Savate or "French Kickboxing" can be traced back to the 18th
century when sailors from the port of Marseilles practiced a
sport known as "Chausson." This was purely a kicking sport.
It is presumed that the styles of kicks were taken from
fighting systems seen while visiting the eastern oriental
countries. By 1820 the sport had grown in popularity
throughout France and some "open" hand strikes have been
added.
