Also known as Boxe Française, or French boxing, Savate has somewhat cloudy origins, but many trace it to the 18th century, when French sailors sailing the Indian Ocean and South China Sea learned kicking techniques from Asian cultures and brought them back to the streets of Marseilles. In Paris in 1803, Michael Casseux set up the first school of Savate, named for a type of heavy boot worn at the time. By 1820, Savate had grown in popularity throughout France, and open hand strikes were added to its system of kicks. One of Casseux's students, Charles Lecour, was responsible for introducing the hand techniques of English boxing into Savate, which led to its second name, Boxe Française. In 1899, France and England faced off in the so-called "fight of the century," a bout pitting Savate fighter Charles Charlemont against the English boxer Jerry Driscoll. When Charlemont knocked out Driscoll with a round kick to the stomach, Savate fans claimed dominance. When Paris hosted the Olympic...