You have two hands to punch and grab, and two legs to kick with. Kicking is common in many martial arts from the Eastern Hemisphere, but most are unaware of the foot-centric Western Martial Art that is still practiced today called savate.
The third week of our introduction to Bartitsu adds kicking to our arsenal. Savate or "boxe française" is a French martial art that, like boxing, has evolved over time. As with other arts that contribute to Bartitsu, we concern ourselves with the movements from savate that are the most effective for self-defence while integrating well with our other arts, and pay less heed to conventions or tactics of the sport version.
This is part three of a series on the component parts of Bartitsu following the four-week structure of our course Fight Like Sherlock Holmes. Click here for part 1: Jujitsu in Bartitsu, or here for part 2: Pugilism in Bartitsu
Points of Difference
Modern boxing is to pugilism as today's savate is to Victorian savate. The techniques you see in the modern versions of these sports are a reflection of the rules and conventions of the sport, and not necessarily the most effective for defence in a surprise attack situation.
Savate literally translates to "old shoe" and is intended to be practiced in shoes. The modern sport features special boots, and most savateurs practice in soft tennis shoes. It is certainly more practical to learn to kick in the footwear you'll likely be wearing in the case of a mugging, both for the foot that hits and the leg that supports you on the floor, rather than in bare feet as in most Eastern martial arts.
Barton-Wright also made this cryptic remark: "[Savate] is quite useless as a means of self-defence when done in the way Frenchmen employ it." Some speculate that this refers to the kicks used in Cornish and Devonshire where the weight is kept evenly on both feet, as in pugilism, compared to the French who transferred their balance entirely over one leg for higher and faster kicks. It may simply refer to the hand positions, in which savateurs often throw their hands away from their opponent to execute better kicks.
Integration
The stance for savate is exactly the same as the stance for bare-knuckle boxing, and all advice given to English boxers was echoed in French.
It is especially important for the lead foot to point toward the opponent to facilitate savate's fastest and most effective kick: the shin kick.
Surprise Attack
Savate has a unique kick called the coup de pied bas or the shin kick. It used to be featured in other martial arts, but it was banned from most forms of competition because it was too effective at breaking the knee joint.
The shin kick targets the knee or shin, striking with the heel in a kind of forward stomp. It can lead to tendon pulls, shattered bone, or a sprained ankle depending on the angle of the strike. In many ways, it can end a fight quickly.
Low kicks like the shin kick are fast and surprising because they do not enter the peripheral vision. The savateur also does not telegraph the kick because it does not require a hip turn or change in hand position for balance.
Mobility
We learned in bare-knuckle boxing that blocking is likely to hurt my arms, and that advice goes double against the larger and more powerful legs. Blocking a kick well can lead to a fast take-down because the opponent will be off-balance, but the safer option is to move yourself away when you perceive any kick starting.
The best defence against most kicks is avoidance, and the shin kick is so low that a hand block is practically impossible. This tactic is great because the attacker cannot adjust measure to chase you when they're balancing on one leg. Staying light on the feet will make evasions easier and changes of measure faster.
We also practice combining punching and kicking to confuse the opponent. High punches alternating with low kicks have a high success rate because the target's attention must be split and their plans are frequently confounded.
The Cane
Savate practice also included a separate discipline called "la canne," or walking stick self defence. However, most savate schools had a practice similar to the stickfighting of England, where the stick was used as a substitute for a sabre or backsword.
Pierre Vigny had a unique vision of walking stick self-defence that formed the unique and famous shape of Bartitsu's stick technique. For this reason, we spend week four on stick and umbrella fighting.
Savate Curriculum
When you complete Fight Like Sherlock Holmes, just by participating, you should be able to demonstrate the following skills by the end of the course. You will then automatically earn your green sash. There is no test at this level.
Green Sash (Fight Like Sherlock Holmes, 1 month):
- Shin kick
- Evasion of shin kick
- Combinations with Pugilism
- Knee strikes
Once you begin participating in green sash classes, you will have the opportunity to get skills signed off toward your Blue Sash. After a few months, you will likely be ready to test for that rank. The full list of skills is longer than this, but here are the savate-related competencies that will be expected of you:
Blue Sash (3 month minimum, test):
- Round Kick
- Side Kick, Chasse Croise
- Stop-kick
Now once you've been working with us for at least a year, you will be ready to demonstrate a series of accomplishments that set you apart as an intermediate student of the art. Here is what will be desired in a student testing for their red sash, savate-wise:
Red Sash (1 year minimum, test):
- Hook Kick
- Snap Kick
- Fouette
- Front Kick
- Crescent Kicks
- Switch Side Kick
- Spin Back Kick
- Spin Hook Kick
- Spin Crescent Kicks
- Combination Kicks
Learn Bartitsu from Scratch
Join us for ongoing training in Bartitsu by signing up for the introductory course "Fight Like Sherlock Holmes" at Academie Duello. The first class is on close-range fighting using jujitsu. The second class will feature the boxing concepts that we talked about last week, and the third week covers savate. A new round starts every month, and you can choose a section that fits your schedule: Mondays or Wednesdays 8-10pm or Saturdays 2-4pm.
This is part 3 of a series on Bartitsu's Component Arts. Come back in 2 weeks for part 4.
Head of Stage Combat at Academie Duello and certified Instructor with Fight Directors Canada. Head of Bartitsu at Academie Duello, the longest continuously running Bartitsu program in the world. Read more from David McCormick.