NO BUTTS, HAS TO BE BOXING; MARTIAL ART FITNESS KICK WHERE WOMEN BEAT
MEN... AND IT BEATS CELLULITE.(Vital)



Daily Record (Glasgow, Scotland); 9/18/2002

Byline: GINNY CLARK

FROM step classes to spinning, fitness fads come and go before they
have delivered what they promised ... and most of them bore us long
before they go.

If we are honest, maybe that's why they don't deliver.

Nevertheless, it's time to dust down your trainers because there's
another - yes, but give it a chance - new exercise to try, this time
of the martial arts variety.

And there are two great things about this one: firstly, women are
better at it than men and secondly, it banishes cellulite.

Promises don't come much better than that. The question is, will it
deliver before we get bored with it?

This latest craze is the French form of kick boxing, called Savate.
Pronounced sa- vat, it is a 400-year-old fusion of the foot-fighting
seen by French sailors on voyages to the Far East and traditional boxing.

As the national sport of France this martial art now forms part of the
French army's training routine.

Despite all this, it is not violent - but it does involve a training
regime that can work wonders on your thighs and bum.

Brothers Steve and Mike Krause run Krauseworld, the Glasgow gym which
specialises in martial arts. It is the only outlet in Scotland
licensed to teach Savate - and the Krause brothers say their classes
are gaining a dedicated following.

Mike said: "Women are naturally better at Savate than men. They have
stronger legs, more powerful hips and tend to master the grace of the
art more easily than guys.

"Because of the level of aerobic activity, muscles are strengthened
and toned rather than bulked- up.

"It's the favourite workout for a lot of supermodels, and Savate can
burn up to 800 calories per hour - which puts it at the top of the
league in the weight-loss stakes."

Steve added: "The women who come along also say they find the classes
exciting, and they are able to have fun while working out."

And having tried out a Savate class (okay, a quarter of a class), I
would have to agree.

As you are not just doing a robotic series of movements for no obvious
reason, but working through moves which develop a skill as well as
toned muscles, it does feel uniquely satisfying.

And getting the opportunity to kick out at someone else - without
hurting them, of course - is good fun too!

This is not kick-boxing as you might imagine it. You are not out to
floor an opponent - and you always wear training shoes. In France, it
is practised to competitive level but it is still not combative in the
usual ring- style sense. If anything, it is like fencing - with the
legs and feet used to point and touch opponents instead of an epee.

In fact, most people call it foot-fencing.

But if that all sounds a bit too Olympian for you, don't worry -
Savate is a solid workout with a few extra benefits thrown in.

In Savate, everybody works in pairs. And after some stretches and
lunges I teamed up with Mike.

Gripping left hand to left hand and then right to right in order to
work each leg, Mike took me through three basic moves, which mean you
take your weight on one leg while working the other.

Mike said: "The support you get from gripping hands with your training
partner means you won't lose your balance."

Even so, as I went through the routine of basic pointing kick,
sweeping back kick and whole- foot kick I could feel the effort in my
supporting leg as much as in the one doing all the kicking.

And after all these individual moves with both legs, I then had to do
all three in sequence.

By the time I finished I was sweating hard and could feel the muscles
pulsing in my thighs.

But Mike left me feeling a real novice when he explained: "That was
just the warm- up. Now we put the moves into action and get a cardio
workout too."

At that, I left it to the experts and watched as Mike donned special
gloves which he uses as protective markers on his body for training
partner Mandy to aim her kicks at.

Mandy is married to the other Krause brother, Steve, and has become a
huge fan of Savate.

She said: "I used to teach step classes, so this is a big contrast.
You have to give a bit more to it but you get so much more out of it."

Anne Barclay, who comes from Falkirk, but works in Glasgow, has become
such a fan of Savate classes that she comes in and trains virtually
every weekday - and brings her three kids on Saturdays.

For this 41-year-old mum, it is not just the fact that it "works the
glutes like nothing else", Savate has also boosted her self- confidence.

Anne says: "There is a self-defence element to it, I suppose, but it
is not really about that. It's more Savate challenges you to try
things you haven't done before. And when you find out you can do them,
that gives your confidence a huge boost.

"It requires you to think about yourself and your potential."

Anne, like most advocates of Savate, believes it is all about
empowerment - for the mind as well as for the body.

For while the potential physical gains are obvious, the mental workout
you'll also receive is what helps to make Savate so satisfying.

If you can't bear the thought of another 20 minutes on the
cross-trainer, then savate is worth a try.

As Anne says: "It's become an all-round self-discipline. Savate is a
philosophy for life."

Truly, a French approach to fitness.

Want to try it?

ALL you need is loose, comfy clothing - but if you haven't exercised
in a while, consult your doctor before starting any new fitness regime.

If you want more information on classes in your area, contact the
Savate Federation of Great Britain on 0870 741 9837.

Krauseworld run Savate classes recognised by The California
Association of Boxe Francaise.

Phone 0141 333 1817 or visit www.krauseworld.com. Or you could try
this competition to win a year's Savate classes at Krauseworld, worth
pounds 500. There are also five runners-up prizes of a taster session
each.

To be in with a chance of winning just answer the following questions.

(1) What does `savate' mean?

(2) How many calories per hour does foot-fencing burn?

Answers on a postcard to: Vital, Daily Record, One Central Quay,
Glasgow G3 8DA.

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