Stiluri:

Savate

Savate (French pronunciation: [savat]), also known as boxe française, French boxing, French Kickboxing or French Footfighting, is a French martial art which uses the hands and feet as weapons combining elements of western boxing with graceful kicking techniques. Only foot kicks are allowed unlike some systems such as Muay Thai and Silat which allow the use of the knees or shins. "Savate" is a French word for "old shoe". Savate is perhaps the only style of kickboxing in which the fighters habitually wear shoes. A male practitioner of Savate is called a Savateur while a female is called a Savateuse.

Despite its roots, savate is a relatively safe sport to learn. According to USA Savate [1], "savate ranks lower in number of injuries when compared to American football, hockey, football, gymnastics, basketball, baseball and inline skating".
Today, savate is practiced all over the world by amateurs: from Australia to the USA and from Finland to Britain. Many countries (including the United States) have national federations devoted to promoting savate.
Modern codified savate provides for three levels of competition: assault, pre-combat and combat. Assault requires the competitors to focus on their technique while still making contact; referees assign penalties for the use of excessive force. Pre-combat allows for full-strength fighting so long as the fighters wear protective gear such as helmets and shinguards. Combat, the most intense level, is the same as pre-combat, but protective gear other than groin protection and mouthguards is prohibited.
Many martial arts provide ranking systems, such as belt colors. Savate uses glove colors to indicate a fighter's level of proficiency (unlike arts such as karate, which assign new belts at each promotion, moving to a higher color rank in savate does not necessarily entail a change in the color of one's actual gloves, and a given fighter may continue using the same pair of gloves through multiple promotions). Novices begin at no color.
Depending of Association or Commission that one belongs too, a savateur can compete. In the French Federation a Yellow Glove can compete, in Belgium a Green Glove can Compete, in USA SAVATE the Competition levels start at novice (6 months) and in Russia No Gloves.
The ranking of Savate: Boxe Française is divided into three roads that a savateur can choose to take. The Technical road is Blue Glove, Green Glove, Red Glove, White Glove, Yellow Glove, Silver Glove I, Silver Glove II and Silver Glove III (Violet Glove for less than 17 years of Age) Competition Road: Bronze Glove, Silver Glove I, Silver Glove II, Silver Glove III, Silver Glove IV and Silver Glove V Teaching Ranks: Initiateur, Aide-Moniteur, Moniteur and Professeur
In some Clubs there is no rank of Aide-Moniteur, while in other Associations there is no rank of Initiateur. 8 to 12 years on average are necessary for a student to reach Professeur level, 8 years in the Italian Federation, and but 2 years in some federations. In France the professeur must have "Le Brevet D'Etat D'Educateur Sportif Specialise" (BEES1 or BEES2). These BEES are university level education in Sports with specialization in Savate (supervised by the FFBFSDA). The Professorat BEES (professeur rank is no longer awarded at the Federation Level but is awarded by the State of France Ministry of Sport Education (about +/-12 years of training). The international Federation, however, is still allowed to award professeur instructorship to non-French nationals without requiring such rigid system of education. French Nationals have to submit and succeed to the rigid system of education and prove themselves in competition as well as being respected by peers, in order to have a slight chance to become a DTD (Directeur Technique Departemental). Like any sport Federations in France, the French and International Federation of Savate are under the control of France Ministry of Sport and Youth. This make theses two Federations extremely powerful Federations on the world scene. These two Federations have to obey to a set of national traditions.
Nowadays, Savate is just a term meaning Boxe-Française Savate. In the 1970s the term "Savate" was rarely used in France to refer to the formalised sport: people mostly used the term Boxe-Française Savate, B.F, B.F.S. or simply Boxe-Française. The term savate remains in use mostly outside France or when speaking a language other than French.
The global distribution of schools (salles) today is best explained through their stylistic approaches:
La Boxe Française-Savate (1980–present): the technical abilities of both Savate's major kicking arsenal and English Boxing were merged into a definitive sport of combat.
La Savate Défense (1994–present): was first presented by Professeur Piere Chainge then produced into Self-Defense by Quequet Eric in 2000. After the French Federation dismantled Prof. Change and placed Michel Laroux in charge of the formations. It's based on La Boxe Française Savate, La Savate of the late 19th century, La Lutte Parisienne and the discipline* of La canne de Combat (stick) *includes also Le Bâton Français (staff), Le Couteau (knife), Le Poignard (dagger), La Chaise (chair) and Le Manteau (overcoat)
Re-constructed historical Savate: Some Savate has been re-constructed from old textbooks, such as those written in the late 19th or early 20th century. As such, this form of Savate would be considered a Historical European Martial Art. Re-construction of these older systems may or may not be performed by practitioners familiar with the modern sport and is not at present likely to be particularly widespread.
La savate forme (2008): Cardio-kickboxing form of La Boxe Française-Savate.
These are the different stylistic approaches of the French Arts of Pugilism in the world today.

[ Descriere preluata de la http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Savate ]