Savate, or boxe francaise, started in France in the early 1800's. An old style of French fighting consisted of kicking at the opponent with regualr, everyday shoes on and the word for shoe was "savate"( sah-vaht) or "old shoe". In 1825 a man named Michel Casseux opened the first savate salle( training center). There was, however, another type of fighting used back in the old days by French sailors and dockworkers called jeu marseillais. This also included the same kicking techniques as savate but jeu marseillais kicks were aimed at higher locations on the body and the hands were used for support and balance. The name for these kicking styles was later changed to chausson. Around 1830 a student of Michel Casseux was defeated at the hands of an englishman. The English thought that kicking was unmanly and cowardly. Then, the French recognized that they were at a disadvantage when in an upclose fist fight so the style was revised and incorporated the methods of English boxing which was the birth of la boxe francaise. After the 1924 Paris Olympics the style of savate teetered on the verge of extinction for many years. Now a days people are slowly making a more popular sport out of boxe francais. Now it is just called savate.
Savate is very similar to kickboxing but more elegant and gentleman-like. Weapons such as bostaffs, swords, knifes, and nunchaks are not used. Instead, some savate practicioners use walking sticks and cane-swords. It also consists of headbutting and throwing(pushing). As mentioned above, this style or a derivative of it is taught to sailors along with other hand-to-hand combat techniques such as grapples and headlocks.