Street Kicking From Old Style French Savate
Street Kicking From Old Style French Savate
Another method is where the Apache would employ the use of the
victim’s jacket by pulling it down over the shoulders to bind
the victim’s arms, following up with multiple hand strikes to
the now un-protected face. Another old Apache trick was called
‘’hooding’’ this is where a victim would be temporarily blinded
and disoriented by having a jacket thrown over their face, from
where the advantage would be maintained and with follow up hand
strikes. During this period of ‘’hooliganism’’ in Paris, various
masters of Savate started to develop specific methods to counter
the threat. The main solution to the problem of the Apache was
finally resolved after the start of WWI when most of its gang
members under the age of 25 were sent to the front line to fight;
where upon almost a complete generation of French thugs were
killed fighting the Germans. The Apache were well known for their
brutal and unscrupulous methods. In closing the depictions below
offer relevance to what we have been looking at within the modules
of today’s workshop, namely the influence from WW2 Combatives to
modern day methods, some of the ways Savate’s method of boot
fighting was employed by the British and US Forces and how we
might adapt the same skills for today’s focus on civilian Self-
Protection.
Although this attack was designed for the heavy combat boot, you can
still obtain a good result from slightly less s sturdy footwear. Below
is an X-ray image showing a normal healthy knee joint in comparison to a
dislocated knee joint. When the knee joint is taken out there is no
stand up fight anymore or any chase. Outside taking your enemy out,
destroying his leg is the only way to put him down and keep him down.
Many Unarmed Combat systems of WW2 employed influence from Street Savate;
namely point and edge of the boot kicks to low-line targets and as
finishing tools to a fallen subject as depicted here from Col. Applegate’s
classic text KOGK.
As a modern influence, here we can see use of the Edge of the Boot kick
employed from both, a counter knife and a counter grapple perspective. In
addition to the spike or point of boot kick to the groin and limb stomp
employed as a finisher.
Peace Lee M.