Why should I train Savate?

Savate develops exceptional kicking precision and footwork. Its unique shoe-based kicking system — featuring the fouetté (whip kick) and chassé (piston kick) — offers techniques not found in any other striking art.

What should I expect at my first Savate class?

Wear a Savate tenue (uniform) or athletic clothing, and bring clean indoor shoes. Expect footwork drills, basic kicks (fouette, chasse), and pad work. Classes run 60-90 minutes.

Savate — Martial Arts Guide

Q: What will I learn in Savate?

Fouetté (whip kick — round kick with the shoe). Chassé (piston kick — side thrust kick). Revers (hook kick — reverse sweeping kick). Coup de pied bas (low kick to the shin or calf). Western boxing hand techniques — direct, crochet, uppercut. Elegant footwork and distance management — décalage (shifting).

Savate

Boxe française

Striking🇫🇷 France

AI-generated content — may contain inaccuracies

Why train this

At a Glance

IntensityHigh

ContactFull

Beginner FriendlyModerate

Belt SystemGlove color ranking (blue, green, red, white, yellow, silver)

Origin🇫🇷 France

CompetitionFISav World Championships, Assaut (technical) and Combat (full contact) divisions

Who It's For

FitnessCompetitionSelf-Defense

What You'll Learn

Fouetté (whip kick — round kick with the shoe)

Chassé (piston kick — side thrust kick)

Revers (hook kick — reverse sweeping kick)

Coup de pied bas (low kick to the shin or calf)

Western boxing hand techniques — direct, crochet, uppercut

Elegant footwork and distance management — décalage (shifting)

Your First Class

Watch & Learn

Legends of Savate

Charles Lecour

Charles Lecour transformed Savate from a rough Parisian street kicking game into a refined combat sport by integrating English boxing punches with French footwork. His codification in the 1830s created the elegant, technical art that would become France's national combat sport.

1808–1894

Gerard Gordeau

Gerard Gordeau was a Dutch Savate champion who reached the finals of UFC 1 in 1993, proving the effectiveness of Savate kicks against larger opponents in the earliest days of mixed martial arts. His performance was one of the first demonstrations of traditional European striking in no-holds-barred competition.

1959

Nicolas Saignac

Jerome Le Banner

Related Styles

Kickboxing

Kickboxing is a stand-up combat sport that combines boxing punches with kicks. It encompasses several rulesets including full-contact, low-kick, and K-1 rules.

Boxing

Western boxing — historically known as pugilism, and often called the "sweet science" — is a combat sport focused exclusively on punching technique, footwork, and defensive head movement. It is one of the oldest and most widely practiced combat sports in the world.

Taekwondo

Taekwondo (태권도) is a Korean martial art known for its fast, high, and spinning kicks. It is one of only two martial arts in the Olympic Games and is practiced by over 80 million people worldwide.

Karate

Karate is a Japanese striking art that uses punches, kicks, knee strikes, and open-hand techniques. Originating in Okinawa, it emphasizes kata (型, forms), kihon (基本, basics), and kumite (組手, sparring).

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