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First Strike : Mastering the Preemptive Strike for Street Combat
 
 
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First Strike : Mastering the Preemptive Strike for Street Combat [Paperback]

Sammy Franco (Author)
4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)


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Book Description

March 1, 1999
Learn to stop any fight before it starts by mastering the art and science of the preemptive strike. This book is a training tool for launching a first strike and a strategic blueprint for actual combat. Its 15 real-life street-fighting scenarios show youhow to you apply what you've learned. For academic study only.


Product Details

  • Paperback: 200 pages
  • Publisher: Paladin Press; Special Author Edition edition (March 1, 1999)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 1581600186
  • ISBN-13: 978-1581600186
  • Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 5.9 x 0.6 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces
  • Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,289,315 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Sammy Franco is one of the most recognized authorities on both armed and unarmed street fighting. Highly regarded as a leading innovator in self defense, Sammy Franco was one of the premier pioneers in the field of hand to hand combat. Convinced of the limited usefulness of most martial arts in real street combat, Mr. Franco believes in the theory that the best way to change traditional thinking is to make antiquated ideas obsolete through superior methodology. Sammy Franco has instructed thousands of students in his career. His innovative ideas have made a significant contribution to changing the thinking of many in the field about how people can best defend themselves against vicious and formidable street criminals.

Sammy Franco is perhaps best known as the founder and creator of Contemporary Fighting Arts, a state-of-the-art offensive-based combat system that is specifically designed for real-world self-defense. Contemporary Fighting Arts is a sophisticated and practical system of self-defense, designed specifically to provide efficient and effective methods to avoid, defuse, confront, and neutralize both armed and unarmed attackers.

After studying various martial arts and related disciplines and acquiring extensive firsthand experience from real "street" combat, Mr. Franco developed his first system, known as "Analytical Street Fighting". This system, which was one of the first practical "street fighting" martial arts, employed an unrestrained reality-based training methodology known as Simulated Street Fighting. Analytical Street Fighting served as the foundation for the fundamental principles of Contemporary Fighting Arts and Mr. Franco's teaching methodology.

Franco's Contemporary Fighting Arts system draws from real world combat experience and concepts and principles of numerous sciences and disciplines, including police and military science, criminal justice, criminology, sociology, human psychology, philosophy, histrionics, kinesics, proxemics, kinesiology, emergency medicine, crisis management, and human anatomy.

Media Appearances
Sammy Franco has frequently been featured in the Washington Post and the Washington Times newspapers and appeared on radio and television programs, including the CBS television news magazine 48 HOURS (TV series) with Dan Rather as well as the Montel Williams Show. Mr. Franco is also frequently featured on Washington DC's top news stations including: News Channel 8, NBC 4 News, Channel 9 News, and Fox 5 Morning News.

Magazine Publications
Mr. Franco has also authored numerous self defense articles for Black Belt magazine, Inside Karate, Inside Kung-Fu and several other national magazine publications.

Book Publications
Mr. Franco has also written numerous books on subjects relating to street fighting, combat conditioning, and reality based self defense training. His first book, Street Lethal: Unarmed Urban Combat, released in 1989 by Paladin Press, was one of the first books ever written on the uncharted genre of street fighting. His published books include:
Warrior Wisdom: Inspiring Ideas from the World's Greatest Warriors
Ground War: How to Destroy a Grappler in a Street Fight
War Craft: Street Fighting Tactics of the War Machine
War Machine: How to Transform Yourself into a Vicious and Deadly Street Fighter
The Bigger They Are, The Harder They Fall: How to Defeat a Larger & Stronger Adversary in a Street Fight
First Strike Book: Mastering the Preemptive Strike for Street Combat
1001 Street Fighting Secrets: The Principles of Contemporary Fighting Arts
When Seconds Count: Everyone Guide to Self Defense
Killer Instinct: Unarmed Combat for Street Survival
Street Lethal: Unarmed Urban Combat


Early Video Production
In the early 1990s, Franco was asked by Joseph Jennings (founder of Panther Productions) to appear in a series of instructional self defense videos. Franco appeared in a four tapes series. Including:

Contemporary Fighting Arts: Fundamental Techniques
Contemporary Fighting Arts: Kicks, Punches And Conditioning
Contemporary Fighting Arts: Grappling And Defensive Street Fighting
Contemporary Fighting Arts: Street Self Defense Techniques

Current Video Production
Realizing the limitations of an external production company, Franco now writes, produces and distributes his own instructional self defense videos. Some of his current video titles include:

Punching Mitts: Drills & Workout Routines
Judge, Jury & Executioner
Pepper Spray: A Video Guide to Using Pepper Spray for Self Defense
Pressure Points: The Science of Striking Vital Targets
Sparring: Tips: Tips, Tactics & Techniques to Dominate Your Opponent
Kubotans & Yawaras: A Quick & Dirty Guide
Submission Fighting for the Street (Volume 1)
Submission Fighting for the Street (Volume 2)
Submission Fighting for the Street (Volume 3)
Medicine Ball Workout (Volume 1)
Medicine Ball Workout (Volume 2)
Double End Bag Training
Heavybag Training
Power Punching
Speed Training for Street Fighting (Volume 1): Visual Reflexes
Speed Training for Street Fighting (Volume 2): Tactile Reflexes
Speed Training for Street Fighting (Volume 3): Recognition & Auditory Reflexes
Speed Training for Street Fighting (Volume 4): Movement Speed
Wrist Locks For The Street (Volume 1)
Wrist Locks For The Street (Volume 2)
Choke Out
Body Opponent Bag Training
War Machine II
Sneak Peek
Armed to the Teeth (Volume 1)
Armed to the Teeth (Volume 2)
Defend or Die
Escape Master
In Your Face
Engage With Rage
First Strike
Ground Fighting in The Streets
Batter Up
Under The Gun
Street Stick Fighting
Use It or Lose It
Rat Packed
Ground Pounders
Control & Conquer (Volume 1)
Control & Conquer (Volume 2)
Savage Street Fighting: Tactical Savagery As A Last Resort
The WidowMaker Program: Maximum Punishment for Extreme Situations
Feral Fighting Program: Level 2 WidowMaker
War Blade Program: A Complete Guide to Tactical Knife Fighting
Audio Book Production
Mr. Franco also produces and distributes his own audio book library. Titles include:

The Street Fighting Minute
War Machine CD Box Set (Audio Book)
Punching: Tips, Skills and Techniques
Footwork: Drills and Exercises

Music & CD Production
Recognizing the significance and power of music. Franco writes, produces and distributes his own unique brand of workout music. Franco's CD releases include:

Carnage
Time To Kill
Warrior's Crucible
Symphony of Vengeance
Eve of Destruction
Unmasker

Certifications
Franco's experience and credibility in the field of reality based self defense is impressive. One of his many accomplishments in the field includes the fact that he has earned the ranking of a Law Enforcement Master Instructor, and has designed, implemented, and taught officer survival training to the United States Border Patrol (USBP). He has instructed members of the US Secret Service, Military Special Forces, Washington DC Police Department, Montgomery County, Maryland Deputy Sheriffs, and the US Library of Congress Police. Mr. Sammy Franco is also a member of the prestigious International Law Enforcement Educators and Trainers Association (ILEETA) as well as the American Society of Law Enforcement Trainers (ASLET) and he is listed in the "Who's Who Director of Law Enforcement Instructors."

Sammy Franco is a nationally certified Law Enforcement Instructor in the following curricula: PR-24 Side-Handle Baton, Police Arrest and Control Procedures, Police Personal Weapons Tactics, Police Power Handcuffing Methods, Police Oleoresin Capsicum Aerosol Training (OCAT), Police Weapon Retention and Disarming Methods, Police Edged Weapon Countermeasures and "Use of Force" Assessment and Response Methods. Mr. Franco is also a National Rifle Association (NRA) instructor (both police and civilian) who specializes in firearm safety, personal protection, and combat pistol shooting.

Franco holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Criminology from the University of Maryland, College Park. He is a regularly featured speaker at a number of professional conferences, and conducts dynamic and enlightening seminars on numerous aspects of self-defense and personal protection. Mr. Franco has instructed thousands of students in his career, including instruction on street fighting, grappling and ground fighting, close quarters combat, knife defense and knife fighting skills, multiple opponent survival skills, stick fighting skills and firearms training.

Sammy Franco teaches combat proven techniques from the standpoint of having a firsthand understanding of the emotional, psychological and spiritual issues that arise from physical violence. His goal is not the glorification of violence, but rather to help people free themselves from its costly price.

 

Customer Reviews

10 Reviews
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Average Customer Review
4.6 out of 5 stars (10 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars I works!, February 18, 2001
This review is from: First Strike : Mastering the Preemptive Strike for Street Combat (Paperback)
I am writing this late at night because several hours ago I got into a confrontation with some guy who was looking to harm me and my wife. I used several of the techniques described in this book and ended up knocking the criminal out cold. The police officer came to the scene and said that I was justified in what I did. It happened just like the book stated. I guess you can learn from a book. Hats off to Sammy Franco and FIRST STRIKE.
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8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars A Complete Guide to the Preemptive Strike, September 7, 1999
This review is from: First Strike : Mastering the Preemptive Strike for Street Combat (Paperback)
Napoleon said that the logical end of defensive warfare is surrender. What was true on the battlefields of Europe a few centuries ago is equally true in the concrete jungles of today: victory is born of offensive action.

Many people have never considered the idea of striking first to end a threatening situation. To the average person, executing such an action in self-defense would seem a contradiction in terms. In FIRST STRIKE, Franco exposes this common (and dangerous) misconception. Fortunately for the reader, this is only the beginning.

FIRST STRIKE is a strong treatment of the preemptive strike in its many forms. Franco covers the legal and moral aspects of the first-strike attack, the mentality required, and a wide variety of physical tools the reader can use to launch -- and equally important, to finish -- the attack. The book also devotes space to valuable drills, training routines, and scenarios. FIRST STRIKE is a complete blueprint for adding the preemptive strike to your self-defense arsenal.

If you have not addressed this issue in your self-defense training, you MUST do so. FIRST STRIKE is an excellent training aid to help anyone, regardless of skill level or fighting discipline, begin to study this critical field.
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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars "Offense" that works, February 9, 2002
By A Customer
This review is from: First Strike : Mastering the Preemptive Strike for Street Combat (Paperback)
I like the following things about this book: he cuts to the chase, and I was able to read the book in about an hour. The pictures are clear and helpful, and there are a lot of them. He does not philosophize too much, as some authors do. I take krav maga - the Israeli defense forces' martial art - and there is about a 90 % overlap between what Mr. Franco teaches and what the Israelis teach. So if you are interested in krav, buy this book, because it is the only book I know that illustrates the defenses in krav against unarmed assailants (there is a krav book on armed attack). Mr. Franco does not teach krav, but his method is the same thing, mostly, just with a different name. What works, works.
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Inside This Book (learn more)
First Sentence:
Whenever you are squared off with a dangerous adversary and there is no way to escape safely, you must strike first, strike fast, strike with authority, and keep the pressure on. Read the first page
Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
rear vertical hammer fist, nontelegraphic strikes, rear diagonal elbow, rear shovel hook, rear vertical knee, rear horizontal elbow, combat attribute, lead shovel hook, rear palm heel, right fighting stance, horizontal hammer fist, defensive reaction time, offensive reaction time, rear hook punch, time with each repetition, lead uppercut, rear uppercut, training partner hold, vertical kick, grappling range, compound attack, punching range, diagonal knee, focus mitts, offensive flow
Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Sammy Franco, Street Fighting Secrets, Advanced First-Strike Tools Repetitions Side, First-Strike Tools Repetitions Vertical, Secondary-Strike Tools Repetitions Hook
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