Scientific Self Defence

The classic close-quarters combat manual that offers practical fighting skills and historical insight into the evolution of this self-defense technique. Scientific Self-Defence is William E. Fairbairn’s seminal manual on his complete, close-quarters combat system of the same name. 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. 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! 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. Fully illustrated with over 200 demonstrative photographs

Fairbairn's images can now be seen in colour lending a clarity to the practical methods of mastering the various holds, trips and blows that allow the reader a position of security against attack

Fairbairn's images can now for the first time be seen in colour lending a clarity to the practical methods of mastering the method of dealing with an armed assailant.

Defendu, William E. Fairbairn's seminal manual on close-quarters combat, is finally available in a quality reprint edition. Originally published in 1926, the book was the first to present Fairbairn's hard-core system of close-in fighting under the name by which it became legendary among practitioners of no-holds-barred self-defense and battlefield skills. Through Defendu and his other revolutionary books (including Scientific Self-Defence, Get Tough and All-In Fighting), as well as his years spent training members of the Shanghai Municipal Police in the 1930s and elite-unit soldiers during World War II, W.E. Fairbairn probably had more influence on the evolution of practical hand-to-hand combat than any other individual in modern history. As U.S. Marine Corps veteran and CQC expert Kelly McCann writes in the exclusive foreword to Paladin's reprint edition, "W.E. Fairbairn contributed more to the knowledge base of how to kill the enemy in close quarters than perhaps anyone else." Paladin spent years actively searching for a copy of Defendu through the Internet, out-of-print book outlets, rare-book shops and military book specialists before we found one we could borrow to make this reprint edition possible. So it is with great pride that we add this highly sought volume, with an insightful foreword by best-selling author Kelly McCann to our library of Combat Classic titles.

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.

Fairbairn's images can now for the first time be seen in colour lending a clarity to the practical methods of mastering the method of dealing with an armed assailant.

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, demoralized 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 defense groups, police, security guards, and indeed anyone whose life may be threatened.The method of hand-to-hand fighting described in this book is the approved standard instruction for all members of His Majesty's forces. The Commandos, and parachute troops, harrying the invasion coasts of Europe, have been thoroughlytrained in its use. Britain's two-million Home Guard are daily being instructed in its simple but terrible effectiveness. The units of the United States Marine Corps who were stationed in China between 1927 and 1940 learned these methods at my own hands when I was Assistant Commissioner of the Shanghai Municipal Police.There will be some who will be shocked by the methods advocated here. To them I say "In war you cannot afford the luxury of squeamishness. Either you kill or capture, or you will be captured or killed. We've got to be tough to win, and we've got to be ruthless - tougher and more ruthless than our enemies."