Touch, don’t get touched – the benefits of doing Savate Assaut (no power) kickboxing
What is Assaut?
Assaut is a specifc type of Savate kickboxing in which all power (puissance) must be excluded from the strikes in training and in competition.
More fun
The aim is to touch and not be touched, making it a game in which tactics, speed, and cunning all play a big part. Many people find it more fun to be able to box and fight without the threat of heavy contact. Stress can be lower and the risk of damage is minimised.
Great for fitness
Savate Assaut is full speed and will challenge and improve your cardio fitness, flexibility, agility, and core strength. Ask anyone who has tried it and they’ll say that there is nothing quite like fast sparring for a full-body fitness test!
Less damage
One of the obvious benefits of this type of fighting is you receive less damage from a typical strike, class, or competition. Accidents do happen, it is a contact sport after all, but in the standard run of things it should be safer. In particular, by forbidding heavy contact to the head, the risk of concussion is lowered and the damage that may arise through repeated exposure to head trauma is – for the most part – evaded.
Longer career
Without taking regular heavy punishment, a sports career can be extended beyond the normal brief period in which full-contact fighting is possible. In Savate Assaut, fighters may continue into their 40s, 50s, even 60s – whereas a full-contact career is normally over by mid 30s.
Spar with everyone
When power is no longer the determining factor, smaller fighters may box with larger ones, experienced with less experienced, men with women (in class). Everyone gets to play the game and enjoy the range of tactics on offer. (In competition we are still divided by weight and by gender – and often experience – in order to make even matches more likely).
Exciting techniques
In Assaut more points are scored for stylish techniques such as spins, jumps, and clever footwork. Students are encouraged to express themselves using these types of moves which can be exhilerating, it looks fantastic, and – let’s be honest – you want to get into kickboxing in order to jump spin kick people in the face, right?
Enjoy the game
In Savate, sparring/assaut is part of the very first grading – which we call Blue Glove. We encourage students from the very beginning to treat Savate as a game, do the tag exercises, and have fun trying to touch without getting touched – which is the essence of all combat sport. We teach all this in a safe, enjoyable environment which can still be highly competitive and great for your overall fitness.
Want to give it a try?
You won’t be asked to do sparring in your first class, but you can definitely take part in some of our exciting full-speed games, learn correct kicking technique, boxing posture, and try out Savate as a sport.