Rating: 
Summary: Good Basic Self Defence Manual
Review: "First Strike" is a great book on basic self defence. Even better than the techniques described is the Gung-Ho, get-the-job-done attitude that Franco tries to instill in the reader. The book isn't perfect, however. Most of the book's photos show the author himself as the defender. The image of trim, muscular Sammy Franco performing the techniques doesn't help those readers who happen to be thin, short, elderly or female, for example. Franco's short discussion of ground fighting should have been left out entirely because it gives no useful advice on to how to defend yourself on the ground. The suggested reading list includes only titles by (you guessed it) Franco himself. On the plus side, "First Strike" is valuable because it draws on the real-world experience of the author. Franco's message is as simple and direct as the techniques depicted in the book. A welcome additional to my self defence library.
Rating: 
Summary: "Offense" that works
Review: "First Strike" is a great book on basic self defence. Even better than the techniques described is the Gung-Ho, get-the-job-done attitude that Franco tries to instill in the reader. The book isn't perfect, however. Most of the book's photos show the author himself as the defender. The image of trim, muscular Sammy Franco performing the techniques doesn't help those readers who happen to be thin, short, elderly or female, for example. Franco's short discussion of ground fighting should have been left out entirely because it gives no useful advice on to how to defend yourself on the ground. The suggested reading list includes only titles by (you guessed it) Franco himself. On the plus side, "First Strike" is valuable because it draws on the real-world experience of the author. Franco's message is as simple and direct as the techniques depicted in the book. A welcome additional to my self defence library.
Rating:
Summary: Hit First. Hit Hard. Hit Fast.
Review: A good book dealing with one of the cardinal rules of a street fight: Hit first. Being from a Wing Chun background I prefer simple yet powerful attacks in the trapping range using chain punches (straight blast), elbows, knees and a few other strikes. I prefer practicing just a few techniques but mastering them. I would recommend Paul Vunak's "Anatomy of a Streetfight" for the simple yet powerful approach.
Rating:
Summary: A Good Start To Practical Self-Defense
Review: A wonderful concept, the preemptive strike. This book starts out with a great concept and begins to cover the topic in detail and with logical reasoning(first 2 chapters). Then it turns into a basic how to fight book with simple techniques dispalyed in simple photos. The topic is a relevant one for realistic self-defense and hand to hand combat. The author writes with some apparent authority on the subject matter, yet the book fails to live up to the concept. This book is acceptable for the novice to intermediate student of realistic hand to hand combat. It is by no means acceptable to those of us with the expertise the author claims to have and may possess; yet the book failed to meet the expectations it leads one to believe. The topic could have and should have been covered in greater detail, such as in Dave Grossmans book "On Killing" or other such books dealing with the psychological mindset of a warrior. ... see my "Listmania" suggestions.
Rating: 
Summary: HOW TO SUCKERPUNCH
Review: Basically, the gist of this book is that it is always best to hit your opponent when he isn't expecting it -- and preferably from the blindside! Reprehensible, but effective nonetheless.To be fair, I must state for the record that I do not care for Sammy Franco or his enormous ego. I feel that he is arrogant, and not an effective instructor. His books reflect this. For an example of Sammy's arrogance, one need only refer to his "recommended reading" list at the end of this book -- every single book and article listed was written by Sammy Franco! Apparently, he feels that no-one else has ever written anything of significant value pertaining to this subject. Sammy is big on "pseudospeciation." This is a fine multisyllabic word which he apparently heard a professor use while he was studying Criminal Justice at his local community college. Since big words make one appear to be intelligent, Sammy is sure to include this word at least several times in each of his books. The illustrations are a joke. They consist of poor resolution computer images which appear to have been constructed on an Atari 400, as well as photographs of Sammy acting out his fantasy he-man scenarios versus compliant mannequin-like opponents unable to resist the power of machismo. He seems to be fond of prancing about in spandex bike shorts. In the final photo, Sammy uncomfortably poses with his German Shephard (at arm's length) while puffing on a stogie -- tobacco smoke irritates K9s and interferes with training as well as bonding. If you happen to be a fan of Sammy's work, "First Strike" is more of the same. If you are a serious martial artist who is unfamiliar with his work, I'd advise you to pass it by -- there are other authors out there who do a much better job of presenting the same sort of material.
Rating:
Summary: A whole different concept in fighting
Review: First Strike is a great book. The concepts outlined in this book by Sammy Franco are logical and very effective. The concept of striking first in a fight is vital. Franco teaches step by step the best way to perform your preemptive strike and gives various techniques and scenarios to undestand the principles better. Just like any self-defense book, this book is useless without continuous practice of the techniques outlined. Franco also outlines psychological aspects of the fight. The only bad thing, i could point out in this book, altough minimal, is the use too many terms that seem irrelevant in some of the beginning chapters. Overall though the book is pretty straightforward and the techniques are easy to put into use in practice right away.
Rating:
Summary: I works!
Review: I am writing this late at night because several hours ago I got into a confrontation with some guy who was looking to harm me and my wife. I used several of the techniques described in this book and ended up knocking the criminal out cold. The police officer came to the scene and said that I was justified in what I did. It happened just like the book stated. I guess you can learn from a book. Hats off to Sammy Franco and FIRST STRIKE.
Rating:
Summary: A Complete Guide to the Preemptive Strike
Review: Napoleon said that the logical end of defensive warfare is surrender. What was true on the battlefields of Europe a few centuries ago is equally true in the concrete jungles of today: victory is born of offensive action. Many people have never considered the idea of striking first to end a threatening situation. To the average person, executing such an action in self-defense would seem a contradiction in terms. In FIRST STRIKE, Franco exposes this common (and dangerous) misconception. Fortunately for the reader, this is only the beginning. FIRST STRIKE is a strong treatment of the preemtive strike in its many forms. Franco covers the legal and moral aspects of the first-strike attack, the mentality required, and a wide variety of physical tools the reader can use to launch -- and equally important, to finish -- the attack. The book also devotes space to valuable drills, training routines, and scenarios. FIRST STRIKE is a complete blueprint for adding the preemptive strike to your self-defense arsenal. If you have not addressed this issue in your self-defense training, you MUST do so. FIRST STRIKE is an excellent training aid to help anyone, regardless of skill level or fighting discipline, begin to study this critical field.
Rating:
Summary: Sammy tells the facts again
Review: Once again Sammy Franco shows why he is near the top of those qualified to explain and teach self-defense. Mr. Franco draws from several arts (lots of jkd and cqb) to show how to take a person out when all negotiations have failed. Too many dojos teach counterstrikes to the detriment of their students. Mr. Franco pulls no punches as to the harsh realities of the street and what it takes to survive. Every martial artist should read this book and reevaluate his art. Every instructor should learn this book and look himself in the mirror to see if he is teaching his students real survival techniques. Military people don't have a problem with Franco's concepts. It's time the public understands them also. KEEP IT UP SAMMY!
Rating:
Summary: Excellent book!!!
Review: Strike first, strike fast, strike hard! Good advice for almost any situation. This book has an incredable amount of information on pre-fight posturing. His "de-escalation/first strike stance" is something that should be incorperated into every practical personal defense program, from police/security to the average Joe. The drills in this are golden. Much of the training involves proper mental attitude, which is essential when in a high-stress situation. My only real complaints are that there are too many techniques (doesn't look like he follows the KISS principle) and that Mr. Franco's "reference material" is pretty much just his other books. Also, I think some of his principals are better suited for advanced students, even though the book is supposed to be for begginers. Those who are familiar with JKD may find a lot of similarities in this book. Overall, a great book, especially for self-defense instructors, but sometimes just has too much information.
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