No comments about Savate: French Foot Fighting : Self-Defense : Sport / What is Savate?.

No comments about Bruce Tegner Method of Self-Defense: The Best of Judo, Jiu-Jitsu, Karate, Savate, Yawara, Aikido, Ate-Waza.

1 comments about Defend yourself! Ketsugo: Complete self-defense: containing the combined unbeatable fighting arts of aikido, yawara, ate-waza, karate, judo, savate and jiu jitsu.

1. Has nice clean line drawings. Has a decent amount of basic stand up jujitsu locks and throws.You will not find any ground work or defense however. Explains the various striking hand formations and ways to condition them. A quick and easy book to read and learn from.

No comments about Do or die: A supplementary manual on individual combat : showing advanced science in bayonet, knife, jiu-jitsu, savate and boxing for those whose duties may lead them into a "tight spot".

No comments about Bruce Tegner Method of Self-Defense: The Best of Judo, Jiu-Jitsu, Karate, Savate, Yawara, Aikido, Ate-Waza.

No comments about Savate: French Foot Fighting.

4 comments about Boxe Francaise Savate: Martial Art of France.

1. This is one of the few modern Savate books in English. It is well written and easy to read, containing details on techniques, training methods and background information. The two authors are still practising Savate to this day, and between them have many years experience thus allowing them to have a unique insight into this growing Sport.

   Well worth a read, a good reference tool for anyone interested in this French kickboxing art.




2. This is a well written book. It shows that hands blows in Savate are just as powerful as the kicks. Bruce Lee stole most of his art from Savate and Boxing. If one looks at Wing Chun you can see that the Chinese admired Savate and stole it for them selves, good idea. Savate offers the most useful form of self defence for the streets. This book is a must for serious people. Boxing fist blows and kicks are a rough system to beat!



3. There is probably no better book around on the basics of Savate than this.Breaks down techniques very well.Often a book is illustrated very well but the text describing the techniques is poor;not the case here.Also,the connection between Savate and the kickboxing arts of the former French colonies in Indochina are quite evident.I highly recommend it.



4. However please do not be fooled. Someone posted in here that Bruce "Stole" his art from Savate. This simply is not true. Nor is it true that Savate makes up any part of Shaolin Arts. Bruce liked what he saw in Savate and incorporated this in Jeet Kune Do, but by no means is Savate synonomous with Jeet Kune Do, but rather just one piece of the many pieces that Bruce used in his own personal expression of the Martial Arts.

   I have been trying to retrace the footsteps of Bruce Lee from a very young age, and Savate is definitely one of the mechanisms for that. Bruce was well grounded in Wing Chun, but added the kicks from Savate. If you are looking for an excellent way to add to your existing knowledge of the Martial Arts then this book is definitely for you.

5 comments about Bruce Tegner's Complete Book of Self-Defense Judo, Jiu Jitsu, Karate, Savate, Yawara, Aikido, and Ate-Waza..

1. I bought this book when it was first published as a teen also studying shotokan karate.I have to admit that I find the methods in this book to be more practical than the karate I took.I don't agree with everything Tegner wrote, but if you are looking to learn practical self defense without spending years in a martial arts class, then this book could really help you.I would recommend that you also read Rex Applegate, Fairbairn or Brad Steiner to add some real dirty methods to your overall training.But overall, a good book as a foundation.



2. Tegner presents some excellent insights into the striking techniques of martial arts, but his commmentary on the styles left me with a distaste for his work: he puts Judo down as a martial art, then proceeds to draw better than 60% of his techniques from Judo! I disagree with his premise that someone could pick up his book and start practicing the techniques shown, safely, without an experienced instructor to oversee the student's work. After 10 years of martial arts experience, I would never advise anyone to pick up a book and teach themselves a martial art: they would end up with serious injuries. Books are wonderful to supplement, and enhance, a martial artist's techniques and skills, but they are not a good way to launch a martial art career: a book cannot be asked for guidance when a technique is not working, nor can a book correct your misunderstanding of what is presented.

   I recommend this book to martial art students and instructors -- not to those who wish to begin studying a martial art by themselves.

   Nidan Judo, Nidan Ju-Jitsu.




3. In response to the review that had an agenda to discourage people from picking up a book to learn the basics of self-defense...I'd just like to say that one of my best friends was attacked one day while walking from the grocery store by three of his enemies from school (how they became his enemies is another story) and one of these individuals was armed with a switch-blade and used it without reserve in his attack. My buddy not only escaped with his life but inflicted injuries on all three of the assaliants leaving them more hurt than he was. Afterwards the police were informed but the assailants were never caught. Nonetheless my friend attributes his successful defense to what he taught himself from books which included Bruce Lee's Fighting Method and one of Bruce Tegner's guides (I believe it was Bruce Tegner's Kung Fu and Tai Chi).

   So while I understand why many people like to think they're giving good advice when they express platitudes such as "you must not learn defense from a book!", they're not speaking from the truth but rather, in my opinion, from a very deep denial that SOME ONE ELSE can actually spend less money and time teaching themselves something that took them (the ones spending years in a martial arts class) years and expenses to obtain. Now, I am not knocking martial arts classes. I've simply been shown that they are by no means the only way of learning defense.

   Bruce Tegner's Complete Book of Self-Defense is a rather impressive guide. The text is just as enlightening as the photos...Tegner has a very distinct way of writing that you can tell comes from the heart. He details an accesible and intelligent method for self-defense which is very inspiring. Tegner himself suggests studying his methods with a partner. Unfortunately he does not express his view on someone using the concept of an imaginary opponent in case they do not have a partner to practice with.

   The only reason I do not give it 5 stars instead of 4 is because he left out many useful things that have appeared in one of his pervious books, Defense Tactics for Law Enforcement. In that book he covers many areas that should have been listed in this book such as how to disarm someone with a gun as well as a more detailed account on how to deal with multiple assaliants (in this book he gives some vague advice which is very good, but lacking).

   All in all, I would read this along with Defense Tactics for Law Enfrocement. That book fills in the gaps left out by this one.




4. Learning Martial Arts requires a good teacher and fellow students to practice with. Especially so, in martial arts like Aikido, Jujitsu, Hapkido etc. where trapping, grappling and throws are involved.
   While no book can replace a teacher and participation in a class, this book is an excellent companion if you are taking any of the afore-mentioned martial arts classes.
   This book does not provide you with lessons in history and philosophy of jujitsu. If that's what you are looking for try other books.
   This one gives you the stuff you need to know and use - plain and simple.



5. This was one of the first books on self-defense and the martial arts I owned as a child, and being able to find this in print again was exciting. Bruce Tegner remains one of the best authors in the area of self-defense, and this book offers a wealth of information to the reader. Filled with pictures and practical tips, this is an excellent self-study course, or can be used in conjunction with an existing martial arts program.

No comments about Boxe française : Savate.

5 comments about Savate.

1. Bruce Tegner had an older version of this book, where he actually demonstrated the techniques, and it even had tips on defending against a knife. Although there are better books on the subject, I would try to find the out of print version, rather than waste time on this. This book was just watered down karate.



2. When this book first came out in the 60's, it was the first book on Savate published in the U.S. There are still only a few that have ever been published on the subject, and although I'm aware that there are now better books on it, I credit Tegner for coming out with the first useful book on the art.

   As a karate and TKD man, the most important thing I got from this book was how different the "chambering" or delivery methods are for the basic kicks vs. karate. I am pretty big and tall, and I find that several of my kicks are actually delivered more like the Savate version rather than the classical karate version, which is sort of interesting. The high back stabbing kick from a quasi-layout position is also a kick I have worked to perfect as there is nothing quite like it in either karate or tae kwon do, and it's something I have occasionally used to good effect in sparring, since they're not accustomed to seeing this sort of oddly delivered kick.

   If you are interested in more reading on Savate, there is a good section in Donald Gilbey's Secret Fighting Arts of the World, where he meets the great Savate master, Baron Fegnier. Fegnier was a ferocious kicker and incredibly fast, who had been in numerous street fights and never lost. One of the interesting things I came away with from this interview was Fegnier's emphasis on precise interval, rather than focus, in a kick. This is interesting since he is correct that even being slightly off in your interval or distancing will nullify most of your focus. Although Gilbey is probably Robert W. Smith, and many of these stories are no doubt apocryphal, the "Baron's" advice is still cogent and relevant.

   Anyway, Tegner's book is still a useful introduction to this fascinating and obscure martial art, which almost completely died out after World War I, as many of the Savate masters were killed in the Great War, although I understand the art is now making a long-delayed but much deserved comeback.




3. Perhaps for the 1960'S this might be considered good; however I think the technique leaves much to be desired. Many of the low kicks are terrible (incorrect distance,lean and/or bending of support leg). The boxing is sloppy in terms of guard and stance (looks like modified karate).
   Even Tegners earlier Savate book has similar problems (especially concerning distance control and extension in kicking).
   Savate is a very efficient art - assuming its performed corectly.
   However a good book for the price. You can even learn from a bad book.



4. I haven't trained Savate but always been curious about this version of martial art. As a student of karate and boxing I found that many of the techniques presented in Tegner's book is similar to what I learned doing the other styles. Without having more to go on than what I learnt from this book I found this discipline to be like an upgraded version of boxing. However, I remember seeing a French championship in Savate on TV a few years ago and when watching it Savate seemed much more related to Kickboxing than regular boxing. Guess it's difficult to give an all-inclusive description/introduction about a whole discipline in a book? I'm sure it's works better as a complement to existing students of Savate than to newbies.



5. I had the original Savate Book from Tegner. In that book he taught a very simple method of kicking along with general boxing. One of the ideas I got from this book was his T method. The back leg was a support leg only. The front leg did the kicking. Now most martial artists today would go HUH. But when I tried his method in my Wing Chun class it confused alot of the students. More advanced students I was doing very well against. The one weakness in Tegner's style is if your opponent attacks that back leg you might get in trouble. My Wing Chun Teacher figured it out. But if you are going to fight some thug who does not know what he is doing. The techniques in this book are very easy to learn and can be effective!