Charles Charlemont
Won savate's 1899 'fight of the century'
- Born
- November 21, 1862, Paris, France
- Died
- May 31, 1944 (aged 81)
- Nationality
France- Style
- Academic-method fighter
- Active
- 1896–1900
The story
harles Charlemont won the fight that made savate famous. Born Louis Charles Pilet in Paris in 1862, he took his father Joseph's surname when his parents married, learned boxe française from him and co-founded their academy in 1887. In 1896 he beat Michel Ginoux, one of the last specialists of the Marseille kicking game. On 28 October 1899 he met Jerry Driscoll, a former English navy champion, in a bout billed as the fight of the century; it ended in the eighth round when a fouetté to the body doubled Driscoll over, though the English cried foul. He beat Victor Castérès at the Salle Wagram in 1900, then turned to teaching, coaching Pierre Baruzy and organizing savate's demonstration at the 1924 Paris Olympics. Made a knight of the Legion of Honour in 1928, he died in 1944.
Tap a technique with an arrow to learn how it works.
- Co-founder (1887) and later head of the Académie de boxe française, Paris, until 1944
- Organizer of the savate demonstration at the 1924 Paris Olympics
- Physical-education teacher at the Lycées Janson-de-Sailly and Rollin, Paris
- Knight of the Legion of Honour (1928)
Defining fights
- 1896WINvs Michel Ginoux (one of the last chausson marseillais specialists)
- 1899WINvs Jerry Driscoll (stoppage, round 8, fouetté to the body; the English claimed a low blow)
- 1900WINvs Victor Castérès (Salle Wagram, Paris)
- 1924Exhibition with his pupil R. Saurin (Olympic demonstration he organized, Paris)
Charlemont stopped Driscoll with a fouetté médian (body whip kick). Against a boxer who walks you down, turn on your support foot and whip the toe of the shoe into the body before he reaches punching range.
2015–now