Editing Savate (section)

=== Reform ===

The two key historical figures in the history of the shift from street fighting to the modern sport of savate are [[Michel Casseux]] (also known as ''le Pisseux'')<ref>Thomas A. Green, ''Martial Arts of the World'', ABC-CLIO, 2001, p.519</ref> (1794–1869) and [[Charles Lecour]] (1808–1894). Casseux opened the first establishment in 1825 for practicing and promoting a regulated version of chausson and savate (disallowing head butting, eye gouging, grappling, etc.).

However, the sport had not shaken its reputation as a street-fighting technique. 
Charles Lecour created a modern edition of the martial art by 1830.  Charles Lecour incorporated boxing techniques with kicking techniques and showed how to use them together.  He was the first to see savate as both a sport and self-defense system.  Charles Lecour was the first to add English [[boxing gloves]] to the martial art which allowed his students to train their punches without injuring their hands.<ref>Coleman, J. (1982, February). The Fighting Sport of France. Black Belt, 28-32.</ref>

Charles Lecour was exposed to the English art of boxing when he witnessed an English boxing match in France between English pugilist [[Owen Swift]] and Jack Adams in 1838.<ref>''Savate – Canne – Baton au fil des siècle:  la vérifiable histoire de la boxe française'' and Swift's own biography in ''The Handbook To Boxing'' by Renton Nicholson, London 1840.</ref>  Lecour also took part in a friendly sparring match with Swift later in that same year. Lecour felt that he was at a disadvantage, using his hands only to bat his opponent's fists away, rather than to punch. He trained in boxing for a time before combining boxing with chausson and savate to create the sport of savate (or ''boxe française'', as we know it today). At some point ''[[Canne de combat|la canne]]'' and ''[[Bâton français|le baton]]'', [[stick fighting]], were added, and some form of stick fencing, such as ''la canne'', is commonly part of savate training. Those who train purely for competition may omit this. Savate was developed professionally by Lecour's student [[Joseph Charlemont]] and then his son [[Charles Charlemont]]. Charles continued his father's work and in 1899 fought an English boxer named [[Jerry Driscoll (boxer)|Jerry Driscoll]]. He won the match with a round-kick (''fouetté median'') in the eighth round although the English said that it was a kick to the groin. According to the well known English referee, Bernard John Angle of the National Sporting Club, in his book ''My Sporting Memories'' (London, 1925), "Driscoll did not know what he was taking on" when he agreed "to meet the Frenchman at his own game". Angle also said that, "The contest ended in Jerry being counted out to a blow in the groin from the Frenchman's knee." He further alleged that "the timekeeper saved Charlemont several times". After the fight Driscoll bore no grudges, considering the blow to have been "an accident". The French claimed victory for their man by stoppage, following a round-kick to Driscoll's stomach.