The fully illustrated distilled knowledge of W.E. Fairbairn, legendary SOE instructor in unarmed combat, and co-inventor of the Sykes-Fairbairn knife, who learned his deadly skills in 30 years on the Shanghai waterfront. It has been suggested that Fairbairn was the inspiration for Q Branch, in Ian Fleming's fictional books about the British Secret Service agent James Bond.

Get Tough is the fully illustrated manual of lethal unarmed combat methods taught to British and US Special Forces in the Second World War by Major W.E. Fairbairn, co-inventor of the Sykes-Fairbairn knife, and senior instructor to WW2's Special Forces. The methods used in this book should only be employed when life is in danger from an attacker, since correctly applied they can kill or maim an opponent.

All-In Fighting shows how to deliver deadly blows with hand, fist, knee and boot; wrist, bear and strangle holds (and how to break them); how to throw an enemy, and how to break their backs; how to disarm a pistol-wielding attacker; and securing a prisoner.

Actual incidents provided the basis for Shooting to Live; this is an instruction manual on life-or-death close-quarters shootouts with the pistol. The emphasis is on training to fight with no notice, at very close ranges, in poor lighting and in unexpected environments.

Originally published during the Second World War, Hands Off shows the emancipated woman how to deal with any 'unpleasant'situation which would immeasurably increase their efficiency in the War effort. The methods of self-defence were especially selected for use by women, taking into account their disadvantages of weight, build and strength.

Scientific Self-Defence is the hand-to-hand combat system based on practical experience mixed with jujutsu and boxing that Fairbairn developed to train the Shanghai Municipal Police and was later taught in expanded form to the Office of Strategic Services and Special Operations Executive members during World War II.

Defendu is the classic hand-to-hand combat system based on practical experience mixed with jujutsu and boxing that Fairbairn developed to train the Shanghai Municipal Police.

The author of this concise guide to unarmed combat and self-defence is a legend. W. E. Fairbairn (1885-1960) spent over thirty years in the tough environment of the Riot Squads of China's Shanghai Municipal Police. In order to lower levels of Police mortality at the hands of Chinese Tongs, he studied ancient Chinese and Japanese martial arts, including Ju-jitsu, and was the first foreigner to be awarded a black belt in the discipline. He developed his own system which he called 'Defendu'. At the outbreak of the Second World War, he was recruited by Britain's Special Operations Executive as an Instructor in unarmed combat and expounded the deadly mysteries of attack and defence to scores of trainee agents about to be dropped into occupied Europe. His methods were approved and officially adopted throughout the British army. Fairbairn also developed weapons and defence aids such as bullet proof vests. He is best known as the co-inventor of the famous Sykes-Fairbairn knife. In this book he expounds his distilled experience of unarmed combat. Fully illustrated, it shows how to deliver deadly blows with hand, fist, knee and boot; wrist, bear- and strangle holds (and how to break them); how to throw an enemy, and how to break their backs; how to disarm a pistol-wielding attacker; and securing a prisoner. The book also contains a chapter on the use of the rifle in close combat by Captain P. N. Walbridge.

This book, by the man who taught them, shows how the British Commandos fought in the Second World War in unarmed hand-to hand combat. It shows how they won their fights - even against enemies who were bigger, stronger, and armed. Brute strength is not required. This book shows you how to put a thug out of action with your bare hands, so fast he won't know what's hit him.

Get Tough is filled with clear, graphic line drawings which, with the easy-to-follow directions, demonstrate the Fairbairn System. The author, Major W. E. Fairbairn, was a tough Police officer who spent 30 years with the Shanghai Municipal Police, where he learned ju-jitsu (Judo), Chinese boxing and other martial arts. He was senior instructor to British Special Forces during the war, and was the co-inventor of the legendary Sykes-Fairbairn Commando knife. While in China he became the first foreigner, living outside Japan, ever admitted to Kodokan Jiu-Jutsu University in Tokyo where he was awarded the black belt, second degree. Combining all the knowledge thus acquired he developed a system that stopped the Shanghai terrorists in their tracks, demoralised the Nazis, and probably proved a decisive factor in the success of Allied Special forces in World War Two.

This is a must book for the armed forces, civilian defence groups, police, security guards, and indeed anyone whose life may be threatened.

The Fairbairn's system was based on his training and knowledge in boxing, wrestling, savate, jujutsu, judo and fights he was involved in during his police work, Fairbairn began to develop his own system of hand to hand combat, initially referring it as Defendu. It was designed to be simple to learn and to provide effective results. Fairbairn published his book, Defendu, in 1926 2] (reprinted as Scientific Self Defence in 1931), illustrating this method and it is here that the term Defendu first appeared This confused early readers of the book, who assumed that the techniques within had been based mainly in the Eastern martial arts that Fairbairn had learned. Thus, in an attempt to highlight the originality of Fairbairn's material, the term did not appear in the 1931 edition of the book.

Fairbairn was called upon by the British to help train Allied troops in World War II. Fairbairn and others expanded on this system to create the Close Quarters Combat system that was then taught to the troops. This system was built on Defendu, but modified for military applications, rather than police and riot control.

The original Defendu was oriented towards self-defence and restraint, while the Close Quarters Combat system concentrated on rapid disabling of an opponent, with potentially lethal force. The militarised version of Defendu is described in the military manual All in fighting 1942, used as a supplement during WW2 CQB-training. This book was later published in a civilian edition, missing the chapters on bayonet-fighting and rifle sighting, under the name Get Tough How To Win In Hand-To-Hand Fighting. As Taught To The British Commandos And The U.S. Armed Forces. Fairbairn's CQC-system is also described in Rex Applegate's book Kill or Get Killed.

Publications:

Defendu

Scientific Self-Defence

All-In Fighting

Get Tough

Hands Off (Self Defence for Women and Girls)

Shooting to Live

All of Fairbairn's works are published and available from The Naval & Military Press.

The fully illustrated distilled knowledge of W.E. Fairbairn, legendary SOE instructor in unarmed combat, and co-inventor of the Sykes-Fairbairn knife, who learned his deadly skills in 30 years on the Shanghai waterfront. It has been suggested that Fairbairn was the inspiration for Q Branch, in Ian Fleming's fictional books about the British Secret Service agent James Bond.

Get Tough is the fully illustrated manual of lethal unarmed combat methods taught to British and US Special Forces in the Second World War by Major W.E. Fairbairn, co-inventor of the Sykes-Fairbairn knife, and senior instructor to WW2's Special Forces. The methods used in this book should only be employed when life is in danger from an attacker, since correctly applied they can kill or maim an opponent.

All-In Fighting shows how to deliver deadly blows with hand, fist, knee and boot; wrist, bear and strangle holds (and how to break them); how to throw an enemy, and how to break their backs; how to disarm a pistol-wielding attacker; and securing a prisoner.

Actual incidents provided the basis for Shooting to Live; this is an instruction manual on life-or-death close-quarters shootouts with the pistol. The emphasis is on training to fight with no notice, at very close ranges, in poor lighting and in unexpected environments.

Originally published during the Second World War, Hands Off shows the emancipated woman how to deal with any 'unpleasant'situation which would immeasurably increase their efficiency in the War effort. The methods of self-defence were especially selected for use by women, taking into account their disadvantages of weight, build and strength.

Scientific Self-Defence is the hand-to-hand combat system based on practical experience mixed with jujutsu and boxing that Fairbairn developed to train the Shanghai Municipal Police and was later taught in expanded form to the Office of Strategic Services and Special Operations Executive members during World War II.

Defendu is the classic hand-to-hand combat system based on practical experience mixed with jujutsu and boxing that Fairbairn developed to train the Shanghai Municipal Police.

Get tough, get down in the gutter, win at all costs... I teach what is called 'Gutter Fighting.' There's no fair play, no rules except one: kill or be killed. - W.E. Fairbairn

Learn self-defense from one of the most badass hand-to-hand combat experts the world has ever seen

W. E. Fairbairn is an absolute legend in the world of martial arts. He is credited with inventing the SWAT team, riot police, bullet-proof vest, and the Fairbairn-Sykes fighting knife used to this day by Special Forces, Marines, and Armies around the world. After enlisting in the British Royal Marines at age 16, Fairbairn spent the years between 1903 and 1907 stationed in Japan and Korea eagerly studying every form of martial art he came across. Fairbairn then accepted a position as a patrolman with the Shanghai Municipal Police department, which, in the early days of the 20th Century, was struggling against seemingly endless swarms of organized criminals and violent gangsters. Tasked with training the underfunded department, Fairbairn wove together his military training, mastery of Eastern martial arts, and everything he learned from personal experience street-fighting deadly criminals into a new style of no-holds-barred, 'gutter-fighting' called Defendu. In the 35 years he spent walking the streets of Shanghai, Fairbairn allegedly survived over 600 physical engagements, the violence of which left his body covered head-to-toe with the scars of knife and bullet wounds. Upon leaving Shanghai Fairbairn accepted a job to train elite agents for the British Secret Service in anticipation of WWII.

The author of this concise guide to unarmed combat and self-defence is a legend. W. E. Fairbairn (1885-1960) spent over thirty years in the tough environment of the Riot Squads of China's Shanghai Municipal Police. In order to lower levels of Police mortality at the hands of Chinese Tongs, he studied ancient Chinese and Japanese martial arts, including Ju-jitsu, and was the first foreigner to be awarded a black belt in the discipline. He developed his own system which he called 'Defendu'. At the outbreak of the Second World War, he was recruited by Britain's Special Operations Executive as an Instructor in unarmed combat and expounded the deadly mysteries of attack and defence to scores of trainee agents about to be dropped into occupied Europe. His methods were approved and officially adopted throughout the British army. Fairbairn also developed weapons and defence aids such as bullet proof vests. He is best known as the co-inventor of the famous Sykes-Fairbairn knife. In this book he expounds his distilled experience of unarmed combat. Fully illustrated, it shows how to deliver deadly blows with hand, fist, knee and boot; wrist, bear- and strangle holds (and how to break them); how to throw an enemy, and how to break their backs; how to disarm a pistol-wielding attacker; and securing a prisoner. The book also contains a chapter on the use of the rifle in close combat by Captain P. N. Walbridge.

Originally published during the Second World War, Major Fairbairn's Hands Off shows the emancipated woman how to deal with any unpleasant situation which would immeasurably increase their efficiency in the War Effort. The methods of self-defence explained and illustrated were especially selected for use by women, taking into account their disadvantages of weight, build and strength. They are all practicable, and many were originally worked out in answer to the question 'what should I do if I were attacked like this'.

Amongst the twenty measures advocated are: Wrist Hold - Being Strangled - How to Apply the Chin Jab - Bear Hug - Waist, Coat, Hair and Belt Holds - Umbrella Drill - Car Hold Up - Give Me a Light.

They are all as valid today as they were seventy years ago.

This book is an excellent summary and was the first time that fighting with firearms was clearly and explicitly disassociated from classical target/range shooting.

This is the concept that spawned most modern pistol techniques because it is simple, effective and proven. It is written as instruction to police forces in the methods of shooting (reflexive/instinctive) and training (realistic/challenging) that the author developed over two decades active service in Shanghai.

This book, by the man who taught them, shows how the British Commandos fought in the Second World War in unarmed hand-to hand combat. It shows how they won their fights - even against enemies who were bigger, stronger, and armed. Brute strength is not required. This book shows you how to put a thug out of action with your bare hands, so fast he won't know what's hit him.

Get Tough is filled with clear, graphic line drawings which, with the easy-to-follow directions, demonstrate the Fairbairn System. The author, Major W. E. Fairbairn, was a tough Police officer who spent 30 years with the Shanghai Municipal Police, where he learned ju-jitsu (Judo), Chinese boxing and other martial arts. He was senior instructor to British Special Forces during the war, and was the co-inventor of the legendary Sykes-Fairbairn Commando knife. While in China he became the first foreigner, living outside Japan, ever admitted to Kodokan Jiu-Jutsu University in Tokyo where he was awarded the black belt, second degree. Combining all the knowledge thus acquired he developed a system that stopped the Shanghai terrorists in their tracks, demoralised the Nazis, and probably proved a decisive factor in the success of Allied Special forces in World War Two.

This is a must book for the armed forces, civilian defence groups, police, security guards, and indeed anyone whose life may be threatened.

The Fairbairn's system was based on his training and knowledge in boxing, wrestling, savate, jujutsu, judo and fights he was involved in during his police work, Fairbairn began to develop his own system of hand to hand combat, initially referring it as Defendu. It was designed to be simple to learn and to provide effective results. Fairbairn published his book, Defendu, in 1926 2] (reprinted as Scientific Self Defence in 1931), illustrating this method and it is here that the term Defendu first appeared This confused early readers of the book, who assumed that the techniques within had been based mainly in the Eastern martial arts that Fairbairn had learned. Thus, in an attempt to highlight the originality of Fairbairn's material, the term did not appear in the 1931 edition of the book.

Fairbairn was called upon by the British to help train Allied troops in World War II. Fairbairn and others expanded on this system to create the Close Quarters Combat system that was then taught to the troops. This system was built on Defendu, but modified for military applications, rather than police and riot control.

The original Defendu was oriented towards self-defence and restraint, while the Close Quarters Combat system concentrated on rapid disabling of an opponent, with potentially lethal force. The militarised version of Defendu is described in the military manual All in fighting 1942, used as a supplement during WW2 CQB-training. This book was later published in a civilian edition, missing the chapters on bayonet-fighting and rifle sighting, under the name Get Tough How To Win In Hand-To-Hand Fighting. As Taught To The British Commandos And The U.S. Armed Forces. Fairbairn's CQC-system is also described in Rex Applegate's book Kill or Get Killed.

Publications:

Defendu

Scientific Self-Defence

All-In Fighting

Get Tough

Hands Off (Self Defence for Women and Girls)

Shooting to Live

All of Fairbairn's works are published and available from The Naval & Military Press.

Defendu is William E. Fairbairn's seminal manual on his complete, close-quarters combat system of the same name. Pragmatically developed to address the harsh realities of violent real-life situations, Defendu (the name itself a fusion of defense and do) is a hybrid of other martial arts and fighting styles. It blends moves from a variety of sources ranging from boxing and wrestling to jujitsu and judo. The linking theme throughout is ending the conflict as quickly and effectively as possible, placing survival as the highest priority. Covering both armed and unarmed moves as well as a variety of restraint techniques, students will find a wide range of easily learnable skills that will be useful everywhere from home to the streets to the battlefield.

Fairbairn influenced the world of hand-to-hand combat as a member of the Shanghai Municipal Police in the 1930s and a trainer of elite-unit soldiers during World War II. He is a modern legend in the history of fighting and self-defense skills and is widely regarded as one of the fathers of modern hand-to-hand combat.

Fairbairn's first book, Defendu offers practical fighting skills as well as valuable historical insight into the evolution of this innovative self-defense technique. The material is clearly presented and can be useful to everyone from the light weight beginner to a powerful martial artist. The knowledge you gain just might save your life

Fully illustrated with over 200 demonstrative photographs.

The Fairbairn system was based on his training and knowledge in boxing, wrestling, savate, jujutsu, judo and fights he was also involved in during his police work. Fairbairn began to develop his own system of hand-to-hand combat, initially referring to it as 'Defendu'. It was designed to be simple to learn and to provide effective results. Fairbairn published his book, 'Defendu', in 1926 (reprinted as 'Scientific Self Defence' in 1931), illustrating this method and it is here that the term 'Defendu' first appeared. This confused early readers of the book, who assumed that the techniques within it had been based mainly in the Eastern martial arts that Fairbairn had learned.
Fairbairn was called upon by the British to help train Allied troops in World War II. Fairbairn and others expanded on this system to create the Close Quarters Combat system that was then taught to the troops. This system was built on Defendu, but modified for military applications, rather than police and riot control.
The original Defendu was oriented towards self-defence and restraint, while the Close Quarters Combat system concentrated on rapid disabling of an opponent, with potentially lethal force. The militarised version of Defendu is described in the military manual 'All-in Fighting 1942', used as a supplement during WW2 CQC training. This book was later published in a civilian edition, missing the chapters on bayonet fighting and rifle sighting, under the name 'Get Tough How to Win in Hand-to-Hand Fighting. As Taught to the British Commandos and the U.S. Armed Forces'. Fairbairn's CQC system is also described in Rex Applegate's book 'Kill or Get Killed'.
Together with Eric A. Sykes, Fairbairn developed innovative pistol shooting techniques and handgun specifications for the Shanghai Municipal Police which were later disseminated through their book 'Shooting to Live with the One-Hand Gun', along with various other police innovations such as riot batons, armoured vests and other equipment.
He is perhaps best known for designing the famous Fairbairn-Sykes fighting knife, or 'Commando' knife, a stiletto-style fighting dagger used by British Special Forces in the Second World War, and featured in his textbook 'Scientific Self-Defence'. Fairbairn also designed the lesser-known Smatchet, and collaborated on the design of several other combat knife designs.

Publications:

Defendu

Scientific Self-Defence

All-In Fighting

Get Tough

Hands Off (Self Defence for Women and Girls)

Shooting to Live

All of Fairbairn's works are published and available from The Naval & Military Press.

This book is an excellent summary and was the first time that fighting with firearms was clearly and explicitly disassociated from classical target/range shooting.

This is the concept that spawned most modern pistol techniques because it is simple, effective and proven. It is written as instruction to police forces in the methods of shooting (reflexive/instinctive) and training (realistic/challenging) that the author developed over two decades active service in Shanghai.

Get tough, get down in the gutter, win at all costs... I teach what is called 'Gutter Fighting.' There's no fair play, no rules except one: kill or be killed. - W.E. Fairbairn

Learn self-defense from one of the most badass hand-to-hand combat experts the world has ever seen

W. E. Fairbairn is an absolute legend in the world of martial arts. He is credited with inventing the SWAT team, riot police, bullet-proof vest, and the Fairbairn-Sykes fighting knife used to this day by Special Forces, Marines, and Armies around the world. After enlisting in the British Royal Marines at age 16, Fairbairn spent the years between 1903 and 1907 stationed in Japan and Korea eagerly studying every form of martial art he came across. Fairbairn then accepted a position as a patrolman with the Shanghai Municipal Police department, which, in the early days of the 20th Century, was struggling against seemingly endless swarms of organized criminals and violent gangsters. Tasked with training the underfunded department, Fairbairn wove together his military training, mastery of Eastern martial arts, and everything he learned from personal experience street-fighting deadly criminals into a new style of no-holds-barred, 'gutter-fighting' called Defendu. In the 35 years he spent walking the streets of Shanghai, Fairbairn allegedly survived over 600 physical engagements, the violence of which left his body covered head-to-toe with the scars of knife and bullet wounds. Upon leaving Shanghai Fairbairn accepted a job to train elite agents for the British Secret Service in anticipation of WWII.

Originally published during the Second World War, Major Fairbairn's Hands Off shows the emancipated woman how to deal with any unpleasant situation which would immeasurably increase their efficiency in the War Effort. The methods of self-defence explained and illustrated were especially selected for use by women, taking into account their disadvantages of weight, build and strength. They are all practicable, and many were originally worked out in answer to the question 'what should I do if I were attacked like this'.

Amongst the twenty measures advocated are: Wrist Hold - Being Strangled - How to Apply the Chin Jab - Bear Hug - Waist, Coat, Hair and Belt Holds - Umbrella Drill - Car Hold Up - Give Me a Light.

They are all as valid today as they were seventy years ago.

The Fairbairn system was based on his training and knowledge in boxing, wrestling, savate, jujutsu, judo and fights he was also involved in during his police work. Fairbairn began to develop his own system of hand-to-hand combat, initially referring to it as 'Defendu'. It was designed to be simple to learn and to provide effective results. Fairbairn published his book, 'Defendu', in 1926 (reprinted as 'Scientific Self Defence' in 1931), illustrating this method and it is here that the term 'Defendu' first appeared. This confused early readers of the book, who assumed that the techniques within it had been based mainly in the Eastern martial arts that Fairbairn had learned.
Fairbairn was called upon by the British to help train Allied troops in World War II. Fairbairn and others expanded on this system to create the Close Quarters Combat system that was then taught to the troops. This system was built on Defendu, but modified for military applications, rather than police and riot control.
The original Defendu was oriented towards self-defence and restraint, while the Close Quarters Combat system concentrated on rapid disabling of an opponent, with potentially lethal force. The militarised version of Defendu is described in the military manual 'All-in Fighting 1942', used as a supplement during WW2 CQC training. This book was later published in a civilian edition, missing the chapters on bayonet fighting and rifle sighting, under the name 'Get Tough How to Win in Hand-to-Hand Fighting. As Taught to the British Commandos and the U.S. Armed Forces'. Fairbairn's CQC system is also described in Rex Applegate's book 'Kill or Get Killed'.
Together with Eric A. Sykes, Fairbairn developed innovative pistol shooting techniques and handgun specifications for the Shanghai Municipal Police which were later disseminated through their book 'Shooting to Live with the One-Hand Gun', along with various other police innovations such as riot batons, armoured vests and other equipment.
He is perhaps best known for designing the famous Fairbairn-Sykes fighting knife, or 'Commando' knife, a stiletto-style fighting dagger used by British Special Forces in the Second World War, and featured in his textbook 'Scientific Self-Defence'. Fairbairn also designed the lesser-known Smatchet, and collaborated on the design of several other combat knife designs.

Publications:

Defendu

Scientific Self-Defence

All-In Fighting

Get Tough

Hands Off (Self Defence for Women and Girls)

Shooting to Live

All of Fairbairn's works are published and available from The Naval & Military Press.

Fully illustrated and enhanced with colourised images, this is the Combat Edition of what is regarded as the classic manual of unarmed combat, it will be sure to delight all martial arts enthusiasts.

The author of this guide to unarmed combat and self-defence is a legend. W. E. Fairbairn (1885-1960) spent over thirty years in the tough environment of the Riot Squads of China's Shanghai Municipal Police. In order to lower levels of Police mortality at the hands of Chinese Tongs, he studied ancient Chinese and Japanese martial arts, including Ju-jitsu, and was the first foreigner to be awarded a black belt in the discipline. He developed his own system which he called 'Defendu'. At the outbreak of the Second World War, he was recruited by Britain's Special Operations Executive as an Instructor in unarmed combat and expounded the deadly mysteries of attack and defence to scores of trainee agents about to be dropped into occupied Europe. His methods were approved and officially adopted throughout the British army. Fairbairn also developed weapons and defence aids such as bullet proof vests. He is best known as the co-inventor of the famous Sykes-Fairbairn knife. In this book he expounds his distilled experience of unarmed combat. Fully illustrated, it shows how to deliver deadly blows with hand, fist, knee and boot; wrist, bear- and strangle holds (and how to break them); how to throw an enemy, and how to break their backs; how to disarm a pistol-wielding attacker; and securing a prisoner. The book also contains a chapter on the use of the rifle in close combat by Captain P. N. Walbridge.

Captain W. E. Fairbairn would have approved of this new colour version, that gives an illustrative clarity to the original that was lacking in previous monochrome reprints of his work.

Fully illustrated and enhanced with colourised images, this is the Combat Edition of what is regarded as the classic manual of unarmed combat, it will be sure to delight all martial arts enthusiasts.

The author of this guide to unarmed combat and self-defence is a legend. W. E. Fairbairn (1885-1960) spent over thirty years in the tough environment of the Riot Squads of China's Shanghai Municipal Police. In order to lower levels of Police mortality at the hands of Chinese Tongs, he studied ancient Chinese and Japanese martial arts, including Ju-jitsu, and was the first foreigner to be awarded a black belt in the discipline. He developed his own system which he called 'Defendu'. At the outbreak of the Second World War, he was recruited by Britain's Special Operations Executive as an Instructor in unarmed combat and expounded the deadly mysteries of attack and defence to scores of trainee agents about to be dropped into occupied Europe. His methods were approved and officially adopted throughout the British army. Fairbairn also developed weapons and defence aids such as bullet proof vests. He is best known as the co-inventor of the famous Sykes-Fairbairn knife. In this book he expounds his distilled experience of unarmed combat. Fully illustrated, it shows how to deliver deadly blows with hand, fist, knee and boot; wrist, bear- and strangle holds (and how to break them); how to throw an enemy, and how to break their backs; how to disarm a pistol-wielding attacker; and securing a prisoner. The book also contains a chapter on the use of the rifle in close combat by Captain P. N. Walbridge.

Captain W. E. Fairbairn would have approved of this new colour version, that gives an illustrative clarity to the original that was lacking in previous monochrome reprints of his work.