This article is written to clarify some misleading information scattered across the internet regarding Contemporary Fighting Arts and myself. One issue in particular is my open door challenge that is often referred to as "Sammy Franco's Open Challenge". For those of you who are not aware, I posted this open challenge several years ago in response to a few individuals who challenged me to fight under their mixed martial arts (MMA) sport rules.

While I am flattered that some people want to "test their metal" with me I'm surprised they don't get what I am all about. I have been practicing reality based self defense all my life. I have never been interested in sport combat. While sport combat might entice some people, it just doesn't interest me. It never has! I am all about reality based self defense. This is what I have done all my life and what I will continue to do. But I digress, my open challenge was never intended to recruit a challenger or disparage any style or method of fighting. It was simply designed to illustrate two key points:

1. A reality self defense practitioner has a clear disadvantage when challenged to fight under the mixed martial arts sport rules.

2. There are distinct differences between reality based self defense and MMA sport combat training.

Because of the anonymity of the internet, it becomes a safe haven for idiots, deceivers and nut jobs. A few internet trolls have actually taken my open challenge literally while others have taken it completely out of context. Some people have actually altered and fabricated my words in hopes of inciting anger and hostility. With that being said, here is my open challenge for you to read and make your own logical decision.

Sammy Franco's Open Challenge
If you challenge me to a fight you must agree to the following:

1. You must sign a detailed waiver and release absolving me of any criminal or civil liability in the event of your death. This signature will be observed by three witness and then notarized.

2. There will only be only one rule in my open challenge - there are no rules! This is not a BJJ challenge or an ego driven "my style is better than your style" match. My objective in our fight is simple - I'll do anything and everything to injure, kill or severely cripple you. When I say, no rules, I mean...absolutely no rules. So this means that I can use anything from a knife to a kitchen sink to destroy you. I can also have my friends work you over with baseball bats when we are both locked up on the ground or if I get tired I can just pull out my 9mm and blow your brains out. No rules!

3. If you lose the fight you must pay me $10,000 dollars.

I Agree....It's Insane!
I am sure most of you immediately realize the sheer lunacy of my open challenge. Frankly, only an insane person would willingly accept it. Perhaps, my sardonic request to sign a detailed waiver or the $10,000 fee gave it away. Yes, my open challenge is both ridiculous and somewhat paradoxical. But it illustrates a very important point, the rules of my open challenge are predicated on the nature and characteristics of a real world self defense situation - meaning no rules! As I have stated in many of my self defense books and self defense dvds, street fighting is defined as "a spontaneous and violent confrontation between two or more individuals wherein no rules apply. The operative words are "no rules apply". Ironically, every day law abiding citizens are forced to accept this type of open challenge when they are attacked by a criminal predator.

"Only an insane person would willingly accept this challenge."

If a mixed martial arts sport fighter can approach me with a challenge predicated specifically on the nature and characteristics of his training (i.e., sport fighting competition with rules), why can't I do the very same thing? Meaning, why can't I offer a counter challenge suggesting we fight under the nature and characteristics of my training (i.e., street fighting with no rules).

The Jeep and the Mustang
Consider this analogy, a mixed martial arts fighter who challenges a reality self defense practitioner to fight under sport rules is like a Ford Mustang challenging a Jeep to a drag race. Conversely, a reality self defense practitioner who challenges a MMA sport fighter to fight by no rules is likened to a Jeep challenging a Mustang to a rock crawling competition. While both vehicles share similar components (i.e., tires, engine, brakes, steering wheel, etc.) they are specifically designed to perform in completely different environments.

In the final analysis, mixed martial arts fighters train to win sport competitions, while reality self defense practitioners train to survive an open challenge known as a self defense altercation.

Train hard and be safe!

Sammy Franco Founder & President Contemporary Fighting Arts

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