Cell:MFS Corsaire/Savate 1

MFS Corsaire Savate Training I

History of Savate

The origins of Savate can be traced back to the end of the 18th century. It is thought that by the 1800’s ‘La Savate’ was being used as a simple street fighting art that utilised open hand strikes and kicks. There are many stories which trace the origins of Savate, but most seem to agree that the art developed in the tough streets of Marseilles.

It is not known what exact influences moulded the style but it is speculated that sailor’s returning from the orient and the influence of Basque fighting due to the population of Basque’s in southern France, are the principle shapers. The first detailed study of these fighting styles that were emerging in Marseilles was made by Michel Cassuex in about 1820. He noted that some of the kicks used, had a very definite and precise mechanism and were not simply the result of throwing a leg out.

Cassuex introduced Savate Marseilles, as it was then known, to Paris. He opened up a Salle or practice gym in Courtille, which attracted some interest from the fashionable elements of society that existed at that time, for example, the Duke of Orleans is thought to have trained in the art.

It was one of Cassuex’s pupils, Charles Lecour, who is accredited with introducing the English style of closed fist punches, after he himself was beaten in a match by the English boxer, Owen Swift. It is said that Charles went to England to study ‘Boxe Anglais’ and later returned to Paris. Bruce Tegner accredits Hubert Lecour (Charles Lecour’s brother) with this in his book entitled ‘Savate: French Foot and Fist Fighting’. But we will go with the majority view and assume Charles introduced the closed fist punch. Thus ‘La Boxe Française’ was born.

‘La Boxe Française’ incorporated English boxing rules within its mandate, where these applied to punches and the legacy of these rules is found today. A number of exponents of Savate came onto the scene at this time, such as Hubert Lecour and Louis Vigneron. But it was Joseph Charlemont who was to have a lasting influence on the sport. Charlemont taught Boxe Française alongside La Canne in Paris, but he had to flee into exile following the defeat of the republicans (whom he backed) at the hands of the monarchist’s. He settled in Belgium and opened boxing schools there which became highly successful, and he published his first book on French Boxing methods.

Following the establishment of the Third Republic, Charlemont received an amnesty and returned to Paris and went about setting up further schools until French Boxing reached the height of its popularity just before the outbreak of the First World War. By this time his son Charles Charlemont, had gained notoriety within the sport along with other notables such as Victor Castéres and Georges Carpentier. By the end of the 19th Century it was estimated that there was more than 100,000 practitioners of La Boxe Française. Sadly the two intervening Great wars nearly wiped out the sport and it is thanks to one man, La Comte Pierre Baruzy, whose enthusiasm and commitment, that kept the sport going.