Sport Mont (Mar 2010)
HISTORY OF SAVATE (FRENCH BOXING) IN SERBIA FROM XIX CENTURY TILL THE END OF THE FIRST WORLD WAR
Abstract
The second half of XIX century in Serbian national history is the period of constant struggle for independance initiated by Serbian Revolution in 1804. As a result of both, the historical events and the wakening of national consciousness, awareness for educational development was an unavoidable and important issue.Considering physical culture, educators who made efforts to provide developing of physical culture were mostly themselves educated abroad. The great step forward in the physical culture was made after Congress in Berlin in 1878 when Serbia was declared independent principality. The number of Serbian intellectuals came back in their country. They brought knowledge about certain sports and physical activities that were practiced in Europe at that time. Important part in the development of physical culture of our nation belonged to the army as the most organized institution. It sent its officers in the armies of great European nations to achieve and transfer knowledge to our people indirectly via army. One of the first officers educated in French Fencing School (Joinville le Pont) back in 1902, Dragomir T. Nikolajevic brought in Serbia the first knowledge about both „English and French boxing – Savate“. Apart of training as a martial art teacher, he wrote the book „English and French Boxing“ published in Belgrade in 1914.
