Savate Competitions
Tournaments and championships – while competitive – are a great way to meet other Savate practitioners. Events offer an opportunity to travel and test what you have been learning.
Assaut highlights
Types of competition
London Savate competes at events across Europe each season. We have produced British champions, one European Champion, and one World Champion, in addition to winning medals at club level events.
Assaut
Assaut has unique rules which require strikes to be delivered ‘without force’ (sans puissance). This requires a high level of control and requires you to win by invention, strategy, tactics, and fitness, rather than by brute force. Studying Assaut gives athletes the chance at a longer fighting career. 3-5 ringside judges award points for clear, well-formed Savate technique that touches the opponent. Bouts are 3-5 rounds of 1.5 or 2 minutes long, with a minute’s rest.
Combat
In Combat fighters seek to damage or KO the opponent using full-contact technique. Superior conditioning and strength define a successful Combat athlete. Bouts may be held at championships, galas, or other events.
Duo / Demonstration
Some Savate competitions will include a Duo – or paired demonstration – category, in which two participants co-operate to produce the most pleasing and technically comeptent display.
Canne de Combat
Canne de Combat Savate competitors try to touch defined targets with a high speed cane strikes, strictly regulated.
Rules
The Federation International (FISav) maintains the Rules of Savate and the Arbitrage (refereeing) Rules (French language, external links).
Recent online tactics classes
| Image | Title | Date | Summary | Minutes | Categories | Tags |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | The Repertoire Method | 06 Feb 2026 | How to develop a world-class fighting style with solo training. The Repertoire Method, laid out … | 14 | Talks | tactics |
 | My championship combos 2025 | 31 Aug 2025 | Train my competition combos along with me by joining my morning workout in the last … | 7 | Combinations | tactics |
 | How to deal with a Southpaw | 09 May 2025 | How must your tactics change when boxing somone in the opposite lead? In this lesson … | 14 | Analysis | tactics |
 | Helsinki Savate Open 2025 – my matches | 20 Mar 2025 | My 5 Assauts from Helsinki Savate Open, 13-14 March 2025, in full, with commentary. Available … | 36 | Analysis | tactics |
 | How did I get on at the World Championships 2024? | 03 Nov 2024 | A few reflections on what went right and what did not from my preparation – … | 4 | Talks | tactics |
 | My World Championships 2024 | 21 Oct 2024 | Playlist with all my matches from Slovenia, being uploaded across this week. This content is … | 40 | Analysis | tactics |
 | Austria Cup of Clubs 2024, my final | 27 Sep 2024 | The 80kg final match from 21 Sep 2024, London vs Helsinki. This content is available … | 5 | Analysis | tactics |
 | Austria Cup of Clubs 2024, my first round match | 27 Sep 2024 | First round 80kg match from 21 Sep 2024, Weiz. This content is available with London … | 7 | Analysis | tactics |
 | Broken Attacks | 09 Aug 2024 | Part of my training for the 2024 World Savate Championships, Broken Attacks, or 2-phase attacks, … | 26 | Lessons | tactics |
 | Feinting Cycles | 04 Jul 2024 | How to make feints that work. A class covering feinting from hand to hand, hand … | 17 | Lessons | tactics |
 | How to avoid getting out of breath when you box | 03 Jun 2024 | Part of our psychology toolkit, includes energy systems training tips, the best breathing rhythms, and … | 17 | Talks | tactics, cardio |
 | Drills for fighting a tall opponent (Budapest 2024) | 06 Mar 2024 | 6 drills based on a recent fight. What footwork to practise? Which targets to aim … | 12 | Lessons | tactics |
 | The Geometry of Handling a Charging Opponent | Training and Analysis | 08 Feb 2024 | Training based on a recent fight. 2 combinations plus workouts, lessons, and analysis. Available on … | 5 | Lessons, Analysis | tactics, combinations |
 | Exits (NOT Pursued) | 10 Dec 2023 | 9 rounds of possible exits to combinations. Savate judges are specifically trained, all other things … | 36 | Lessons | tactics, combinations |
 | Savate Jab Candidates | 05 Oct 2023 | Having a jab is an important part of your weaponry when you spar or try … | 26 | Lessons | tactics |
 | Attack Defend Cycles | 04 Sep 2023 | Every attack is rightly followed by a defence, which is then followed by another attack, … | 41 | Lessons | tactics |
 | Can you hack a Savate tournament using the internet? | 18 Apr 2023 | In March 2023 World Academy member Lise competed at the Helsinki Savate Open, having trained … | 8 | Guides | tactics |
 | 7 Savate Sparring Tactics you should be training | 05 Dec 2022 | 7 ideas to take control of sparring situations, win exchanges, and deal with any type … | 7 | Analysis | tactics |
 | How Tactics Help Win Exchanges | 05 Dec 2022 | Watching a fight (European Championships, 2021) and asking what tactics are and how to create … | 9 | Analysis | tactics |
 | My 2022 World Championships, Milan | 01 Oct 2022 | Watch the whole of my World Assaut Championships 2022 campaign in Milan, 22-24th September, and … | 35 | Analysis | tactics |
 | Jab Tactics in action | 04 Feb 2022 | Explore several different uses of the jab in a Savate ring. Irish Open 2015. James … | Analysis | boxing, tactics | |
 | Jab Tactics | 04 Feb 2022 | 3 ways to use the jab tactically in Savate, French boxing. The jab (direct avant) … | 35 | Lessons | boxing, tactics |
 | How to get your hand raised: inside the judges’ scorecard | 04 Sep 2021 | You only win a Savate fight if you successfully convince the judges that you did. … | 8 | Talks | tactics |
 | Developing Sparring Sequences | 04 Sep 2021 | For technique that works in sparring and competition, prepare sequences of your best attacks and … | 36 | Lessons | tactics |
 | Renewed Attacks | 19 Apr 2021 | 38 min Tactical class. Following up your attacks with another in order to put-off your … | 38 | Lessons | tactics, combinations |
 | Baiting and Drawing | 12 Apr 2021 | How to set up your preferred replies. Here we break down the Yellow Glove skill … | 39 | Lessons | tactics |
 | 3 Set-ups in Savate | 07 Dec 2020 | 50 minute lesson. Can you tell the difference between a set-up and a scoring strike? … | 50 | Lessons | tactics |
| Sofa to Savate | 5 Golden Rules of Savate | 05 Oct 2020 | 5 Golden Rules for Savate. This content is available with London Savate World Academy | … | 5 | Talks | beginners, tactics | |
| Footwork in action | 10 Sep 2020 | Take your footwork further. Expert analysis of Savate fights illustrating principles of good footwork on … | 9 | Analysis | footwork, tactics | |
| Fight Analysis Workout: Multiple Kicks | 17 Aug 2020 | Watch multiple Savate kicks being used effectively in the ring. Talk-along fight analysis PLUS workout. … | 6 | Analysis | kicking, tactics, lockdown | |
 | Attack Variety | 23 Jul 2020 | Employing different heights, segments, and trajectories to improve our attacks. This content is available with … | 44 | Lessons | tactics, lockdown |
| Fight Analysis 101 | 29 Jun 2020 | Aim To introduce a few fight analysis ideas and explore how we might think as … | 28 | Talks | tactics, lockdown | |
| Feinting | 25 Jun 2020 | Aim To practise and reinforce some of the main ways of feinting, thinking about how … | 45 | Lessons | tactics, lockdown | |
 | Tactical Imagery | 15 Jun 2020 | Mental Imagery is a widely used tool for improving sports performance. Generally it is defined … | Guides | tactics, lockdown | |
| Unpredictability | 04 May 2020 | Technique 47 mins | Unpredictable Movement x 3 rounds | Strikes x 3 rounds | … | 47 | Lessons | tactics, lockdown | |
| Answered: how do I breathe properly when boxing? | 17 Apr 2020 | Member question: ‘How do I breathe properly when boxing?’ Answer: This content is available with … | 2 | Technical Clips | tactics, lockdown | |
| Variety | 30 Mar 2020 | Add variety to your combos, footwork, and attacks – Monday 30th March 2020. 32 mins … | 32 | Lessons | tactics, lockdown |