Chassé
Chassé
Literally: chased away, driven out
Chassé is a straight, piston-like savate kick struck with the heel or the foot, in side and front variants.
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Chassé is a piston-like kick of French savate; its name literally means to drive away or chase out. The leg shoots straight forward or sideways and strikes with the heel or the foot. Two variants are distinguished, side (chassé latéral) and front (chassé frontal), and the kick can be aimed high, medium, or low. It serves as an attacking kick at short and medium range, aimed at the head, trunk, or leg depending on the chosen height. It differs from fouetté in the striking surface, heel or foot instead of the toe of the boot, and in its straight piston-like path instead of an arc. At the assaut level referees penalise excessive force, and from pre-combat level a helmet and shin guards are mandatory. We have not been able to document who introduced chassé into savate.