The European Savate Assaut Championships take place this coming weekend in Paris, and the Great Britain Savate Federation (GBSF) are again taking over a team of fighters to compete. Earlier in the year, I took a kickboxer (allegedly a former WAKO British Champion and former WKA Eastern Area Champion) to compete for a place in the World Savate Combat Championship finals. Poor lad, he was beaten inside one minute of the first round by the French Champion - that's how good they are! And yet, we still have difficulty promoting the art in the UK, despite the fact that there are around 38,000 licenced Savateurs in France. Pugil
Can you tell me a bit more about savate - its particular techniques and how it is different from kickboxing? Does it only/mainly involve kicks? I saw this French guy who had been trained in savate in a muay thai match and was intrigued - his kicks were incredibly fast and there were techniques and footwork which I definitely hadn't seen before.
Savate differences Yes, Nicole, I can certainly answer you questions. Savate is an art that goes way back - well over a hundred years in its present form (more or less). Kickboxing is a relatively new art (30 years or so) which really started out as what I'd call 'Karate in Gloves'. The reason I use that term is because 'American Kickboxing' was developed by the likes of Chuck Norris, Benny 'The Jet', and several other traditional Karate type stylists. They simply put boxing gloves on and, instead of fighting points style, used their regular (traditional) martial arts kicks, and also punched in a way not dissimilar to a Boxer (give or take one or two exceptions - the backfist and spinning back fist, for example) - and fought continuously, as in Boxing. Savate was originally a street fighting method that began to be codified (formulated into a system) in the early 1800's. The incorporated, specifically, English Pugilism (Boxing) towards the middle of the 1800's and called this combined system 'La Boxe Francaise'. Nowadays it has become to be known as 'Boxe Francaise - Savate', or simply 'Savate'. In the modern-day ring sport, and in the modern arena, Savateurs kick to the legs (from the ankles up), the front, sides and back of the body, and to the sides of the head and to the face - with shoes on. They also punch to the front and sides of the body, as well as to the head and face. (No kicks or punches are allowed to the back of the head, however.) The shoes are very real, resembling short Boxing boots with smooth and fairly hard soles. All parts of the shoe are used to strike with. Unlike in Thai Boxing, however, knees, shins and elbows are not used in the sport version of Savate - only in 'Street Savate' (also known as 'Savate Defence'). Savateurs use far more movement and angling than most other kickboxing styles that I have seen. They are also very accurate with their kicks, aiming the point of the shoe (to toe-punt with), and the point of the heel, to great effect. As you also rightly point out, their kicks are very fast. The whip kick (known as a Fouette) may not appear as committed and powerful as round kick in Muay Thai, but it doesn't have to be when you consider that the toe of the shoe will be driven into specific targets. Once the toe finds your liver, solar plexus, floating ribs, etc., you'll know what I mean. Someone watching from the sidelines may not even realise what happened when one of the competitors falls to the floor gasping. Some years ago, a famous Muay Thai stylist, called Ramon Dekker, fought a Savateur by the name of Pennachio (sp?) under kickboxing rules, although they also allowed kicks to the legs. Dekker was restricted by not being allowed to use his knees and elbows, and Pennachio was also restricted by being made to take his shoes off. Under these supposedly similar restrictions for both fighters, Dekker barely laid a glove, shin or foot on the fast-moving and elusive Pennachio. Pennachio, on the other hand, used the low Chasse to amazing effect on Dekker's lead leg, which he followed up with fast punching combinations, and then he was gone again. Needless to say, that fight doesn't appear on Dekker's video (or DVD) of his greatest fights! Hope that helps. If not, go to www.savate.co.uk or www.savate.org or www.savate.net etc., to find out more. Pugil
Sylla -v- Ortis There are a number of mpegs showing the effectiveness of some top Savateurs, such as this one featuring the legendary Richard Sylla: http://www.mikemiles.com/video/syllaortiz.mpg Pugil
OK thanks for that, Pugil. Although I have heard savate mentioned loads of times, I have never heard any more details than "French foot fighting"! It's a shame as you already said that it doesn't get any more publicity - it would be really interesting to watch some more. Hopefully Eurosport may televise these European Championships - they are getting more and more diverse now in what they show (and since they added a second channel!) The knockdown kick in your clip was incredible...
Forgot to say, all the best to the GB team! If it isn't shown on TV, please let us all know how they got on!
Cambridge University Kickboxing Society Not exactly. My own group is Cambridge Academy of Martial Arts® (CAMA) and we are also affiliated to the Great Britain Savate Federation (GBSF), which is itself affiliated to the International Savate Federation (FIS). CAMA does, however, provide coaching for members of Cambridge University Kickboxing Society (CUKS). Which means that CUKS are affiliated to CAMA and, through us, the GBSF. I should also mention that the GBSF is always on the look out for good kickboxing coaches who may want to convert to teaching Savate. Pugil
Thanks Thanks for your best wishes. Yes of course I'll give you the results as soon as I get them... in fact, I've just this minute received a text message to say that Rachel Shore, from Guildford Spectrum club, has won 3rd in her weight category. I'll update any further developments, if their are any, later on. I should, perhaps, mention that Rachel was one of our best two hopes for a medal of any description. Pugil
More Savate Well they'd have to qualify to become a Savate coach of course. Some people can adapt and make the transition, some find it more (or even too) difficult. Here's another Savate versus kickboxer fight for you to have a look at (yes I know they're fighting to Savate rules but surely kickboxing is kickboxing isn't it? Well, view the video clip and then you tell me. Click the link then spot the Savate guy (hint: he's the one not walking around the ring flat-footed, etc): http://www.mikemiles.com/video/postelstevens.mpg Pugil
but a crap kickboxer with a good savate fither and vice versa the result is going to be obvious. If your tryign to say one style is better than the other, then look at the K-1 and judge for yourself.
Crap kickboxer? Jim Stevens (USA) was regarded as a pretty tough kickboxer I believe, and Sylvain Postel (France) was regarded by some as a weak puncher. But that wasn't my point. I was trying to bring to people's attention the existence of Savate, and also to show how it differs from Kickboxing. As for styles, at the end of the day it depends on the fighter and what the rules allow him or her to do. What benefits one fighter may not benefit another. You might as well say what about if a K-1 fighter has to face a mixed martial artist or - for that matter - a Champion MMA fighter meets someone with a knife in a street fight... which happened only the other day! Pugil
Savate Assaut Europan Championships 2005 A few facts and figures from this years event in Clichy, Paris, France. Ladies inscribed = 35, present at weigh-in = 32 Men inscribed = 78, present at weigh in = 65 Total athletes inscribed = 113, present at weigh in = 97 16 Countries inscribed, 15 took place (Montenegro failed to make weigh in) 178 bouts overall. RESULTS: France = 12 Gold, 2 Silver Belgium = 2 Gold, 1 Silver, 5 Bronze Germany = 2 Gold, 2 bronze Italy = 5 Silver, 2 Bronze Slovenia = 3 Silver, 3 Bronze Serbia = 2 Silver Hungary = 1 Silver Croatia = 1 Silver Suisse = 1 Silver Great Britain = 1 Bronze Finland = 1 Bronze Sweden = 1 Bronze Our GB Team did extremely well and had "podium" (4th places) in many categories. As part of the team, I would like to take this oppurtunity to thank the organisers, competitors and officials for making the event such a success. We now begin preparation for next years World Championships.
High Jump Looks like a couple of the 'Frogs' are for the high jump then! Never mind, maybe it'll be one or two of us 'Roast Beefs' who'll do it to them next time. Pugil
Whislt being incredibly proud of our GB results (4 X 4th place, 1 X 3rd place) I would like to say that the team were not in tip top shape. This is not sour grapes or excuse making. Rachel had just returned from a month in the jungles of Honduras, where she picked up 2 stomach bugs and almost pulled out of the competition completely. Anthony was not 100% fit as he had been away from training for 6 weeks whilst buying and moving into his first house. James narrowly missed reaching the semi - finals (if not the fnal) because he commited a foul in his last preliminary bout and lost the fight. For the first time in assaut, fouls carried a 2 point deduction this year, this can cost you an entire round and in a 3 round fight...it can drastically change the outcome. For James Southwood, it was his first major competition and I am sure he has gained much from the experience. Julie Gabriel, again a first major Savate competition and although it had no effect on her excellent performance.......she was the most mature female competitor at the event. I think the GBSF can look forward to even better results at next years World Championships wh are already being arranged. The competition will take place in Paris in September 2006. The Existing GB team will represent us again at this event unless there are any challengers for the places taken, there are still some vacant weight categories. If you are wanting a place on the 2006 team in any category, please contact me (M.Ross, DTN for GBSF) to arrange either a "fight off" or squad training dates.
Well... I really enjoyed the European Savate Championships, and a great weekend with Team GB! Thanks to Savateur, Richard and Nagi who were our officials, and to Charlie and Tim who were our "Soigneurs" without whom the fighters wouldn't have been able to compete.
