James Southwood is an expert instructor and champion fighter in Savate. Savate (pronounced "Suh-vat") is a dynamic sport that combines movements from English boxing and French kicking. He is a multiple UK Champion; 2014 World Champion; the 2016, 2022, and 2024 World Vice-Champion; and the 2007, 2015, and 2019 European Vice-Champion.
- 2014 World Champion
- World/European Silver medallist (six times)
- Raised vegetarian and over 25 years vegan
James is a senior instructor at the London Savate club he founded.
Savate is a popular sport in France, where there is an abundance of trainers, a strong network of clubs and plenty of funding. At international tournaments it is often the French competitors who are expected to do well. This makes James’ achievements all the more impressive. He is the first British fighter to have won the World title.
After beating several fighters to reach the final against a French former World Champion his mental preparation was key to his fight. James won to become World Champion; you can read more about this here. As the World Championships are every two years, James defended his title in the 2016 competition and lost in the final, becoming World Vice Champion (read more here).
Following his World title, James was nominated as a finalist in Vegan Athlete of the Year 2014. In 2017 he took another bronze in the European Championships (read more here), and in January 2018 he entered the Budapest Open and took Gold (read more here). In 2019 he won the British title, and after his 40th birthday took his third European silver (more here).
In 2025 aged 45, he competed in the European Championships and took bronze, recording his 11th medal in 11 European or World Championships (more here).
Vegan fighter
“the motivation was a simple wish to respect animal rights.”
James was raised vegetarian and at age 16 he became vegan. “As a teenager,” he told us “the motivation was a simple wish to respect animal rights.”
Travelling to international tournaments he continues eating vegan, with plenty of nutritious ingredients. “I eat a lot of kale, sweet potatoes, beans, nuts, seeds and dried fruit.” This helps him to fuel a demanding training regime which enables him to stay on top of his sport.
“I train in some way pretty much every day. It can be just shadowboxing and a few bodyweight exercises. Or a 90 minute workout with runs, weights, bagwork and skipping. I also train in boxing and teach Savate 4-5 times per week.”
Unsurprisingly, as a world champion he rarely attracts concern relating to his diet. “It is very rare for someone in my sport to question my diet. My fitness and physique speak for themselves. Occasionally it will pique someone, but I leave them to their own troubles with it.”
The future
Having secured so many domestic and international honours, James has a deep commitment to the sport, and he’s thankful for his involvement in it. “Aside from my world title, the greatest achievement in sport – as in anything – is what is shared between human beings. A small joke, a reunion, a nod, seeing an old friend or making a new one. Being part of something is the highest achievement.”
In 20025 James reflected: “as I progress through my 40s I must decide at what point my international fighting career switches to being exclusively a coach. Meanwhile I am planning to write more, especially about the psychology and philosophy that I developed across my competitive career”.
James’s record at World and European Championships:
2005 first round
2006 first round
2007 
2008 
2009 first round
2010 first round
2011 1/4 final
2012 first round
2013
2014 
2015
2016
2017
2018
2019
2021
2022
2024
2025