Joseph Charlemont

Joseph Charlemont
Born 1839
Lesdain, France
Died 1918
Nationality French
Occupation Instructor
Known for Savate

Joseph Charlemont (born 1839 in Lesdain, France - died 1918) was a French savate and Canne de combat teacher.[1] His son Charles Charlemont (1862 - 1944) was also a noted savateur.

Career

Although Charlemont has often been described as a student of Charles Lecour, he was instructed by Louis Vigneron. [2] After he had fought Hubert Lecour (who was Charles Lecour's brother and a savate instructor himself), Joseph was considered one of the best competitors within French boxing.[3] He gained recognition by taking on representatives of other schools and different styles.[4] His fighting style and own teachings and developments were built on the modern version of savate as promoted by Charles Lecour.[5]

In 1887 he opened a gymnasium, it attracted high-profile people of the time, amongst them the popular author Alexandre Dumas who had already attended the salle of Michel Casseux.[6] His detailed update of Lecour's French Boxing established Charlemont's reputation. [7] He described his system[8] in two books, where he described a system built around four ranges of combat, where striking and grappling were to be used in conjunction with one another.[9] Hereby he created a new standard where system forms the technical syllabus which modern sport of savate is based on. [10] Moreover he founded an association for French boxing, the Society of French Boxers (Société des Boxeurs Français). [11] As a result of his achievements, savate increased in popularity. Due to the efforts, the French kick-boxing art reached its pinnacle of recognition, respectability and social acceptance towards the end of the 1800's.[12]

References

  1. ^ "Joseph Charlemont, professeur de boxe française et de canne". http://savate-nogentaise.kazeo.com/ce-qu-il-faut-savoir/un-peu-d-histoire,a330810.html. Retrieved 2011-08-10. 
  2. ^ "Joseph Charlemont, a student of Louis Vigneron". http://www.fighttimes.com/magazine/magazine.asp?article=162. Retrieved 2011-08-10. 
  3. ^ "Charlemont was among the best boxers in France". http://ejmas.com/jmanly/articles/2001/jmanlyart_smith_0601.htm. Retrieved 2011-08-10. 
  4. ^ "Various other fighting systems.". http://eng.inkungfu.com/news/view.aspx?id=1962. Retrieved 2011-08-10. 
  5. ^ "Joseph, a student of LeCour's helped develop Savate professionally". http://www.usadojo.com/styles/about-savate.htm. Retrieved 2011-08-10. 
  6. ^ "Charlemont opened the first official school, his students was Alexander Dumas, author of The Three Musketeers.". http://kombatarts.com/classes/savate. Retrieved 2011-08-10. 
  7. ^ "Joseph reputation". http://savatelauragaise.free.fr/historique.htm. Retrieved 2011-08-10. 
  8. ^ "His system". http://www.bloodyelbow.com/2011/8/21/2310926/the-lost-golden-age-of-mixed-martial-arts-part-iii-sherlock-holmes. Retrieved 2011-08-10. 
  9. ^ "He wrote two manuals on French boxing". http://www.fighttimes.com/magazine/magazine.asp?article=162. Retrieved 2011-08-10. 
  10. ^ "Charlemont’s system forms the technical syllabus". http://savateaustralia.wordpress.com/essays/savate-kickiboxing-the-thinking-mans-kickboxing/. Retrieved 2011-08-10. 
  11. ^ "Vers la fin du 19e siècle, Joseph Charlemont, de retour en France crée la " Société des Boxeurs Français ".". http://www.savate-belgium.be/fr/intro_evo.htm. Retrieved 2011-08-10. 
  12. ^ "Joseph Charlemont (1839 - 1918), the French kick-boxing art reached its pinnacle of recognition". http://www.cambridgemartialarts.freeserve.co.uk/history.htm. Retrieved 2011-08-10.