“Official truths are often powerful illusions”
By Prof. Paul-Raymond Buitron III
With the arts of Pugilism many truths can be made from
assumptions, and the reality of the truth is lost in winds. Many forget are not
taught or did not pay attention in class for the assumptions to become fact.
Thus is the case with Savate and its arts.
The elevation of many without knowledge and pretending to know has caused havoc
in the world of pugilism with misnomers. These misnomers have become fact after
many have been taught a fallacy.
Savate, Chausson, Zipota, Purring and Boxe Francaise existed since the 1830s.
That is a Fact. The different training methods ands various other arts where
created and formed during this time as well.
Many do not know the name of Boxe Francaise was actually Address Parisian named
so by Maitre Charles Lecour its founder. The name changed when the poet
Théophile Gautier named it Boxe Francaise around 1835-1840.So you had Address
Parisian Professeurs teaching along side Professeurs of the other disciplines.
During the formation of Professeurs from Prevots( oldest student), differences
existed in the training of each school. Training methods that we now call Assaut
and Sparring, which are two different training methods with in the realm of
Savate: Boxe Francaise. Differences exist today even with in the competitive
arena as well: (Assaut, Pre-combat and Combat), which are three different
training and habitual forming schools of thought.
Thus Facts become erased during the lose of traditions during 1980 to the
present with the French Federation teaching methods of only the sport.
Thus politics, jealousy and lack of techniques or better yet guts is the reason
several traditions seized to exist today. I blame guts and jealousy even to this
day, which Savate has not grown into the force that it once was.
These jealousies came from two of the arts Savate and Boxe Francaise around 1890
to 1910. These conflicts, personally issues and control of the arts has plagued
them ever since.
The bickering happened during the turn of the 1899 and 1901 when the savateurs
of Boxe Francaise (Charles Charlement and Charles Casters). Both students of
Joseph Charlement and coming from the strong lineage of Boxe Francaise were
defeating every champion of pugilism in the name of Boxe Francaise.
One has to remember that the old societies of boxing were controlled by Lodges
normally of Masonic in nature or obscured in the secrecy of warmongers. Officers
with a business connection to the older colonies in terms of export and
importation of Spices, Coffee, Chocolate, Rum, Silk or Opium etc..
Which lead to the Boxer Rebellion of 1803 and other wars of same nature during
this time? Nonetheless, those facts are completely another story and acceptance
of the origins of the arts of French pugilism.
One of the most detailed traditions that have expired due to the conflict of
certain Professeurs time in and time out. Is that of the JUE: the game.
The Jue {game- English, jogo- Portuguese, juego- Spanish} was played since the
first salle of Casseux in 1803, taken from his best student Lebroucher who
continued to expand it amongst the traditions of savate during the mid 1800s.
Even his Casseux’s later student who created Boxe Francaise Charles Lecour would
have jues on the street.
During that time the jue was known by other names such as: jue Parisian, jue
Marseille. Which one should not confuse them with either Chausson or Savate?
This is a common error. It was a training method similar to Assaut and sparring
of Today.
The main difference between the two games was that the Jue Marseille was a bit
more gymnastic; less of a combative mindset without the cause of self-defense
and it lacked the clowning of the Jue Parisian said Louis Garneray who taught
Chausson in France during the mid 1880s.
This method of training was as follows the jue Parisian method would allow kicks
to the legs and usually lead to a fight with in the different students from
different Professeurs.
The Rules changed to the Jue Bas (low Game) and Jue Haut (high Game) in Paris
and in the South is became known as Jue Marin (sailors game) during the late
1870s. The rules change once more from the Parisian games to those of the south,
with a main difference which is the following. The Jue lead to serious
confrontations that lead to several of the greater teachers of the time, such
as: Ducros, Vigneron, Lafond, Lozes and Thomassin.
During the time of Lebroucher the oldest and most knowledgeable Professeur
During the mid 1800s, the Jue was played in the street formed in a circle and
two Savatiers would show their technique.
During one of my conversations with Count Baruzy he mentioned the Jue and said
that it was actually a challenge. Between groups that practices the arts during
that time. Then he mentioned that certain rules applied. That it was not as
elegant as that of Assaut where control and dignity was the main focus. This
conversation I had was with ex-President of the International Federation Michael
Roger back in 1991.
During the same time the Military which held the training and formation of the
art of Boxe Francaise developed for the training of the soldiers of France, gave
a huge gathering of political influence to subject the art of Boxe Francaise
with in the Golden era which rang around the World.
In the 1800s to the 1900s a Professeur named Albert (an officer in the chasseurs
of North Africa) was one that strongly expressed his opinion against the
traditions of savate. He changed with his political influence the pugilism laws
and proclaimed himself the creator of the Jue Haut: which was the start of the
ring competitions.
In my Findings many of those who practice Savate and follow its teachings in the
later part of last century blamed the Charlement for controlling Boxe Francaise
and its teachings over those of Savate.
This in my opinion is and could be the case but you have one Professeur Albert
who actually disliked the traditions of Savate and those of the jue. In his book
he mentions the following: Savate is a trivial name by those of high society who
sometimes frequent the salles of Savate. Savate only uses legs just like English
boxing uses solely the fists. It is nothing compared to Address Parisian who
teaches everything. So the true art of expression is the evolution of Address
Parisian what is now the finer art of defense Boxe Francaise. It does not
rummage in the spoils of Chausson just as those who do Savate.
In my opinion Albert actually did more harm to Savate and its traditions via his
influence and yet the name of savate resonates the world years before jujitsu,
karate or even kung fu.
I see many confuse the Jue Bas and Jue Haut to a low kicking style versus a high
kicking style. This is not the case it was actually a society base for a type of
prejudice, low class versus high class. This was seen in the early part of the
1900s. Thus the rules changed and theoretically the last to continue practicing
the Jue in any from was a Professeurs of Desruelles brothers Jean and Hubert.
Who opened Salle Desruelles; both came out of the Joseph and Charles Charlement
but trained with Lafond, Castres, Bayle and others spreading the arts in a solid
form without prejudice from one or the other.
Yet the confusion of both the Jue Bas and Jue Haut separation came in the late
1880’s early 1890s. The main reason was guts and I repeat guts. Many of the
Savatiers (students of Savate) from savateurs (students of Boxe Francaise) had a
different outlook in fighting.
Thus is the case today with many proclaim and never fought in the ring yet alone
in the street. Yet you have plenty of theorists, conceptionists and fakes as
instructors of the art in today’s world. Spread facilities of the history and
techniques. This is a shame but we just have to esquive and move along the
damage. .
Conflicts were common in some of the Jues played. Then a separation came in the
true meaning which was actually the following: Jue Bas was meant for low society
class and Jue Haut meant higher society level. The name high was given not for
the type of kick but for the type of people that practiced the Boxe Francaise.
The same in the lingo used in the boxing and savate schools of today. Words that
are common ground to rolling which is taking a student to spar with another
coach’s boxer. But in today’s MMA world it means to fall to floor and wrestle?
Sparring is to go full out on your partner in the training hall. The other lingo
that is floating around is the difference from standup which now means punching
and kicking, grappling which now means to wrestle. And wrestling means jujitsu.
With in the world Savate means for the street and Boxe Francaise means for the
ring. This is not the case Savate is a complete art for both the ring and
street, and so is Boxe Francaise. Today’s Ring sport that both styles can take
part in is known as Boxe Francaise: Savate, a big misconception.
These lingo misconceptions again come from people for play instead of practice
and change the face of the pugilistic realm either to disfigure it or to
embellish it with false sense of truth.