'Savate' means literally an old shoe or boot in middle French. Suitable footwear is obligatory for training. Savate kicks use the boot effectively – some with ...SkiptocontentImagecopyright:JanneSinivirta.TableofContentsLearnaboutSavateWhatdoes'Savate'mean?HistoryofSavateDevelopmentofSavateSavatetechniquesSavatevsboxing/thaiboxingSavateforMMASavateandJKD(JeetKuneDo)AssociatedDisciplinesBoxe-FrançaiseCannedeCombatSavateDefenseSavateFormeSavateBoxe-FrançaiseisauniqueringfightingartfusingFrenchkickingwithEnglishboxing.Itisanagilemodernsportpractisedbymenandwomenofallagesaroundtheworld.LearnaboutSavateFromourheadcoachJamesSouthwoodhttps://youtube.com/watch?v=Y60NHX6knWMWhatdoes‘Savate’mean?‘Savate’meansliterallyanoldshoeorbootinmiddleFrench.Suitablefootwearisobligatoryfortraining.Savatekicksusethebooteffectively–somewiththeheel,somethetoe,somethebladeorsideoftheshoe.Theword‘Savate’hasitsetymologicalrootin‘sabot’,fromwheretheword‘sabotage’comes.ThetermSavatenowembracesasetofarts–orassociateddisciplines–aroundtheFrenchartoffightingwiththeshoe.HistoryofSavateSavatetracesitshistorybacktothe1800s.AtthetimeaSouthernFrenchslipperfightingformknownasChaussonorjeumarseillaispractisedhighkicking.SavatewasthenameofthenorthernFrenchstreetfightingstyle.Itiseasytoimagineneighbourlyrivalry,withtheEnglish–whosettledduelsbyboxingwiththehands–regardingfootfightingunseemly,andtheFrenchseeingfist-fightingasgracelessoruncouth.Ofcoursethetwocametogether,whichisnosurprisefortwocountrieswhichwereatwarwitheachotherintheearlypartofthecentury.Savate’sfoundationmythisthatFrenchfighterCharlesLecourwasbeatenbyayoungEnglishboxernamedOwenSwift,althoughdoubtsarecastonthisstory.NonethelessitwasLecourwhoformalisedtheartofBoxe-FrançaiseSavatein1838,towhichdatethefoundingofSavateisnormallyceded.DevelopmentofSavateSavatewasademonstrationsportinthe1924ParisOlympics.ManypractitionerswerelikelylostowingtotheFrenchmilitarycasualtiesofthetwoWorldWarsofthefirsthalfofthe20thcentury.Fromthe1970sonwards,arenewedinter