Apache knuckleduster pistol 1860s France

[fernando]

Originally Posted by Norman McCormick

... I've never heard of savate as a dance but I do know it as a style or type of French kickboxing popular in the late 19th early 20thC...

Yes indeed Norman, a sort of French street fight. The term comes from the Spanish zapato (Portuguese sapato) as it was performed with heavy footwear, especially the boots used by French military and sailors.
There seems to be also a DANCE APACHE (a highly dramatic dance) associated with Parisian street culture)


.