Savate’s founding had nothing to do with Sailors, Asians, Africans, or Santa Claus. Its origins lie in the ramshamble streetfighting technique of Parisian streetgangs. Savate in its earliest form also included Lutte(wrestling), Cane fighting, chair fighting(as in using a chair as a weapon) and knife fighting. The way it became recognized was that the feet were used to keep an opponent at a greater distance until the weapon weilding hand could close for the kill. The art was consolidated around the 17-1800s and cleaned up to just kicks in order to simplify it and gain respectability as an art. Changes were added along the way as guys sat around kicking each other and figured out what worked, just like any martial art.
Dan Inosanto describes the difference in Savate and Muay Thai as such: Savate = Attacking with a sledgehammer/Muay Thai = Attacking with a steel baseball bat. Both are as effective as the other, with Muay Thai emphasising power and Savate emphasising speed and accuracy.
I’ve been to many Savate vs MT matches in France and Germany, and it handles its own in competition, making up for lack of knees and clinching with speed and well thrown kicks.

Now for god’s sake quit whining because you dont want to accept that the French invented a martial art on their own. Its totally European in origin, and anything else is not in line with the facts. Give the French some credit. Its a graceful art, beautiful to watch, and Bruce Lee borrowed heavily from it for Jeet Kun Do. It holds its own.

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