Apart from EastLondon Saturday Night Bar brawl style, I can't really think of another "style" in hand to hand combat. You already have Boxing and savate, but since you don't want to hear about those...

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but since you don't want to hear about those...

Hey, now! I didn't say it like that! I just meant that I am aware of those styles. I know only a couple of French people, and they think Savate or Danse de Rue is pretty French.

Seeing as how you actually live there, is there a difference between Savate and Danse de Rue? I think that's how you spell it, I haven't actually used French in years. Ma Francais est tres mal!

It might be easier to represent those countries with weapon combat, but there's something about hand-to-hand that calls to me!

Well, I don't know what you're calling "danse de rue"... it means "street dancing", and might as well be a sort of breakdancing, for all I know.

I heard from a Parisian friend that Danse de Rue was the original name for Savate, or was a style integrated into it. Another friend told me it was something entirely different. I was just wondering if you'd know for sure.

I've heard quite a lot about savate, and NEVER EVER heard about "danse de rue"...

As far as I know, Savate was NEVER a danse, it was a mean of defense for gentlemen. In fact, it was adapted from the "fancy art of fisticuffs". It was a modification of the original boxing style, with that stupid stance with both fists bunched up at arms length before you, and your body moved back. I think the first one to use it ever was the original Vidocq. He used to be a "bagnard", which means that he was sent to prison island of Cayenne, the very same as Dustin Hoffman in "papillon". He then became a police detective, but remembered all the tricks he had learned while being a misfit.

But it was NEVER meant to be a danse, honestly...

But maybe, you are refering to something known in English as "parcours"?

I've been looking it up on the ol' interweb, and I've found a few sites that talk about "Danse de Rue Savate", as if it's a sub-style of Savate.

Maybe it was added as an idiom in English. After all, how many terrible action movies have the protagonist say to his opponent "Let's dance!"

I understand that the original Savate actually had very little to do with the fists... It concentrated more on kicking and using other parts of the body. The concept of using the fists, and specifically using them in the boxing style, was introduced from England. Apparently the Savate people (I believe that there was and still is a special college for the promotion of the sport) were so impressed with English boxing that they incorporated it in their style.