chest of females.
Legal targets for punches include the front
and sides of the head and upper torso. For
punching techniques, any strikes delivered
lower than the pelvic region-or the chest of
women-is strictly prohibited.
There is no limit to the use of kicking
combinations used during a competitive bout.
However, there are limits to the use of
punching combinations. All punching
techniques must be executed in combination
with kicking techniques (e.g., punch-kick or
kick-punch).
There are three competitive stages in boxe
Francaise savate: assault, pre-contact and
contact. Assault competition is a contest
wherein physical contact is limited, much
like point karate competition. The fight is
judged by a competitor's delivery of
techniques, precision of strikes, and their
proper control. This level of competition
keeps the risk of injury to a minimum, and
aesthetic quality high. The so-called
pre-contact competition level is a contest
wherein contact to the body is allowed.
However, the donning of protective
equipment, such as headgear and shin guards,
is mandatory. While competition at this
level is exciting, injuries are kept to a
minimum.
Contact competition level is a full-contact
contest wherein no protective gear is worn
by the combatants, with the exception of a
mouth piece and groin cup. In this type of
match, all strikes to legal target areas, as
well as knockouts, are acceptable. A
competitor may receive three standing
eight-counts through the course of a bout.
However, on the third standing eight-count,
a competitor will be considered technically
knocked out, and the match is concluded.
There are many martial arts that teach
self-defense. There are many that stress
point-sparring competition or kickboxing.
However, there are none as diverse as boxe
Francaise savate, a French martial art and
sport stressing practical self-defense and
three competition levels. From the technical
practices of those who do not wish to enter
into competition, to the pin-point accuracy
of swift kicking techniques, boxe Francaise
savate stands complete as both a martial art
and martial sport along side its Asian
counterparts. |
