Sammy Franco is the founder and creator of Contemporary Fighting Arts, a state-of-the-art offensive-based self defense 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.

Sammy Franco is one of the most recognized authorities on both armed and unarmed combat. 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'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.

The Early Years
After studying various martial arts and related disciplines and acquiring extensive firsthand experience from real street fighting, Mr. Franco developed his first system, known as "Analytical Street Fighting". This unique self defense system, which was one of the first practical “street fighting” martial arts, employed an unrestrained reality based self defense 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 unique teaching methodology.

Early Video Production
In the early 1990s, Sammy Franco was invited by Panther Productions to star in a series of instructional self defense videos. Mr. Franco appeared in a four tapes series that was produced and distributed exclusively by Panther Productions. These four videos included:

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

Media & TV 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 reality based self defense (RBSD). Mr. Franco's 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

DVD Production
Mr. Franco writes, produces his own library of instructional self defense dvds. Some of his current self defense DVD titles include:

Combat Energy Drills
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
Heavy Bag 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 his own self defense 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 Production
Recognizing the significance and power of music. Franco writes and produces his own unique brand of workout music. Mr. Franco's music releases include:

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

Certifications
Sammy 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).

Mr. Franco 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. 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.

Sammy 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 reality based self defense. 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.