Police Self-Defense is a vital component of officer survival training. As a matter of fact, in order to be prepared for today’s dangerous and unpredictable world, law enforcement officers need to learn self-defense for both armed and unarmed encounters. It’s also vital that police self-defense techniques are economical, uncomplicated and effective while providing the least amount of danger, risk or injury for the officer as well as the criminal suspect.
Simplicity and practicality are of paramount importance for the law enforcement officer who wants to enhance his or her odds of street survival. A police officer cannot afford to use complicated or impractical martial arts techniques when confronting a criminal suspect. Period!
WHAT ARE THE BEST MARTIAL ARTS FOR POLICE SELF-DEFENSE?
None of them! I know this might sound harsh to some people but the fact is commercial martial arts are not designed for real world self-defense. Most martial arts, especially the traditional ones, like karate are essentially stylistic and ritualized forms of fighting that were never designed to handle the horrors and rigors of real world street violence that takes place in our city streets. The law enforcement officer who relies on such classic combat styles could get himself and the possibly the public hurt.
WHAT ABOUT MIXED MARTIAL ARTS FOR POLICE?

Sorry, but I have more bad news. The mixed martial arts or MMA are not much better than the traditional fighting arts when it comes to real world self-defense.
While at first glance, MMA or combat sports might look functional for LEO applications, the truth is they are littered with tactical and technical deficiencies that can get the officer seriously injured or possibly killed. This becomes especially apparent when the police officer is faced with a knife defense situation or confronted with multiple attackers. Finally and most importantly, some MMA techniques (when improperly applied) can be deadly for the criminal suspect.
REALITY BASED SELF-DEFENSE = LAW ENFORCEMENT!
If a police officer wants to significantly improve his or her odds of staying alive throughout their law enforcement career, it’s imperative they devote their attention and energy to reality based self defense systems that teach realistic street oriented techniques.
The police officer must be taught a broad range of force options that fit into the policies of his police department’s particular use-of-force continuum. Moreover, police officers must have moderate, intermediate and extreme unarmed self defense techniques at his or her disposal. This includes both striking and control and restraint technique, some include:
- De-escalation skills
- Wrist locks, joint locks, come along techniques that lead to immediate arrest and control.
- Striking techniques to stop the assailant’s violent action and to gain compliance.
- Practical and efficient submission fighting techniques that seamlessly flow to arrest and control.
- Throws and take downs.
- Asp, baton, kubotan training
- Pepper Spray Training

Police officer self-defense also requires the officer to be well versed in defensive skills and techniques. Just like his offensive arsenal, the modern police officer needs defensive skills that are simple, practical and capable of being used against larger and stronger assailants.
Moreover, she must be prepared to handle a myriad of criminal attacks; from an emotionally disturbed person (called EDPs) who a crazed knife attacker high on drugs or alcohol. Law enforcement officers need some of the following defensive street techniques:
- Knife defense techniques.
- Gun disarming techniques.
- Fighting multiple attackers.
- Baseball bat and bludgeon defense skills.
- Hand-to-hand attacks.
CFA & POLICE SELF-DEFENSE TRAINING
Contemporary Fighting Arts (CFA) has a wide variety of police self defense training programs. Our mission is to provide local, state and federal law enforcement officers with the safest and most effective skills and tactics to confront, defuse, control, and decentralize dangerous armed and unarmed criminals in accordance with the standard law enforcement use-of-force continuum.
“The unfortunate fact is police academy training will not adequately prepare a police officer for real world self defense situations. Police officers must take their street survival skills to a higher level.”
LAW ENFORCEMENT MASTER INSTRUCTOR
Each and every police self-defense program is taught exclusively by Sammy Franco who has earned the ranking of a Law Enforcement Master Instructor, and has designed, implemented, and taught officer survival training to 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.
Mr. Franco is a member of the prestigious International Law Enforcement Educators and Trainers Association (ILEETA), American Society of Law Enforcement Trainers (ASLET) and he is listed in the “Who’s Who Director of Law Enforcement Instructors.” He is also a certified law enforcement instructor from a variety of agencies including the National Law Enforcement Training Center. Mr. Franco offers certified training in the following courses:
- Defensive Tactics Training
- Lateral Vascular Neck Restraint
- Knife Defense & Disarming
- Arrest and Control Procedures
- Wrist/Arm Control Escort System
- Ground Defense and Control
- PR-24 Side-Handle Baton Training
- Power Handcuffing
- Oleoresin Capsicum Aerosol Subject Control (OCAT)
- Handgun & Long Gun Retention/Disarming
- Use of Force Assessment and Response Methods
- Multiple Attacker Survival Training
- Officer Fitness and Develeopment
“The ultimate objective of CFA’s police self-defense classes is to significantly enhance the law enforcement officer’s street survival.”
POLICE SELF-DEFENSE INSTRUCTION
Individual and group police self defense training is also available for law enforcement officers who wishes in improve his or her odds of survival on the streets. Police self-defense programs can also be tailored made for individual officer needs. Confidentiality and discretion is maintained at all times.
For reasons of security, complete details of our law enforcement programs do not appear on this web site. For more information, please use our Contact Us page.