Savate is a French fighting sport which uses combinations of kicks and punches. Savate first evolved as a street fighting style in 17th Century France using open-handed strikes and low kicks. In 1845 Charles Lecour developed the first rules of Savate, calling it Savate-Boxe Francais, and adding high-kicks and the close-fisted punches from English Boxing. This was further modified in 1899 by Maitre Cherlemont who included elements of fencing, most notably the forward lunge, into Savate. In the 20th century it became part if the French Army's basic training.

Books about Savate