by Sammy Franco
unconsciousness
blood drowning
massive hemorrhaging
air starvation
death
If the thyroid cartilage is crushed, hemorrhaging will occur, the windpipe will quickly swell shut, resulting in suffocation.
BACK OF NECK
The back of the neck consists of the first seven vertebrae of the spinal column. They act as a circuit board for nerve impulses from the brain to the body. The back of the neck is a lethal target because the vertebrae are poorly protected. A quick and forceful twisting of the neck can cause:
shock
unconsciousness
a broken neck
complete paralysis
coma
death
Probable Reaction Dynamics from Razing
In my book, Maximum Damage: Hidden Secrets Behind Brutal Fighting Combinations, I discussed the critical importance of mastering “probable reaction dynamics.” Basically, probable reaction dynamics refers to your opponent’s anticipated or predicted movements or actions during combat.
Probable reaction dynamics awareness is also a vital component of razing. As a matter of fact, your entire razing sequence is predicated on how your opponent reacts to your hits. Each of one of the opponent’s physical reactions will determine each one of your quarter beat strikes. Remember, razing techniques are not memorized or delivered in a specific sequence or set pattern. They are spontaneous and delivered in a very intuitive and adaptable manner.
For reasons of simplicity, I’ve included a list of general probable reaction dynamics your opponent might demonstrate when being razed.
He will fall to the ground and curl into a fetal position.
He will push you away and attempt to disengage the range.
He will rush forward and try to “steam roll” you.
He will grab your razing hand and try to pull it off his face.
He will turn his head away and expose his back to you.
He will swing violently in a futile attempt to get you off of him.
There are other, more specific, probable reaction dynamics that might occur when you are razing your adversary. For example:
Raking the eyes usually forces the opponent’s head down.
Palm jolts and vertical elbow strikes often force the opponent’s head to snap backward.
Shaving forearms often turn the opponent’s head sideways.
Short arc hammer fist strikes often bring the opponent’s head down.
When executing a throat crush, the opponent will almost always attempt to pull your hand away.
Examples of Razing Reaction Dynamics
The opponent grabs your razing hand and pulls it off his face.
The opponent pulls his head back forcing himself off balance.
The opponent turns his head sideways.
The opponent turns his head around and exposes his back.
The opponent shuts his eyes.
The opponent’s head snaps back.
Anchoring the Opponent
Anchoring is the strategic process of trapping the assailant’s limb in order to control the range of engagement. Once again, the opponent’s neck is the ideal “anchor point” when delivering your razing techniques.
Anchoring is critical for effective razing skills for the following five reasons:
It maintains the close quarter range necessary for effective and continuous razing.
It prevents the adversary from disengaging from you when you are razing him. In essence, the two of you are “locked up” until you choose to break the connection.
By anchoring the opponent’s neck, you will maximize the damage of your razing techniques. It permits you to apply maximum pressure against facial and throat targets.
It provides a “tactile” reference point if your vision is impaired during the course of the fight. As a matter of fact, if you are adequately trained, you can perform razing techniques without actually seeing your opponent. Essentially, if you can feel the opponent, you can raze him!
Controlling the opponent’s neck is a very dominant action that transmits a very strong message to your adversary. Psychologically, the action of anchoring establishes you as an “Alpha” or “Predator.” When this is combined with razing, your opponent immediately becomes psychologically terrorized.
The opponent’s neck and upper arms are your primary anchor points.
What’s Next…
Now that we sufficiently reviewed the razing method of fighting, we can move on to the next chapter. In chapter two, I am going to focus exclusively on live razing demonstrations. Try to pay particular attention to my opponent’s reaction dynamics during the razing assault.
2
Chapter Two: Unleash Hell On Your Opponent
Live Razing Combinations
This chapter is going to focus exclusively on razing combinations performed on both a training partner and the body opponent bag. All of the following razing sequences were also performed during live razing demonstrations. They are not posed! They are actual snapshots of explosive and dynamic movements performed in real-time.
I will begin with basic razing sequences and progressively work my way up to more intricate patterns. Once again, razing techniques are never memorized or delivered in a specific sequence or set pattern. They are spontaneous offensive movements predicated on your opponent’s reaction dynamics. Let’s begin the razing combinations performed on a live training partner.
RAZING COMBINATION #1
Eye rake -Palm jolt – Single thumb gouge
Step 1: Franco begins his quarter beat assault.
Step 2: He rakes the opponent’s eyes in a quick downward motion.
Step 3: Without breaking contact with his opponent’s face, he attacks with a palm jolt to the chin.
Step 4:The attack is complete with a deep thumb gouge to the eye.
RAZING COMBINATION #2
Palm jolt – Eye rake – Single thumb gouge
Step 1: Franco begins his razing assault with a palm jolt to the chin.
Step 2: Followed by an eye rake.
Step 3: The attack is completed with a single thumb gouge technique.
RAZING COMBINATION #3
Palm jolt – Eye rake – Shaving forearm – Thumb gouge
Step 1: Franco begins with a palm jolt to the chin.
Step 2: Next, he rakes the opponent’s eyes in a quick downward motion.
Step 3: He immediately follows up with a shaving forearm across his opponent’s face.
Step 4: The assault end with a single thumb gouge to the eye.
RAZING COMBINATION #4
Shaving forearm – Eye rake – Palm jolt – Eye rake
Step 1: Franco starts with a shaving forearm across his opponent’s face.
Step 2: Next, an eye rake.
Step 3: Without breaking contact with his opponent’s face, he attacks with a palm jolt to the chin.
Step 4: The attack is completed with a punishing eye rake.
RAZING COMBINATION #5
Eye rake – Palm jolt – Shaving forearm – Eye rake
Step 1: Franco begins his quarter beat assault with an eye rake.
Step 2: Followed by a palm jolt to the chin.
Step 3: Next, a shaving forearm across his opponent’s face.
Step 4: Franco finishes his assault with an eye rake.
RAZING COMBINATION #6
Palm jolt – Hammer fist – Shaving forearm – Thumb gouge
Step 1: Franco attacks with a palm jolt to the chin.
Step 2: Followed by a hammer fist to the nose.
Step 3: He immediately delivers a shaving forearm across his opponent’s face.
Step 4: A single thumb gouge ends the assault.
RAZING COMBINATION #7
Shaving forearm – Hammer fist – Palm jolt – Eye rake
Step 1: Franco begins with a shaving forearm across his opponent’s face.
Step 2: Next, a short arc hammer fist strike to the
opponent’s nose.
Step 3: Followed by with a palm jolt to the chin.
Step 4: The assault is finished with an eye rake.
RAZING COMBINATION #8
Horizontal elbow – Eye rake – Palm jolt – Eye rake – Neck crank – Rear choke
Step 1: Franco begins with a horizontal elbow strike.
Step 2: Followed by an eye rake.
Step 3: Without breaking contact with his opponent’s face, he attacks with a palm jolt to the chin.
Step 4: Next, he attacks with an eye rake.
Step 5: Franco cranks the opponent’s neck counter clockwise with both of his hands.
Step 6: The opponent exposes his back to Franco.
Step 7: Franco applies a rear choke on his opponent.
Step 8: Franco takes his opponent to the ground
RAZING COMBINATION #9
Hammer fist – Palm jolt – Eye rake – Shaving forearm – Hammer fist – Thumb gouge
Step 1: Franco begins with a short arc hammer fist strike to the opponent’s nose.
Step 2: Followed by a palm jolt to the chin.
Step 3: Then an eye rake.
Step 4: He immediately follows up with a shaving forearm across his opponent’s face
Step 5: Without breaking contact with his opponent’s face, he attacks with another hammer fist to the nose.
Step 6: The razing assault ends with a single thumb gouge.
RAZING COMBINATION #10
Eye rake – Shaving forearm – Hammer fist – Shaving forearm – Eye rake – Palm jolt – Neck crank
Step 1: Franco begins his quarter beat assault with an eye rake.
Step 2: He immediately follows up with a shaving forearm across his opponent’s face.
Step 3: Next, a short arc hammer fist strike to the nose.
Step 4: He immediately follows up with a shaving forearm across his opponent’s face.
Step 5: Next, an eye rake.
Step 6: Followed by a palm jolt to the chin.
Step 7: Franco cranks the opponent’s neck counter clockwise with both of his hands.
Step 8: The opponent exposes his back to Franco.
Step 9: Franco quickly applies a rear choke.
Step 10: Franco takes his opponent to the ground while applying pressure to the neck.
Razing Combinations on the Body Opponent Bag
In this section, I’m going to demonstrate razing combinations on the body opponent bag. Practicing razing combinations on the bag is a bit more difficult because it does not react and respond like an actual person. Therefore, it’s critical that you visualize realistic reaction dynamics when attacking the bag. Also, remember to start out slow and progressively build up the speed and intensity of you assault.
RAZING COMBINATION #11
Shaving forearm – Eye rake – Palm jolt – Diagonal elbow – Reverse shaving forearm – Eye rake – Head butt – Neck crank
Step 1: Franco begins with his left hand anchored behind the neck.
Step 2: The razing begins with a shaving forearm.
Step 3: As Franco drives his forearm across the face, he prepares for an eye rake.
Step 4: Next, he attacks with a vertical eye rake.
Step 5: As he rakes his hand downward, he prepares for a palm jolt.
Step 6: Franco delivers a palm jolt to the chin.
Step 7: Without breaking contact with the face, he delivers a diagonal elbow strike.
Step 8: After delivering the elbow strike, he attacks with a reverse shaving forearm.
Step 9: The shaving forearm turns into another eye rake attack.
Step 10: He immediately attacks with a head butt to the nose.
Step 11: Franco sets up the neck crank.
Step 12: Franco cranks the neck counter clockwise with both of his hands.
Step 13: The razing sequence is complete.
RAZING COMBINATION #12
Shaving forearm – Hammer fist -Palm jolt – Eye rake – Diagonal elbow – Hammer fist – Throat crush
Step 1: Franco begins with his left hand anchoring the neck.
Step 2: The razing begins with a shaving forearm.
Step 3: Franco follows up with a short arc hammer fist strike to the nose.
Step 4: Next, he attacks with a palm jolt to the chin.
Step 5: He follows up with an eye rake.
Step 6: Without breaking contact, he delivers a diagonal elbow strike.
Step 7: Franco attacks with a short arc hammer fist strike to the nose.
Step 8: The razing sequence is completed with a throat crush.
Razing Demonstration #13
Eye rake – Shaving forearm – Hammer fist – Vertical elbow – Hammer fist – Double thumb gouge
Step 1: Franco begins with his left hand anchoring the neck.
Step 2: The razing begins with an eye rake.
Step 3: Franco follows up with a shaving forearm.
Step 4: Next, he drives a short arc hammer fist to the nose.
Step 5: Followed by a vertical elbow to the chin.
Step 6: A short arc hammer fist strike to the nose.
Step 7: Franco releases the anchor from behind the neck and prepares to deliver a double thumb gouge.
Step 8: The razing sequence ends with a double thumb gouge to the eyes.
Razing Demonstration #14
Diagonal elbow – Hammer fist – Vertical elbow – Eye rake – Head butt – Head butt – Neck crank
Step 1: Franco begins with his left hand anchored behind the neck
Step 2: The razing begins with a diagonal elbow strike.
Step 3: Franco attacks with a short arc hammer fist strike.
Step 4: Followed by a vertical elbow to the chin.
Step 5: Next, an eye rake.
Step 6: Franco grasps the neck with his right hand.
Step 7: He immediately attacks with a head butt to the nose.
Step 8: Franco retracts his head back and prepares to deliver another strike.
Step 9: He drives another head butt strike.
Step 10: Franco prepares to deliver a neck crank.
Step 11: The razing sequence is complete with a violent neck crank.
Razing Demonstration #15
Hammer fist – Diagonal elbow – Reverse shaving forearm – Eye rake – Horizontal eye rake – Head butt – Throat crush
Step 1: Franco prepares to raze the bag.
Step 2: He begins with a short arc hammer fist strike to the nose.
Step 3: He follows up with a diagonal elbow strike.
Step 4: Next, a reverse shaving forearm.
Step 5: As his arm descends, Franco prepares an eye rake attack.
Step 6: Franco rakes his fingers into the eyes of the bag.
Step 7: He releases his left hand from behind the neck.
Step 8: And begins razing with his left hand.
Step 9: Franco anchors the bag with his right hand.
Step 10: Next, he delivers a horizontal eye rake.
Step 11: Franco grasps the neck with two hands.
Step 12: He attacks with a head butt strike to the nose.
Step 13: The razing sequence is completed with a throat crush.
Razing Demonstration #16
Palm jolt – Eye rake – Shaving forearm – Hammer fist – Diagonal elbow – Reverse shaving forearm – Hammer fist – Head butt – Neck crank