Fouetté

Quick Facts

About

Fouetté is an arcing kick of French savate, whose name literally means whip or lash. It strikes with the toe of the boot; savate is practised and contested in boots with a hard rubber toe that allows forceful toe kicks. The kick can be aimed at three heights: high to the head (figure), medium to the trunk (médian), and low to the leg (bas). In a bout it serves as an attacking kick aimed by the chosen height. It differs from chassé in the striking surface, fouetté uses the toe of the boot and chassé the heel, and in its path: fouetté traces an arc, while chassé shoots straight out like a piston. Savate is contested at three levels: assaut with controlled contact, where technique is judged, pre-combat at full power with mandatory protective gear, and combat at full intensity. The kick belongs to savate (boxe française), which arose from the fusion of Parisian street savate and the southern French chausson. We have not been able to document who introduced fouetté into its repertoire.