Savate - (Contributor: Tobias Ratschiller)

Intro:
A native French kicking style.

Origin: France

History:       
It was developed in the last century, and its origins and relationships, if any, to other Martial Arts are unclear. There are stories about French sailors picking up techniques in Eastern ports, bringing them home and integrating them with local foot fighting and fencing techniques.

"French Boxing-Savate" was founded in 1970 in France.  It consists mainly of precise striking with the hands and low foot-striking and appropriate defense-techniques. The hand-techniques are similar to
boxing. Special attention is paid to develop elegant and soft movements.

Description:
It primarily encompasses kicking techniques somewhat similar to Tae Kwon Do or Karate.  It includes punching techiques from Western Boxing and stick fighting techniques based on French rapier fighting. It is very stylized and more extended than most Eastern kicking arts.

Training:
Three different forms are taught:

- Assaut: technical fighting, the opponent must not (or nearly not) be hit.
- Combat Technique: fighting with semi-contact
- Combat Total: full-contact fight with KO allowed.

Usually together with Savate is taught "La Canne", a mostly defensive art using wooden sticks."

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