On November 17 and 18th 2000, the Federation International made it clear to all parties involved that the USSF had to be totally restructured from scratch, and that democratic process be established due to the presence of "too many Savate chiefs" in the USA  Initiated by Prof. Gilles Leguidou an initial ARSIC-International registered Steering Founding Committee for the democratic restructuration of the USSF is currently being formed. The USSF steering group Acting President Moniteur (2nd degree) Norman Taylor has been put into place by the International Federation and will be overseeing the democratic restructuration of the USSF with the technical administrative assistance of ARSIC-Internatonal.
 
 
 
 

Official USSF Website approved by the International Federation and ARSIC-International:

All USA Savate websites must be registered by ARSIC-(US) in order to be approved by the International Federation as official websites. This new regulation was made clear at the November meeting between ARSIC (US) executive director and International federation Vice president Professor and Companion de la Savate Gilles Leduigou. Under request from the International Federation of Savate, ARSIC-International is in the process of creating an official website for the New USSF. Any content put on the website will be strictly controlled. Various State Savate Federation are requested to provide data regarding the various Savate States Board Administrative Structures to ARSIC-International via Email to: arsic-international.voila.fr

The new ARSIC-International registered USSF website is located at:
http://members.bellatlantic.net/~eynard/USSFsavateMainFrame.htm
 

Further, the United State Registry of Canne de Combat and Baton (USRCCB) has also open a new website. This website is also registered by ARSIC-International and can be found at:
http://members.bellatlantic.net/~eynard/CannedecombatUSRCCB.htm
 

IMPORTANT: New International Federation Certification programs  through ARSIC-International (United States) (Board meeting)

The International Federation of Savate (FIS)  and ARSIC-International have agreed in a new certification process. The following is the new Instructors certifications process: As requested by the International Federation. Only savateurs with a license in good standing and all ranks registered with the USSF/ ARSIC will be permitted to take these examinations for instructors. Once this new amendment to instructor rank certification will be ratified by the FFBFSDA/FIS board of Directors for the year 2001 the following will go into effect.

The new certifications for instructors are:
1st level instructor: Initiateur
Part 1: Basic sport anatomy, basic sport physiology, basic history of Savate, basic legislation of Savate (electronic format examination available)
Part 2: Practical exam under 1 ARSIC/USSF registered Moniteur 1st degree or 2nd degree.

2nd level instructor: Moniteur 1st degree
Part 1: Basic Sport anatomy, Basic sport physiology, Advanced history of Savate, Advanced legislation of Savate (electronic format examination available)
Part 2: Practical exam under 2 ARSIC/USSF registered Moniteur 2nd degree or ARSIC/USSF registered Professeur.

3rd level instructor: Moniteur 2nd degree
Part 1: Advanced Sport anatomy, Advanced sport physiology, Advanced history of Savate, Advanced legislation of Savate (electronic format examination available). Practical examination given by ARSIC international
Part 2: Practical exam under FFBFSDA/FIS control in the USA and through special seminar.

The certification process will facilitate registration through ARSIC with the International Federation. The International Federation has requested that ARSIC provides training, instruction and examination in instructors examinations sections on Sport Physiology, Sport Anatomy, Savate History, Savate legislation and regulations. All savateurs willing to take examinations for Savate instructors must pass these sections prior to being awarded FIS/ARSIC registered Moniteur 1st degree or being allowed to present part 1 examination for FIS/ARSIC Moniteur 2nd degree. FIS Initiateurs full certification and FIS Moniteurs 1st degree full certification will be awarded through ARSIC-International and register with the International Federation via ARSIC-International. FIS Moniteur 2nd degree part 1 will be tested by ARSIC International. Only after successfully passing the examination for part 1 will the candidate be allowed to take part 2 with the International Federation, or allowed by the FIS to take the examination for Moniteur and Professeur in France.  Only savateurs with a licence in good standing and ranks registered with the USSF/ ARSIC will be permitted to take these examinations.
 

New International Federation Certifications to be drafted for the USA:
ARSIC Executive Director has presented the following types of teaching certification to the International Federation vice president. Such Certification process still remain to be approved and voted by the FIBFSDA/FIS.

Following the Yellow Glove:

Initiateur USA: Teaching but unauthorized to award ranks. Initiateur USA must be taken under a Moniteur USA 1st Degree or 2nd Degree.It allows:
-The ability to teach under the leadership of a Moniteur of Savate.

Moniteur USA 1st Degree: Habilitated to direct a class and deliver ranks up to yellow glove. Examination for this rank must be done by 2 Moniteurs USA 2nd Degree.
It allows:
- The ability to have his/her own club
- The ability to award ranks up to yellow glove
- The ability to sit in Initiateur examination committee.

Moniteur USA 2nd Degree: This examination can only be provided by the International Federation. This is the highest level of teaching rank available in the USA. The Moniteur USA 2nd Degree is now considered the highest teaching degree awarded in the USA. It allows
- The ability to have his/her own club
- The ability to award ranks up to yellow glove
- The ability to sit in Moniteur 1st degree examination committee
- The ability to provide/offer State Level Federation Savate Seminars after filling an application to ARSIC-International
- The ability to sit for Professor examination in France: The Savate professorship is NOT valid in the USA if the FIS has not provide such an individual with a Second degree USA Monitorship
- The Moniteur USA 2nd Degree is equivalent to the French Monitorship and can teach in France as well. As per the FIS order, a French Federation Moniteurship does not allow the teaching of Savate in the USA
 
Professorship:

Technically FFBFSDA certified instructors are not recognized by the International Federation as habilitated to teach in other countries than France. This means that Professors and Moniteurs certified in France needs to become registered in the USA and have their certification validated by the FIS through ARSIC-International. The FIS must certify an individual with a  Monitorship USA 2nd degree, in order for a French professorship to be valid in the USA. The only exemption to this, is if a professeur is assermented by the FIS or the FFBFSDA to provide seminars in the United States. If a professor doesn't have a certification from the FIS he/she needs to inform ARSIC as soon as possible or he /she will need to retake the FIS moniteur exam (1st degree) with ARSIC.
 

Compagnon/Companion de la Savate:  Highest honorific title offered in the USA.
 

 

ARSIC-International registered NJSF Seminars:
By  Jean-Noel Eynard

As expected the November 17 (Bristol, PA) and 18th (North Bergen, N.J.)  ARSIC-International Registered NJSF/ PSF Seminar was a tremendous success. Initiateur Armando Basulto and Moniteur Norman Taylor really did a great job in the organization of this seminar. Savateurs from many states came to attend this unique seminar headed by Prof. Gilles Leguidou, Vice president of the F.I.S/ FIBFSDA and Virginie Lescure, Ladies World Champion whose amazing technicality and speed impressed more than one of the seminarist. Those who did not attend really missed one of the greatest seminars that occurs in the history of Savate in the USA. Many new ARSIC registered certified instructorships where awarded.
 
 

Picture of the Month:

Training Savate in France:
by  Armando basulto

It has never been an easy task to find authentic Savate instruction in the United States.  This should not come as a great surprise considering that in this century, the art of Savate was almost wiped from the earth by the two World Wars that decimated Europe.  Many of the teachers, fighters and students were killed during this period.  As late as the 1960’s, there was reportedly only about 300 practicing Savateurs worldwide.  Now of course, the art of Savate has seen resurgence all over Europe and the world, and there are many sources for Savate training in the United States.  The valuable work of organizations such as ARSIC, will keep Savate alive for future generations.  Yet there will always be a great value in a pilgrimage to the training salles of France, the birthplace of Boxe Francaise Savate.

I have been fortunate enough to have to opportunity to train at different Savate Clubs in and around Paris, and in June, when I returned as part of the USA Savate Team to fight in the World Cup, I then had a variety of places to choose from that felt like home.  This is one aspect of training you will appreciate immediately, no matter where you go, you will be received as a brother-in-arms and a friend due to a shared love of the art of Savate.

In Paris, I trained at BF Masseran (in the 7eme) which is a very large club located near the Hospital Des Invalids.  This club has several different active competitors as teachers and coaches.  They also have a full time boxing coach on staff that teaches a boxing class in the ring while the BF class runs on the main floor.  The club is basically a very large mirrored dance studio.  No frills or fancy equipment; people just show up, glove up, and start to train.  The training is very intense.  The average Boxe Francaise Savate class in France runs about 2 to 2 ½ hours.  The class is continuously moving as the bell rings to announce every 2-minute round.  The main instructor at Masseron, Yonnel Kurtz, makes sure that everyone is working at their best.  There are no separate Women and Men’s classes; everyone trains and spars together and I pity the person who underestimates the power these women conceal in their Savate shoes!

The club that I felt most like an “adopted son” and quickly felt like a member was the very tough CHOISY DU ROI club in the Paris suburb of the same name.  This club, even though very small and out of the way, has produced many champions.  The current World Lightweight Champion, Gilles CHERUBIN and current World Women’s Champion, Virginie LESCURE, both train and fight out of this gym.  The main instructor here is Gille LE DUIGOU, who was both a champion of Boxe Francaise and Boxe Anglaise.  His assistant coach, Jose, is a tough taskmaster but a wonderful guy when he’s not training you for a fight.  I learned a lot about the training of a BF Savate fighter from Jose and I will be very indebted to him forever.

The training at Choisy Du Roi was very tough since they train fighters first; the casual student just has to keep up.  The average workout is about 2 hours long with continuous rounds ringing every 2 minutes.  After countless rounds of warm-up rounds with your partner, you move quickly to lots of rounds working the technique or concept of the evening.  Then, when you feel you can barely stand, everyone must do a round of Assaut with everyone there.  I though it was all over after all this and limped off to take of my gloves when the Gilles yelled out “Allez!” and then the warm-down began.  This consisted of approximately 200 sit-ups, 100 leg lifts and other assorted abdominal exercises and then some stretching so everyone can crawl home without pulling a muscle!

What is very important to learn about Savate from training in France is how much an understanding of the culture will help you in your training.  Boxe Francaise Savate is a French art; NOT a derivative of the Asian arts, and to approach the training as if you were training in Karate or Tae Kwon Do, will not let you fully appreciate all the beautiful nuances of the art.  The way an experienced Savateur can “play” with his opponent using cunning and wily footwork, or the way a trainer bonds with his fighter like a brother, are all things that one needs to experience by immersing oneself in everything that is France. After long training sessions, we would stay up at Gilles’ house till the early hours drinking and discussing Savate, fighting and the beauty of a “well placed shoe”.

The International Federation, located in Paris, is always very helpful and helping visiting Savateurs connect with the right people.  If you are serious about learning Savate, make the trip, at least once in your life, to experience the simple beauty of sweating in a French salle de Savate.
 

 The ARSIC-International Foundation who has been trademarked, functions separately from ARSIC-International. It is available for anyone and everybody willing to contribute to the development of Savate in the USA. Contributors can participate in monetary gifts which will be used to support development of the French National Martial Art/ Sport in the USA only. Part of the monetary gifts will be used to contribute in monetary assistance to USSF trained ARSIC-International Registered Savateur with outstanding and unique abilities in the sport and taking examinations through the ARSIC-International Registered Instructors Formation Courses. It will contribute in financing part of their training as ARSIC-International registered Instructors within United States' ARSIC-International registered Clubs. Depending on the yearly amount of contribution from individual benefactors, development of foundation sponsored seminars and foundation sponsored competition could later take place as well possibly expansion of budgetary sponsorships outside the USA. Anyone wishing to contribute in the foundation should visit the following pages:

http://members.bellatlantic.net/~eynard/Foundation.htm
 

 

Savate Technical Tips Comments by Gilles Leguidou:

Aiming the knee is a priority in many Savate kicks. This is for two reasons:
- The opponent cannot move forward. The knee aim will prevent him from moving.
- The opponent cannot guess if the kick is going to be a fouette or a chasse
- The opponent cannot guess at what level the kick is going to be given.
 
 Always aim a kick. Do not throw a kick.
 

Upcoming ARSIC-International registered Seminars :

Decembre 2, 2000 Silver Glove Seminar- Nicholas Saignac - Contact ARSIC-International for information
 

Upcoming Competition
 

The next world Championship of Assauts will take place in Brussels (Belgium) in the middle of June 2002 contact Moniteur Armando Basulto for information:
 

SPORT PHYSIOLOGY:
by BodyIsland Health and Fitness

What - and when - you eat and drink can make a big difference to your performance, whether you're going out for a        run, working late in the office or planning a long night of  passion. Here's all you need to know.

                     Before exercise
                      Although most people get about 40-45% of their energy from    carbohydrate, anybody who exercises regularly should boost    that to 60% or more to keep their muscle glycogen levels    high. (Glycogen's the stuff that fuels muscles during exercise.)   That means plenty of bread, cereals, rice, pasta, beans or    potatoes at every meal.

                      You should also be sufficiently hydrated, so drink plenty of  water. If you don't drink until you feel thirsty, you're probably already dehydrated. Consume small amounts of water during  exercise too.

                      After exercise
                      It's vital to eat soon after exercise as this is the most efficient time to replace your muscle glycogen stores. Unless you're able to eat a proper meal within an hour or two, eat a snack  containing 50g of carbohydrate such as two large bananas, two scones or a large bowl of cereal. You also need to drink,    preferably lots of water, diluted fruit juice or a sports drink.