by Sammy Franco
Full Contact Webbing Demonstration
Step 1: The defender (left) assumes a first strike stance.
Step 2: In one fluid motion, he joins both hands together, extends both arms and moves forward.
Step 3: The webbing strike makes contact with the opponent’s target.
Webbing Technique Review
Step 1. From a right lead (your right leg is forward) stance. Simultaneously overlap your left hand on top of your right hand. Your right thumb should be lined under the 5th metacarpal of your left hand (see illustration). Your right palm is the striking surface while your left reinforces the structural integrity of the strike. The left hand is also particularly important because it significantly reduces the likelihood of a wrist or hand injury and it magnifies the power of the blow.
Step 2. Once the hands are properly joined, forcefully extend both arms into the enemy’s chin. Your elbows should also be slightly bent when impacting with the target. Do not completely lock your elbows. Unlike conventional punches, your body does not torque when launching the webbing strike. Destructive power comes from the synergistic use of your major muscle groups (i.e., back, chest, shoulders and triceps) accompanied with forward momentum.
Step 3. The trajectory of the webbing blow should be approximately 45-degrees to the enemy’s chin. Remember, you are trying to transmit shock waves to the cerebellum and cerebral hemispheres of the assailant’s brain. Make certain that both of your palms are perpendicular to the floor. This palm alignment will minimize finger sprains and maximize flush contact with the target.
Step 4. You can launch the webbing strike while remaining stationary, however forward momentum will increase the power exponentially. Forward momentum can be generated in one of two ways: the Half Step and Full Step.
Step 5.Once the two hands make solid contact with the target, allow both hands to split apart. Your left hand grasps the nape of the opponent’s neck (this is referred to as “anchoring”) while the right hand begins to raze the adversary.
Don’t Confuse Webbing with the “V” Grip
It’s common for some people to confuse the webbing strike with the “V” grip. While the two may look similar, they are very different from each other. The “V” grip is used when you are unarmed and defending against an edged weapon attack. It requires that you place your thumb under the first metacarpal (not the fifth) when applying the technique (see photo below).
In this photo, notice how the right thumb is aligned under the 1st metacarpal of the left hand (not the 5th) when configuring the “V” grip.
The “V” grip is the foundation of unarmed knife defense, don’t confuse it with the Widow Maker Program.
Chapter Two: Bridging the Gap
Anchoring the Opponent
After hitting the opponent with the webbing technique, you must anchor him. Essentially, anchoring means controlling and preventing the opponent from disengaging the range of engagement. Remember, for the Widow Maker program to work effectively, you must maintain close-quarter combat range and keep the pressure on the adversary.
Anchoring is also essential because it effectively bridges the gap between the webbing 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.
Here, a student demonstrates offensive anchoring. Anchoring bridges the gap between webbing and razing.
Offensive Anchoring Demonstration
Step 1: The author assumes a first strike stance.
Step 2: He executes a webbing strike to the body opponent bag.
Step 3: Once contact is made with the target, Franco’s left hand grasps the nape of the neck while his right hand begins the razing technique.
Transitioning from Webbing to Anchoring
The following photos demonstrate the proper way to transition from webbing to anchoring.
Step 1: Once your webbing strike 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 g
ive 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 Three: The Science of Razing
Razing
Once you have landed the webbing strike and have successfully anchored your opponent, you must immediately flow into the razing method of attack. Again, it’s critical that you don’t permit your offensive flow to break for even a second. The fundamental objective is to harmoniously amalgamate webbing and razing into one relentless and strategically calculated assault. In turn, this will short circuit the opponent’s cognitive brain function. Essentially, he’s screwed!
WE’RE NOT IN KANSAS ANYMORE!
I’ve been teaching reality based self-defense (RBSD) for over thirty years and I can say, with one-hundred percent confidence, that razing is the most devastating form of unarmed fighting know to man. Its brutal and invasive characteristics are both physically and psychologically traumatic for the recipient. The overwhelming nature of razing invokes instantaneous panic by delivering a destructiveness exceeding that of a deadly and evil criminal aggressor.
When razing is properly performed, it accomplishes the following objectives:
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.
Instant Damage — Razing is simply indefensible! The speed and proximity at which these quarter beat hits are delivered is truly 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, your only hope is to try and escape from the pain.
More Advantages of Razing
There are many other advantages to adding my razing methodology to your current 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 -unlike fisted blows, you don’t run the risk of spraining or breaking your wrists or hands when performing razing techniques.
Exactly What is Razing?
In Contemporary Fighting Arts, 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 executed at various beats: (half beat, quarter beat and zero beat) and they include the following:
Eye raking
Eye gouging
Tearing
Crushing
Biting
Hair pulling
Elbow strikes
Shaving forearms
Head butts
Hair Pulling
Bicep pops
Neck cranks
Finishing chokes
To the uninitiated, razing 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.
Best of all, razing is straightforward and can easily be integrated into any style of fighting. If you currently study Krav Maga, Jeet Kune Do, Mixed Martial Arts, Karate or Kung-Fu, you can seamlessly merge razing into your style or system.
When Can I Raze?
I would be remiss if I did not give you a few caveats about razing. First, because of its devastating power, razing should only be used in self-defense situations that warrant the application of deadly force.
Understanding Deadly Force
So what is deadly force? First, let me state that you must never use force against anyone unless it is absolutely necessary. Next, “force” is broken down into two levels: deadly and non deadly. Deadly force is defined as violent action known to create a substantial risk of causing death or serious bodily harm. A person may use deadly force in self-defense only if retaliating against another’s deadly force. Non deadly force is an amount of force that does not result in serious bodily injury or death.
Let me be clear, both webbing and razing can produce serious bodily harm and possible death. They are classified as deadly force techniques and must only be used to protect yourself or a loved one from immediate risk of unlawful deadly criminal attack. Remember, the decision to use deadly force must always be a last resort; after all other means of avoiding violence has been thoroughly exhausted.
Razing should not be used as an intermediate use-of-force tactic. It is not designed to be “toned down” as a compliance tool to gain control over your opponent. It’s all or nothing with razing! For it to work effectively, it must be delivered with tremendous force and blistering speed. Frankly, anything less will likely result in the opponent seriously injuring you.
Understanding Widow Maker’s Beat System
In order to truly appreciate the razing method of attack, you need to have a fundamental understanding of my beat system. Essentially, there are four (4) beat classifications. They include:
Full Beat - your strike has an initiation and retraction phase. (Standard punches and blows are generally considered “full beat strikes.” For example, lead straight, rear cross, etc.)
Half Beat - your strike is delivered through the retraction phase of the proceeding strike.
Quarter Beat - a rapid series of strikes that never break contact with the target. Quarter beat strikes are primary responsible for creating the psychological panic and trauma for the opponent.
Zero Beat - full pressure techniques applied to a specific target until
it completely ruptures. Includes gouging, biting and choking techniques. Primary anatomical targets include: the eyes and throat. Zero beat is most often applied at the end of your razing assault.
While there are four unique beat classifications, the razing methodology only uses three. They are: half, quarter and full beats.
Razing techniques are executed at three different beats.
Don’t confuse the Widow Maker’s beat system with the one discussed in Bruce Lee’s Tao of Jeet Kune Do. Pictured here, a statute of the great Bruce Lee.
Full Beat Demonstration
Step 1: Franco squares off in a fighting stance.
