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Martial Arts From Around The World #7: Savate
Sometimes referred to as 'Boxe Francaise' or French kickboxing, Savate was born in the docks and back alleys of late eighteenth or early nineteenth century France. Savate literally means 'old shoe', a reference to the fact that the main practitioners were primarily members of the lower class in those days. It began as a distinct form a street fighting, most notably in Marseilles, among the sailors. French law prohibitted using the closed fist in pugilism as it was considered a deadly weapon, but there were no laws against kicking so kicking became common in local underground boxing as well as open handed strikes in brawls.
The style eventually found its way into Northern France were it took off in the slums of Paris. It was here that it gained notoriety for practitioners that wore heavy boots or shoes, likely ex military, whereas the chiefly naval predecessors in Marseilles wore slippers. It wouldn't be until the mid 19th century that it gained a weapon form, likely inspired by how common canes were. Stick fencing, la canne or la baton, is the main weapon form of Savate. Today, like other martial arts, it has different styles and forms all its own. It even has an acknowledged HEMA (Historical European Martial Arts) community that is reconstructing savate as it was practiced in its early years.
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Look awesome. Thanks for taking the time to put these together, they really are fun to read.
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