A History of Savate , Chausson and ‘French Boxing’ (1828–1978)

Both savate and chausson are French self-defence practices which originated at the beginning of the nineteenth century and combined during the 1960s. Over the last two centuries, these combat disciplines were transformed into several practices: ‘fitness’ gymnastics, a discipline for training soldiers, an academic sport for health, a combat discipline and finally a competitive sport. Each step of the transformation follows the general evolution of sport and gymnastics in France. As a result, modernisation at the end of the eighteenth century and the specific progression of French history can explain the origins and the transformations of these popular combat arts into a fighting sport in the seventies, called ‘French boxing’. Beyond its technical complexities, the history of the discipline was troubled by cultural, political, economic and social contradictions that prevented its evolution into a worldwide combat sport. By focusing on this specific and not so well-known discipline, a large part of French sport history can be interpreted

Aesthetics · Art · History of sport · Modernization theory · Political science · Politics · Sociology · Doping in Sports · Gender Studies · History · Law · Martial Arts: Techniques, Psychology, and Education · Physical education and sports games research