Savate: French foot fighting

The history of Savate or boxe française trails back to 17^th century France, where sailors in the port of Marseille practiced a fighting style involving high kicks while wearing a pair of chaussons (French style of slippers worn by seamen).  As mariners of the mercantile French East India Company travelled the Indian Ocean, they most likely adapted techniques from East Asian and South East Asian martial arts, clearly emphasizing the kicking aspects of those styles, but eliminating the use of shins and knees.  Although historically unclear, it has been speculated that the lack of hand techniques in jeu marseillais (the game from Marseille) was due to France’s century’s long rivalry with England, and in contrast to rules of boxing (Marquess of Queensberry Rules), which used only the fists and never the lower extremities.   As Savate made its way to mainland France, the art became less about sailors having physical competitions and more about street fighting/brawling.  The chausson was replaced by a courser shoe, and hand techniques from Western Boxing were eventually implemented, but savatuers (fighters) often used open handed slaps to avoid legal penalization, as closed fist punching was against the law.  Circa 1820, Michel Casseux, considered the founder of L'art de la savate, opened the world’s first Savate training academy, organizing its techniques for both self-defense and sport.  His student Charles Lecour added many aspects of English style boxing, while Lecour’s student, Joseph Charlemont, who was also a master of Canne de combat (cane/stick fighting) enhanced Savate with his concept of “four ranges of combat,” one of which was weapons based.  Charlemont’s son, Charles fought English boxer Jerry Driscoll in 1899, and although victorious, English newspapers allege the victory was won with an illegal groin kick. (You can read an English account of the fight here) Despite the controversy, Savate became known outside of Europe and made its way to the United States.