Robert Paturel
Six French titles, then twenty years in the RAID
- Born
- August 2, 1952, Rueil-Malmaison, France
- Nationality
France- Weight
- Middleweight, Super welterweight
- Active
- 1970s–1985
- Status
- Retired · age 74
The record
Savate bouts, 103 in all, per Wikipedia and his ADAC profile; knockouts not documented. record
The story
obert Paturel, nicknamed the Gorilla, is one of France's best-known savate champions. Born in Rueil-Malmaison in 1952, he worked as a pastry chef and nightclub doorman before joining the national police in 1976. In the ring he won six French titles between 1976 and 1984, at middleweight and super welterweight, and took the 1984 European title in a final against Italy's Marco Noccentini, finishing with 88 wins, 11 losses and 4 draws. Dutch kickboxer Fred Royers beat him twice. From 1988 he spent 20 years in the RAID, the national police tactical unit, as an operator, instructor and negotiator. He introduced the tonfa baton to French police training, created a street self-defence method called boxe de rue in 2002, and has appeared in films such as La Vie en rose and Taken 2, often as technical adviser.
- French champion 6 times (middleweight 1976, 1979; super welterweight 1980, 1982–1984)
- European champion (1984)
- Gant d'or (gold glove)
Defining fights
- 1982LOSSvs Fred Royers (TKO 4, kick, Paris)
- 1984WINvs Marco Noccentini (European final)
- 1985LOSSvs Fred Royers (decision, Paris)
Paturel carried ring savate into police work. Drill the coup de pied bas (low kick) to the shin and the lead-hand direct (straight punch) from a relaxed stance until both come out with no wind-up.
2015–now