About Me

AFA is a training enterprise founded by Harry Wigder, a veteran of 33 years as a state parole agent and law enforcement instructor. Wigder founded and managed a professional training operation for the Pennsylvania Board of Probation and Parole that took responsibility for all lethal (firearms) and non-lethal use of force trainings for county and state probation, parole and corrections staff throughout the Commonwealth. Wigder had long advocated the need for an integrated training system, meaning that all components of the Use of Force Continuum needed to be taught in realistic drills, exercises and scenarios, much the same as they could unfold "on the street." Court decisions regarding use of force trainings for law enforcement personnel have since proven him correct.

Wigder's commitment to excellence, his dedication and creative spirit have earned him dozens of Letters of Commendation and Seats of Honor at Awards Banquets and other venues.

Among his awards are:

• 1981, Pennsylvania Parole Agent of the Year, presented by the American Legion.

• Outstanding Contribution to Law Enforcement, October, 1987, presented by the Fraternal Order of Police, Lodge 92, Philadelphia;

• Outstanding Contribution to Law Enforcement Training, July, 2001, presented by PPCT Management Systems, Inc., International IT Re-Certification Conference, St. Louis, Missouri;

• Appreciation For Dedication & Life Saving Contribution To Street Agents Through Training, September, 2004, presented by Pittsburgh District Agents, Lodge 92, FOP.

A common accolade for Harry Wigder, PPCT IT and lead Use of Force Instructor for the Parole Board has been his steadfast commitment to reality-based training. He has long been noted for his tireless commitment to training that will meet his officers' ever-increasing need for trainings that not only work under the pressure of combat stress but prime officers for the most common types of attacks and resistance. Probably the least important, but still notable, feature of Wigder's trainings are their notable entertainment value.

AFA will be a holistic and realistic training experience. AFA will teach all components of a skill that fosters winning in all phases of a conflict: Skills in preclusion (the ability to articulate that you did whatever possible to prevent or avoid using the highest level of force); skills in overcoming aggression through Command Presence and Verbal Direction; time proven PPCT techniques designed to weaken and overwhelm almost any type of attack through strikes to Nerve Motor Points and Touch Pressure to Pressure Points and nerve centers and, of course, Use of Force Report Writing. AFA also promotes environmental awareness, mental conditioning and other Soft Skills That Make You Hard To Kill!

Pressure Point Control Tactics (PPCT) is central to anything taught in AFA. PPCT skills are all based on gross motor skills, which, unlike complex martial arts, are simple strength skills (like doing a push-up, a simple kick to a shin, pushing against something) that not only do not break down under survival stress like complex skills do, but actually increase in effectiveness as survival stress escalates. Martial arts techniques, in many cases, requires more than 2500 repetitions (Katas) to incorporate the skills into one's muscle memory. Research has found that in realistic combat, often complex skills break down, but, because PPCT is based on the principles of simplicity and employs gross motor skills, all techniques are easier to master and, once mastered, easily retainable in 25 repetitions, oftentimes less.