Making the point.

1. Ancient savate is not an Asian m.a., it has nothing to do with Asia. Also it has nothing to do with TKD, a korean m.a. that comes from Japanese Karate. (Don’t forget TKD history and the 1st federation, the ITF, that had origin in N.Korea)

2. Yes, the French sailors, especially those ones from Marseille, learned the art of kicking from folks of Mediterranean-African origin. This is proved from writings of the Napoleonic Era. In conclusion their techniques were not French, English, Asian.

3. According to the aristocrats of 1850s who studied it in Paris, Savate and Chausson were the same fighting art (yeah, the same m.a.: likewise muay-thai and thai boxing; pugilism and boxing; jujutsu and jiu-jutsu; wrestling and rassling etc.) About La boxe francaise (aka boxe francaise savate) it was the competitive or ruled form of Savate.

4. Around WW II Savate disappeared from France. It appeared again around 1960s because of a rapid spreading of the Asian m.arts. Savate was created “again” by some French practitioners of judo and karate (above all full contact style). They were helped by an old Savate champion, Count Pierre “Baruzy” (he was of italian origin and his Venetian surname was Barozzi). This fact explains many things. Try watching the pics of Savate techniques and the old movies made in those days. There s no difference between full-contact matches and Savate matches. Just their clothes and some sporting rules. The technique is almost the same.

5. Yes, inside the ring Savate is less effective than Muay Thai.

6. 80% of Savateurs (French masters included) say a lot of bulls about this fighting art. This is due to business reasons. They are obliged to do that if they want to sell their product.

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