Boot to the Head

Your Vice President

Fri, 3 Jul 2009 12:46:02 -0700

Ran in to Jeff Conley, Vice President of the United States Savate Federation, at Abbott’s Pizza in Venice. He was accompanied by his lovely wife Amy and they consented to this impromptu iPhone photo.

Jeff recounted the USSF’s role in the recent election of Gilles Le Duigou as President of the International Savate Federation and it’s activities in encouraging European savateurs to visit the U.S. for tournaments and seminars.

You can train with Jeff and other LA based savateurs on Saturdays at 1pm in Santa Monica. Francis Echinard conducts Savate lessons outdoors at 4th Street and Hollister.

You’ll Believe A Man Can Fly

Tue, 2 Jun 2009 23:46:25 -0700

We loves us some parkour around here and have featured quite a few clips. This one is really, really good. Meet Damien Walters, but good luck catching him. Link

Savateurs in Muay Thai Bouts

Sun, 10 May 2009 11:38:11 -0700

Happy Mother’s Day!

Here’s a quick compilation reel of various savate trained fighters competing in K1 and Muay Thai events. Notice how fast the savateurs kick and how much more they move around the ring (the jumping spinning revers kick happen at :35 in). I wish we could see more of the fights (and the results), but this is a nice intro to get mom interested in savate. Link

Merantau

Sat, 2 May 2009 23:52:11 -0700

Check out the trailer for the Silat based martial arts movie “Merantau”. It’s very Ong Bak in feel, in that it seems to be about a rural martial arts master who goes into the big bad city and cleans up the criminal underworld. Silat is an Indonesian martial art that as far as I can tell, has never been the focus of a higher budgeted movie. Here’s the totally original plot:

“Yuda a skilled practitioner of Silat Harimau is in the final preparations to begin his “Merantau” a century’s old rites-of-passage to be carried out by the community’s young men that will see him leave the comforts of his idyllic farming village and make a name for himself in the bustling city of Jakarta. After a series of setbacks leave Yuda homeless and uncertain about his new future, a chance encounter results in him defending the orphaned Astri from becoming the latest victim of a European human trafficking ring led by the wildly psychotic, Ratger and his right-hand man Luc. With Ratger injured in the melee and seeking both his “merchandise” and bloody retribution, Yuda’s introduction to the city is a baptism of fire as he is forced to go on the run with Astri and her younger brother Adit as all the pimps and gangsters that inhabit the night hound the streets chasing their every step. With escape seemingly beyond their grasp, Yuda has no choice but to face his attackers in an adrenaline charged, jaw-dropping finale.” Link

Most Punches in a Minute

Sun, 26 Apr 2009 10:57:37 -0700

The are world records for everything it seems. This guy attempts to beat the record for the most full contact punches in one minute. It’s not enough to just hit the pad, see, you have to mean it! It’s kinda ridiculous, but that’s what this blog is for. Link

This related attempt at a world record may be just a bit more entertaining:

Bruce Lee’s Seattle Days

Sun, 22 Mar 2009 12:37:25 -0700

Prolific martial arts blogger Dojo Rat found a great video about Bruce Lee’s days in Seattle. The mini-docu is narrated by one of Bruce’s students, James DeMile. The pacing is a little slow, but it contains some great training footage of Lee that I’ve never seen before. DeMile makes the claim that Bruce spent a lot of time developing his own fighting style, not JKD - his own personal style, which he never taught to anyone else. Fascinating. Definitely worth a look if you’re a fan. Link

2009 Combat World Championship Set for June 18-20th

Sun, 1 Mar 2009 12:33:36 -0800

Just got word from United States Savate Federation President, Todd Rork that the 2009 Combat (Full Contact) World Championship will be held in Novi Sad, Serbia on June 18th through the 20th. You have to be at least a red glove in order to compete against the best savateurs in the world. Interested in fighting for Team USA? Contact Todd here.

Oversized Boxing Gloves Turn You Into a Jerk

Fri, 27 Feb 2009 18:30:09 -0800

Here’s the proof:

Full Contact is Fun

Sun, 22 Feb 2009 22:55:00 -0800

More French full contact action with some really nice boots to the head. Look for an awesome jumping, spinning revers kick at :43 seconds in. Link

Ow! Ow! Ow!

Mon, 16 Feb 2009 23:15:12 -0800

Full contact French stick fighting. Maybe not as effective as Kali, but it’s an elegant style for a more civilized time. Link