Once more unto the breach

This weekend is the 2007 European Savate Chamiponships in Tournai, Belgium.

Savate is one of the original kickboxing variants:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Savate

I've been doing it for over 7 years now and I have been selected as one of 8 male and 8 female to fight for the British Team again and we go out to Belgium tomorrow morning.

A couple of cool fight videos:
Full contact:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DymS391Qe_U

Controlled Contact:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=79j-uAyRJFo


I got Bronze at the World Championships last year (lost to the guy who went on to win!) so hoping to do as well this year.

So wish us all luck!!!



Cheers,
James

[Edited on 31/10/07 by James]

GOOD LUCK James!
Give 'em loads.

Best of luck James

It's the combination of "soft southern jessie" and "savate" that makes me smile...

Good luck!

I'm smiling that he's been selected as one of the 8 male and female ...... errm, no, actually i don't want to know

Good luck.

Good luck James (and the rest of GB team) !!

We'll be thinking of you all weekend......give 'em heaps!

Looking forward to hearing how it went..

Fozzie

James & the rest of the team, Good luck.

Good Luck James!

Steve

Best of luck to you and team James - is you GF on the femal team again?

good luck jim, kick where it hurts

Best of luck James

Hope it all goes well James. best of british to you all - give em hell!! We are all behind you.

Glad to say it seems your Good Lucks worked!

I came away with a Silver medal!

Worked really hard for it, with upping training to a minimum of 5 times a week for several months plus running in my spare time so pretty damn chuffed it paid off!

Won my first 5 fights:
Pool:
1. Switzerland
2. Belgium (battered me so much that I nearly chucked the towel in on round 2! but managed to come back fortunately).
3. Portugal

1/4
4. Serbia

1/2
5. Slovenia

Final:
France


In the final I met a French guy (who was 2006 World Champion). Last year, I met him in the semis and it's fair to say he destroyed me. This time was a different story and I nearly had him. Oh, well, I get another chance next year at the World Championships!

The lowest moment for me was Friday night. I was top of the pool but the Belgian who kicked the crap out of me was 2nd. Meaning he would go through as well and I might meet him again in the Semis. I was really scared to meet him again and get that hurt again. Along with a knackered knee from the Portugal fight I just wanted to pull out and hardly slept apart from one dream where I woke up shouting "No, no, no" thinking someone was bending my bad knee backwards!
Forunately the knee recovered overnight and the next two fights went much better!
The Belgian lost his quarter final. hah!


Team GB as a whole did really well, with 1 Gold, 2 silvers and 2 bronze. So we were one of the highest medal tally scoring nations. After the French, that is, who won more than half the Golds!!!




Thanks again for all the support! Sorry about the wordy response but can't stop banging on about it!

Cheers all,
James






2007 Savate Silver Medallist


You can see the state of the French guy's eye!

[Edited on 5/11/07 by James]

Congratulations James

Most excellent news!
DLT and I were thinking of you meeting the Frenchie! ...after last year!
Methinks he will be a little wary of you next year ......

Hope you are not too battered after the Belgian fight!

Well done Team GB..........

BTW how did Rach do?

Well done again!

Fozzie

Battered?

Erm..... apart from not being able to walk I'm fine!



Rach was injured months ago and couldn't enter. She genuinely could have won Gold this year so was a great shame. But she was a great corner person!


Cheers,
James

Nice one you soft southern Jessie, share a barley pop n chin wag neat year sometime ?

Do you not get any coverage (tv) at a ll ? satellite ?

Well done James. You were missed/mentioned at newlands on sunday morn..

Ned.

You'd think they'd make the second podium a little bit higher than third or fourth

Congratulations!

Nice to see there are some sports we don't get our butt kicked in

Nice one mate - you deserved it (second that is )