Your Personal Introduction to the Art of Boxe Francaise-Savate

According to Professeur Salem Assli, the martial art world’s most recognizable authority on BFS, Savate is the oldest martial art to have been developed in the western hemisphere.

Although less well known than its eastern counterparts such as karate, kung fu and tae kwon do, over the past 2 decades, Savate has started to gain some recognition from modern day martial artists.

Savate gets its name from the French for "old shoe”, a reference to the footwear that was worn during fights. The modern formalized form of Boxe Française-Savate is mainly an amalgam of French street fighting techniques from the early 19th century.

Again according to Professeur Assli, Savate was then a type of street fighting common in Paris and northern France. Legend has it that in southern ports of France, like Marseilles, sailors developed a fighting style involving high kicks and open-handed slaps. Supposedly kicks were done to allow the kicker to use a free hand for balance on a rocking ship's deck, and that the kicks and slaps were used on land to avoid the legal penalties for using a closed fist, which was considered a deadly weapon under the law.

How you'll learn Boxe Française-Savate

For the most part, Boxe Française-Savate is not taught exclusively at any martial art schools in the USA. Naturally it is quite a different situation in its native country France, where BFS schools thrive and flourish.

However all is not lost! At many of the Jeet Kune Do schools authorised by Dan Inosanto, students can find a Savate influence woven throughout the kickboxing curriculum.

For example, while there is no specific BFS class held at Unified Martial Art Academy in Miami, a student interested in Savate will still get to experience training in three settings:
1. Our annual BFS workshop with Professeur Salem Assli
2. Glove drilling in our Jeet Kune Do Phase Two classes
3. Heavy bag work and glove drills in our Fitness Kickboxing classes

What to expect during your first day at the Academy

At any professionally run martial art school, you will have had the opportunity to take part in some kind of introductory program before being accepted as a regular member.

Depending on which program you’ve enrolled in (after your introductory program, of course), you can expect to be publicly welcomed and congratulated for making your best decision to join the Academy.

You will be introduced to all the other class members and then you can expect to enjoy the finest in martial art training.

In a martial art school which uses Savate in its kickboxing curriculum, you will be introduced to at least three different categories of training:

1. Shadow boxing – which is learning how to acquire smooth footwork as well as the proper form for your kicking and punching techniques.
2. Equipment training - which is practising your strikes on several pieces of equipment such as focus mitts, heavy bags, Thai pads and kicking shields.
3. Glove drills – which is the application of these striking techniques on a live, moving partner in simulated offence and defence sequences.

Required equipment

All the necessary personal equipment such as gloves, uniform, etc. will have been made available to you before you take your first class.
All striking/training equipment used in the class is provided by the Academy.

Expected training costs

As stated above, all your membership and training costs will have been covered in your first few visits to any well-run martial art school.