Savate vs. Muay Thai

[treelizard]

Does anybody know if there are any videos of sparring matches between Savate and Muay Thai players? Would be REALLY interested in watching them...

[Thai Bri]

I read somewhere that Savate is born out of Muay Thai, being designed by French sailors who were exposed to Thai on their travels. Who knows why they emphasised feet so much though?

[treelizard]

I don't know, but I heard they advertise it as the antidote to Muay Thai.

From what I've read it seems that it only works that way if you don't allow MT players their elbow, side knees and clinch range. But old-style Savateurs would use clinching, throwing and headbutts as well.

I just want to see some videos of some sparring between styles--not to prove which style is "best" but just to see the interplay.

[Little Apple]

I'd be interested in that too. I heard from an instructor (don't think I knew him) that Savate deffinately stood a chance against MT. This guy's oppinion was that, in striking arts, if both fighters are good, then in MT vs Anything, the MT guy will win. Except if it's MT vs Savate, and then it's a toss up if they are the same skill level, and that level is high. Something about Savat training multiple kicks in a way that MT doesn't, and so doesn't train to deffend. Of course the Savat guy would have to be rocken' to get the kicks timed right, so it's only fair that the Thai guy he fought would be rocken' too, and then it's any man's game.

Again, just repeating the dude's tangent, don't know anything about it myself. But I agree, watching the styles together would be very interesting.

[Little Apple]

OK, I couldn't find any MT vs Savate, but here's a Savate music vidio thingy. I could believe it was inspired by MT, they look similar. Savate looks a little bouncier, and I know I saw at least one side kick type thing, but other than that (um...and the jump suits ) I could see the similarity.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WadTkRxeE5A&search=savate

I noticed how they'd circle out of range, and then dart in, almost as part of their attack, watch the hop-kicks. The one's I caught almost look like hop-teeps or something.

[treelizard]

Thanks, Little Apple! I will let you know if I find anything.

Would also be interested in how Savate trains multiple kicks in a way that MT doesn't. I thought that was a primary component of MT, except I guess the way we train it is just in case we miss one... like I am throwing a low kick and if I miss I could, instead of pulling back, keep turning my hip and immediately follow up with a high kick.

Of course when I try to practice this on a person instead of on padding they always block and we bump shins... Ouch!! Need to get good enough to target my blocks properly.

What I heard (like you, repeating someone else's tangent) was that Savate is marketted as an antidote to MT, but what a MT player would want to do is try to stay in clinch range.

[Little Apple]

Maybe he meant multiple types of kicks. On that clip I posted at 2:23 and 5:40 you can see the side kick I was talking about, and at about 3:13 you can see a slow-mo start of the hop-teep I mentioned.

[Maxx]

Having studied both relatively in depth it almost doesn't make sense to compare them, or at least compare their sport aspects. For one thing, the kicks of boxe francaise (sport savate) are based on the use of the shoe as a weapon, although that's starting to change a little now. Previously the goal was to kick with the toe of the shoe into the vital areas of the body, but I've heard that it has resulted in a couple of deaths... when you think about it, savate kicks are very snappy and some of those kicks can be thrown in excess of 70 mph. Imagine that going into your solar plexus or rib cage. Plus, I doubt they'd let you in the ring in thailand with shoes on to fight.

It's also illegal in sport savate to block with the shin... at least in the assaults (light contact matches). the multiple kicking combinations in savate are awesome though and very functional and their kicks completely blend with their footwork. Against a skilled savate player you won't see a set up for the launch of a kick like you would in TKD or Karate. Anyone looking to really become a good multiple kicker or looking to flow into their kicks more from footwork would do well to explore it.

I will say this, having studied both, they mesh well together. You learn to hit with the power of MT and move evasively and "box" with your legs from savate. I've heard that several of the top students up at the Inosanto Academy in LA created something called STX (Savate Thai boxing Cross Training) and I guess the fighters do quite well in competition.

[bigboywasim]

Salvate looks good but I would still pick MT over it. If I am correct there is no clinch worck in Savate and the kicks do not look like they have a lot of power like in MT. Other than that it looks pretty good.

[treelizard]

Heh, I'm sorry, the last thing I wanted to do was start a style vs. style argument.

[bigred389]

Savate looked more "evasive"/mobile than Muay Thai.

I'm particularly interested in the "kicking with the shoe" thing...maybe the military should consider adopting savate techniques...after you'll be wearing combat boots.

Definitely something I want to look into at some point.

[EmptyneSs]

true savate is an art of self defense that includes throws, joint locks, and a range of weapons like knife, stick, and chair.

this site has a good history of savate

http://www.bridgemansavate.com/historical.html

very interesting^^^

[Little Apple]

I think I heard that Savate started in bars of all things. If you see a traditional stance its got the back arm up and behind, and that's supposed to be you holding on to a peg. Only the people holding one of the pegs on the wall got served. Has anyone else heard that?

[DJColdfusion]

MAXX, STX is Erik Paulson's creation and yes he has taught it at the Inosanto Academy before. The guy is incredible.

[TheHorror]

I heard there was different types of savate, like italian savate and spanish savate, and the sport's version of savate