The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1928-03-28
TELLS
OF FRENCH
FIGHTING
BY Gene Tunney
Heavyweight champion

MIAMI, March %. - Once
during the A. E. F. boxing
tournaments in Paris, in 1919,
French officers who were or
ganizing the interallied bouts
volunteered to give the Ameri-
can soldiers demonstration
Of the Fart of self-defense' as
it had existed in its raw orig'-
nal state in the middle of the
eighteenth century.
In those days. as the staged
demonstration was to. reveal. sell
defense was an art practiced as a
sport. But 1t was a savage per-
Torrance and calculated to develop
q genuine defense against bands
of thugs and robbers who roamed
the country in defiance OF the
law. Fully as dangerous as duel
ing. '.Savate," as the sport was
called, required the use or both
hands and feet and deadly knockout
blows-more properly death blows
could be administered with either
the fists or feet or both.
The two opponents OF the old
type OF s'SaVate" were officers
well over middle age and still
proficient because Savate Is
stu taught in some of the
French army schools, not so
much as an aid to a soldiers
fighting equipment but because
of the strenuous exercise u
ent1ils.
The opponents squared away in
the CIRQUE de Paris as prelim-
mary to one of the seminal
shows in the Al. e. r.. tournament.
Equipped with light gloves. they
took positions similar to present.
day boxers. One Of the contest
ants led with his left and when
his opponent lodged the blow.
spun on his left foot and with
his right leg extended like that of
q ballet dancer. caught his foe
q body blow just over the heart
with his heel. The opponent,
chopping down with his right,
swung his right leg upward stimuli.
taneously and planted his heel
just under the ear of the first
attacker. Had he given the blow
H. Ill
have floored the recipient Of the
jolt. IT had been announced. how
ever. that the men would simply
demonstrate all Of the regulation
leads ind counters and the two
or three dozen approved blows and
methods of defense.
AS the bout went on 1t moved
with lightning.Iike swiftness, even
though the contestants were at
tempting TO slow motion it for the
benefit OF the spectators. The
final interchange was one which for
deadIiness could not be duplics ted
in modern methods of fighting and
was clearly designed to finish an
opponent temporarily or, in street
fighting against dangerous enemy,
to kill IL possible.
Both men spared with hands
and feet until one saw a favor
able opening. Jumping from the
floor two feet I'm the air, he
wnirIed until his back was to-
ward his opponent. Then. with
his full weight Lehind it. he
planted his heel in the stomach,
inst below the heart.
The natural impulse of the man
struck was to seize the foot with
both hands and he did so. Where
nnon the kicker. by this time with
Nth hands on the floor, wheeled
ever in q giant arc and planted his
free foot in his opponents groin.
later / was told that in a serious
contest, he would have aimed for
tne law and that it would have been
strange. indeed. If a knockout had
,,ot resulted. The blow to the groin
.vas reserved for desperate defense
.rd had the man been fully dressed
sriff, reAvy shoes, probably would
rave resulted in death or perma-
when the Savate was followed
.4r,ctlv as a, sport. stomach blows
.,sore barred as being too danger
c,,q. but none the less all pupils
,rere trained to land such blows for
n those loose days brauls in which
.oliders might be caught disarmed
ware frequent and they could not
resort L. challenging burly ruffians
r, duelE, ror the good reason tnat
The ruffians' would not wait Tor a
vneeting on the field of honor ana
knew nothing about fighting with
swords anyway.
Many mlSuIy Sll"iiiPAoHS
Ss.Ioned in the Savate and their
cords are terrifying. Sabatier was
4ta first great champion after
,vnich there came Baptiste and
r.adou. II such term could have
heen applied. Baptiste carried the
par,,tation of being the gentle.
,oanIy exponent of the Savate and
~aany of the notable personages OF
ths day were his pupils, including
49, famous Duo de Berry who
sdded hand and foot fight to his
slreadv great accomplishments as
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