by Sammy Franco
Anchoring is also essential because it effectively bridges the gap between the shielding and razing methodologies. There are two variations of anchoring that you need to be familiar with: offense and defense. Let’s look at each one.
There are two variations of anchoring: offensive and defensive.
OFFENSIVE ANCHORING
Offenses anchoring is carried out immediately after you have delivered the webbing strike. It requires you to grab hold of your opponent’s neck with one hand while performing the razing technique with your other free hand. Anchoring is critical for effective razing skills for the following five reasons:
1. It maintains the range for effective and continuous razing.
2. It prevents the opponent from disengaging CQC range.
3. It stabilizes the assailant’s head allowing maximum pressure against both eye and throat targets when executing zero beat techniques.
4. It provides a “tactile” reference point if your vision is impaired during the course of the fight.
5. It establishes and transmits “Alpha” or “Predator” body language to the enemy.
OFFENSIVE ANCHORING DEMONSTRATION
Step 1: The defender assumes a de-escalation stance.
Step 2: He lunges forward with a shielding wedge.
Step 3: Once contact is made, he grasps the nape of the opponent’s neck and begins razing with his right hand.
TRANSITIONING FROM SHIELDING TO ANCHORING
The following photos demonstrate the proper way to transition from shielding to anchoring.
Step 1: Once your shielding wedge makes contact with the opponent’s chin, split your hands apart and move your left hand to the back of the opponent’s neck.
Step 2: Firmly grasp the back of the opponent neck (anchoring) with your left hand.
Step 3: Once your offensive anchor is secure, begin razing the opponent’s face.
SWITCHING ANCHOR POSITIONS
There will be situations when you will need to switch anchors during the course of your razing assault. For example, you might injure your razing hand and need to switch hands in order to maintain the offensive flow. Or, your adversary might force you to change anchoring positions. The following photo sequence demonstrates the proper way to switch neck anchors.
ANCHOR SWITCHING DEMONSTRATION
Step 1: Begin with a left hand anchor position.
Step 2: Remove your left anchoring position and simultaneously raze the opponent with both of your hands. Remember to maintain significant forward pressure.
Step 3: While razing, move your right hand behind the opponent’s neck.
Step 4: Firmly secure the opponent’s neck while continuing to raze him with your left hand.
DEFENSIVE ANCHORING
Next, is defensive anchoring which is used in remote cases when you’re razing assault is broken and the opponent retaliates with a barrage of strikes.
Defensive anchoring requires you to grab hold of the opponent’s neck with both of your hands while dropping your head between both of your biceps. Defensive anchoring is a temporary protective posture that hides your head and nullifying the opponent’s strikes.
Best of all, it still enables you to control the opponent and prevent him from disengaging the range. The objective is to protect your head from attack until you can control one of the opponent’s arms.
Here, Sammy Franco demonstrates the hand positioning required for defensive anchoring.
Here, the author demonstrates defensive anchoring. Notice how his head is angled down.
ANCHOR POINTS
As I stated earlier, the ideal anchoring point is the opponent’s neck. The neck offers the greatest amount of stability and control over the opponent. However, under some circumstances, you can also anchor the opponent’s upper arm. Under no circumstances should you ever anchor the opponent’s clothing. Clothing can easily be torn and provides absolutely no control over the opponent.
When razing, the opponent’s neck and upper arms are your primary anchor points.
ANCHORING THE UPPER ARM
Anchoring the opponent’s upper arm often occurs from a defensive anchor position. For example, say you have successfully launched the webbing strike, moved into CQC range and secured the opponent’s neck. However, before you commence with razing, your offensive flow is broken and the opponent retaliates with a barrage of strikes. In such a situation, you must prioritize defense by dropping your head down and establishing a defensive anchor position.
Once you are in a defensive anchor position, you’ll need to intercept one of your opponent’s blows and trap it under your arm using a windmill trapping motion. Once this is accomplished you will have successfully anchored the upper arm and now have the freedom to counterattack with razing.
To give you a better idea how this is accomplished, see the arm anchoring demonstration.
ARM ANCHORING DEMONSTRATION
In this scenario, the defender (left) controls his opponent with a defensive anchor.
The opponent (right) continues to swing wildly.
The defender is safe and protected as his opponent continues to swing at him.
At the proper moment, the defender wraps his left arm (windmill motion) around his opponent’s right arm.
Once the defender secures and traps his opponent’s right arm, he uses it as an anchor point and begins razing.
The defender continues to raze his opponent until it is safe to secure the neck anchor.
WRIST ANCHORING
Sometimes the opponent will unknowingly set up an anchor point for you. For example, a common reaction dynamic when being raised is for the opponent to grab hold of your attacking hand and pull it away from his face. In essence, your adversary is unintentionally creating another anchoring point (your wrist). In such a circumstance, you will be required to switch anchors to resume your razing assault.
Wrist Anchoring Demonstration
Step 1: Sammy Franco razes his opponent with his right hand.
Step 2: The opponent grabs Franco’s wrist and pulls his hand down.
Step 3: Franco presses his right arm firmly against the opponent’s body and begins razing with his left hand.
Step 4: Franco continues to raze his opponent until he releases his wrist.
Step 5: When the opponent releases his grab, Franco anchors the neck and resumes razing with his right hand.
Chapter Four Advanced Razing Techniques
Razing Revisited
Once you have delivered the shielding wedge and have successfully anchored your adversary, you will immediately follow-up with razing techniques.
As I mentioned earlier, it’s assumed by now that you have already read my previous book, The Widow Maker Program and you are familiar with my razing method of attack. If not, I strongly urge you to read the book or watch the instructional video before launching forward with the principles and concepts featured in this chapter. Nevertheless, here’s a brief review of my razing fighting methodology.
Exactly What is Razing?
In my Contemporary Fighting Arts (CFA) system of self-defense, Razing is defined as a series of vicious close quarter techniques designed to physically and psychologically extirpate a criminal attacker. These close quarter techniques are delivered at various beats: (half beat, quarter beat and zero beat) and they include the following:
Eye raking
Eye gouging
Tearing
Crushing
Tactical biting
Hair pulling
Elbow strikes
Shaving forearms
Head butts
Hair Pulling
Bicep pops
Neck cranks
Finishing chokes
Razing techniques are executed at three different beats.
To the untrained eye, quarter beat techniques will appear bizarre, haphazard, and chaotic. Some might erroneously assume it’s a “gross motor skill” method of fighting. However, nothing can be farther from the truth. Razing is a close-quarter
fighting method that requires technical precision, timing, and strategic implementation. Razing is also a culmination of several advanced techniques that do require training and practice to master.
However, this is not to say that you can’t just “wing it” and barrage the opponent with a series of gross motor razing technique. It can be done and, in some cases, improvising razing will yield results. However, to really unleash the sheer devastating power of razing, you must learn to deliver it in a tactical and calculated manner.
Pictured here, Sammy Franco demonstrates one of the many techniques used in his razing method of fighting.
Razing Accomplishes Two Important Goals
When razing is performed correctly, it accomplishes the following objectives:
1. Cognitive Brain Shutdown - The brutal and overwhelming nature of razing overrides the opponent’s cognitive brain, preventing him from any lucid thought process. Since razing is so fast and ferocious, the opponent’s cognitive brain can’t process what is happening to him.
2. Instantaneous Damage - Razing is just indefensible! The speed and proximity, at which these quarter beat hits are delivered, is overwhelming. The bottom line is, they are just too fast and too close for the opponent to react defensively. In many ways, razing is likened to an angry swarm of wasps, the opponent’s only hope is to try and escape from the pain.
More Advantages of Razing
There are many other benefits to adding razing techniques into your own self-defense training. What follows is a brief list:
1. It’s unconventional - Razing is a very unusual and unorthodox form of fighting. Even the most seasoned martial artist or street fighter has never been exposed to this unconventional style of combat. As a result, they are unprepared to handle it both physically and psychologically.
2. Low maintenance - Razing techniques are exceptionally efficient and easy to perform under the duress of real world combat conditions. Unlike kicking and punching, you don’t need to spend countless hours perfecting fine motor skill body mechanics.
3. Less chance of injuries - In contrast to fisted blows, you don’t run the risk of spraining or breaking your wrists or hands when performing razing techniques.
All of your razing targets can be found on the opponent’s face and head.
Advanced Razing Principles and Techniques
What follows are several advanced razing techniques that should be practiced and ultimately mastered. Most of these movements are “safety valve” skills you would use when your assailant attempts to negate or counter your razing assault. These advanced razing techniques include the following:
Jersey Pull
Neck Crush
Sharking
Trap and Tuck
Scorching
Once again, it is assumed, at this point, that you are already familiar with my Widow Maker Program and its related principles and techniques. So let’s begin with the Jersey Pull technique.
The Jersey Pull Technique
Once you have locked up with the adversary in close-quarter combat range, and you have anchored his neck, there is always the chance he might try to pull away or disengage the clinch. The Jersey Pull technique is a very effective way to counter this action.
The Jersey Pull is the process of strategically pulling the collar of the assailant’s shirt or jacket over his head as he disengages from the clinch. This technique is ideal because it allows you to maintain control of him while simultaneously impairing his vision. It permits you to quickly counter attacker with a knee strike to the opponent’s face or you can force him to the ground where you can apply a variety of submission techniques.
Jersey Pull Demonstrations
Step 1: Pictured here, the author anchors the opponent’s neck with two hands.
Step 2: The opponent drops his head down to disengages from the clinch .
Step 3: Franco grabs his opponent’s shirt and pulls it over his head.
Step 4: Franco quickly follows up with a knee strike to the face.
Step 5: If necessary, Franco can continue razing until his opponent is neutralized.
Jersey Pull to the Ground
Step 1: The Jersey Pull technique can also be used as a quick and effective method of taking your adversary to the ground.
Step 2: The defender (left) pulls the opponent’s shirt over his head.
Step 3: He continues with downward pressure to the floor.
Step 4: The opponent’s head crashes to the floor.
Step 5: The defender quickly repositions himself on top of his opponent’s back.
Step 6: The defender applies a rear naked choke technique.
The Futility of Punching Against the Jersey Pull
The following series of photos demonstrates the effectiveness of the jersey pull maneuver against punching techniques. Notice how the opponent doesn’t have the leverage or vision to hit the defender effectively.
The Neck Crush Technique
The Neck Crush technique is used to counter an opponent who attempts to negate your razing assault by forcefully moving his face into your chest. This defensive action drastically limits your hand and wrist movement making it very difficult for you to continue your razing assault. Fortunately, the neck crush technique will counter the opponent’s defensive response. As a matter of fact, the neck crush is a very effective pain compliance technique that can quickly drive your adversary to the floor in agony.
Neck Crush Demonstration
Step 1: Here, the author begins razing his adversary.
Step 2: The opponent attempts to negate the razing by forcing his face into Mr. Franco’s chest.
Step3: Franco forcefully turns his opponent’s head sideways.
Step 4: Next he aligns his forearm with the back of the opponent’s neck.
Step 5: Then he inserts his left thumb between the index and middle finger of his right hand.
Step 6: He clasps both hands and solidifies the Indian hand grip.
Step 7: Next, Sammy Franco forcefully drives the opponent’s neck into his chest.
Step 8: Franco takes the opponent down to the ground.
Sharking TECHNIQUE
Sharking is designed to counter an opponent who grabs your wrist and pulls your razing hand away from his face. Sharking is a very effective method of forcing your adversary to release his wrist grab, allowing you to resume your razing assault.
Sharking requires you to apply some of the principles of Savage Street Fighting to force your opponent release his hold. In my book, Savage Street Fighting: Tactical Savagery as a Last Resort, I discuss the pure and simple effectiveness of tactical biting for self-defense.
With the sharking tactic, your objective is to bite the opponent’s finger forcefully (usually at the thumb joint) until he releases his hold. Once your hand is free, initiate a half-beat strike and continue your quarter beat razing assault. The following series of photographs will demonstrate the sharking methodology in action.
Sharking Demonstration
Step 1: Here, Sammy Franco razes his adversary.
Step 2: The opponent pulls Franco’s hand away from his face.
Step 3: Franco bites forcefully into the opponent’s thumb.
Step 4: The opponent immediately releases his hold.
Step 5: Franco resumes his assault with a short arc hammer fist strike.
Step 6: He follows up with a shaving forearm across the side of the face.
Step 7: Next, he rakes his fingers into the opponent’s eyes.
Step 8: Franco follows up with a palm jolt to the chin
Step 9: The razing sequence ends with a final shaving forearm.
One of the most vicious tactics in the Feral Fighting program is amputating the thumb while simultaneously razing the adversary. This extreme form of sharking should only be used in life and death situations that warrant the application of deadly force.
Trap and Tuck Technique
The “Trap and Tuck” technique is used to defend against an opponent who decide
s to counterattack with his own artless version of razing.