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All-in Fighting Paperback – February 13, 2009

by W. E. Fairbairn (Author)

57 customer reviews

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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.

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About the Author

W.E. Fairbairn taught unarmed combat to the famed British Commandos and the U.S. armed forces during World War II. Before the war he served as assistant commissioner of the Shanghai Police Force. He was the inventor of the Fairbairn Commando Knife and the author of the classics Get Tough and Shooting to Live. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Paperback: 132 pages
Publisher: Naval and Military Press; Reprint edition (February 13, 2009)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 184734853X
ISBN-13: 978-1847348531
Product Dimensions: 5.4 x 0.3 x 8.5 inches
Shipping Weight: 7 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
Average Customer Review: 57 customer reviews
Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #44,999 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #388 in Books > History > Military > World War II

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Old School Hand to Hand Manual is Tried and True

ByThe Dagdaon July 10, 2017

Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase

The handbook that taught WWII British Commandoes the basic fighting skills that scared the poo out of nazi Germany's regular troops. I got this for my son just before he left for duty in the Army. As a history buff he enjoyed this on that level as well. No handbook can substitute for training but if you are on a combat training regimen this will expose you to additional time-proven techniques that might come in handy to vary your skill set. British commandoes/special forces are still one of the better trained at hand to hand combat and this is where that renowned training got its start. The writing style is at times kind of hokey but don't mistake that for meaning that most of the techniques aren't still largely valid. Fairbairn was a police officer in Hong Kong in the 1920s when/where violent organized crime was rampant and the colonial police force was woefully undermanned. As another reviewer cautioned these techniques are brutal and are for life and death situations any other use (and possibly appropriate use) is likely to result in legal ramifications. Don't gift this to people lacking moral judgment.

0Comment One person found this helpful. Was this review helpful to you?YesNo

"All-in-Fighting" is a useful, expanded version of another Faibairn work, "Get Tough"

ByMarvin K. Collisonon September 25, 2016

Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase

"All-in-Fighting" is a slightly expanded version of W.E. Fairbarin's "Get Tough" manual on martial arts style hand-to-hand fighting that he taught to Allied special operations forces in World War II. "All-in-Fighting" adds a short section on the use of a rifle and bayonet in hand-to-hand combat. Both books provides an insight into special operations training in World War II and still-valid tactics for personal defense and combat without firearms.

0Comment 3 people found this helpful. Was this review helpful to you?YesNo

Bare-bones and Basic Addition to a History or Martial Arts Bookshelf

ByZero Oneon January 3, 2017

Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase

Fairbairn's work covers his essential blows and grapples for hand-to-hand fighting. It also features content on knot-tying, basics of prisoner restraint, escaping a capturer's control holds and a short section on firearms.

As a historical text, it's a must for anyone interested in World War II hand-to-hand fighting. As a self-defense text, it's quite basic. It was intended for quick training and application by any soldier, there's no consideration of ground fighting or falling due to the complexity of teaching those skills (Fairbairn's forward), and strikes consist of the chin jab and edge-of-hand blow. There are some nasty neck cranks and a cringe inducing lift-and-slam that ends by breaking an enemy's spine over your knee.

All told, I found Fairbairn's law-enforcement focused "Defendu" to be more thorough; my complaint with Paladin's reprint was the studious use of the original, badly aged photos obscured essentials such as hand-positioning for throws and small-joint manipulation. "Defendu" has a richer course of throws, throws, breaks and falling. "Defendu" features additional ground-based techniques.

That said, this edition is a $6 Kindle book so you shouldn't feel gouged for buying a truncated manual. I recommend pairing Fairbairn's books with the snippets of him performing select techniques on YouTube.

I consider Fairbairn's overall application of basic strikes to be one of the most important breakthroughs in martial arts during the past century. Anyone who has taken any strain of kung fu or kenpo or Okinawan karate can attest to the dozens of hand positionings, complex blocks, often drawn from forms and kata that don't readily translate to application. (I believe, in some cases, instructors no longer remember the original intent of certain movements.) Fairbairn's edge-of-hand blows, chin jabs, holding and hitting, tiger claws, and vicious finishing moves such as stomps offer a bare bones system reliant on gross motor skills, relevant to fighters who may be exhausted, on uneven terrain or in low-light environments. Considering Fairbairn wrote for police and soldiers, unarmed hand-to-hand meant you were disarmed or made a mistake. Simple techniques allowed a segue to retrieving or drawing a weapon. Training instilled confidence that one never was disarmed. Moreover, a small portfolio of strikes could allow dedicated practitioners, over time, to build the combinations, range and positioning of a boxer, only with a suite of techniques honed to inflict maximum damage while protecting unwrapped, ungloved hands. Keep it simple and hone it to refinement. Embrace scientific reasoning for how people actually react and fight. I believe the attention to reality is part of the reason why interest in Fairbairn and his methods endures.

11 comment 6 people found this helpful. Was this review helpful to you?YesNo

easy to read, understand and implement

ByEd C. in NC.on January 6, 2014

Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase

If you think you may need to use your body or objects close at hand to stay alive, I highly recommend you read this book and practice the fundamentals it teaches. The more muscle memory you associate with these simple strikes, hold breaks and points of aim, the more likely you are to survive a real world encounter of being "jumped" by a gang. I rate this a MUST HAVE, especially with the trends to impose stricter unilateral gun control on the general population of the USA. If I was the head-of-household for a young family, I would teach most of this to my family, - and keep them "tuned up" with refreshers of the same material. If you are sniffing around close quarter combat training materials, - I would put this in your first cart of material / books - AND LEARN IT!!!

0Comment 2 people found this helpful. Was this review helpful to you?YesNo

Awesome book!

Bydineshon February 6, 2013

Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase

Not the flashest manual on hand to hand combat in this technological age, some may struggle with the antiquated and crude sketches. However if you can look past that:

a) This is a no nonsense instruction manual for WW2 era combat personnel that tries to instill an aggressive, ruthless mindset to achieve the defeat of the enemy. It would appear from the introduction that for Fairbairn this attitude is as important as (if not more important than) the actual techniques. A few of the techniques involve using military issue boots, helmets etc, so their relevance to modern day situations is questionable. The section on how to use the SMLE bolt action rifle and bayonet is a case in point. Also as others have noted some techniques can seriously injure or kill and might get you locked up for a disproportionately forceful response (or whatever the legal term may be).
But the bottom line is if this man trained Commandos in hand to hand combat, he can teach you something as well.

b) For military history buffs, it is a great collector's piece of literature from a WW2 legend.

0Comment 5 people found this helpful. Was this review helpful to you?YesNo

a very interesting read.

ByMichael De Astonon August 11, 2014

Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase

A fascinating look into the mind of WW2 combat instructors who realised that in order to win the war, they had to abandon all notions of 'fair play'.

It's surprising just how many of these techniques are just as valid today on the modern battlefield as they were 70 years ago on the battlefields of Europe.

I'd also go as far as to say that there are lessons in this book that have been lost by our various modern day military's with the advent of all of our high tech toys.

A recomended read.

0Comment 3 people found this helpful. Was this review helpful to you?YesNo

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Most recent customer reviews

Five Stars

Great book

Published 19 days ago by Brent R.

Self Defense for Real.

A clear text, written by an expert, of techniques of close combat. Worth reading!!

Published 1 month ago by Tony Lesce

basic, simple approach but uselful

good basic self-defense, I've had training in different styles and
have read/seen other methods. This has interesting diagrams on
rear attacks, front etc.

Published 1 month ago by Gil L. Larew

One of the best SD books ever written!

Fairbairn's book is one of the best SD books ever written. It's a condensed version of a great Martial Arts by a great Martial Arts.Read more

Published 2 months ago by Patrick O. Hardy

I own a smatchet so the later chapters will be of great interest as well as the hand to hand instructions

Just started reading this book, I own a smatchet so the later chapters will be of great interest as well as the hand to hand instructions.

Published 2 months ago by DWS

Five Stars

good book

Published 2 months ago by Max Dugan

Five Stars

bought it cause its aclassic

Published 3 months ago by Amazon Customer nutbutter

Five Stars

A classic that has some portions that are missing from other iterations of this volume.

Published 5 months ago by OleRetiredMarine

Four Stars

Awesome book with good visuals

Published 6 months ago by Amazon Customer

WWII Martial arts.

Hand to hand combat manual from WWII. There are techniques in this book which are timeless and any student of the British SMLE III rifle will appreciate the advanced rifle...Read more

Published 6 months ago by David J. Moore

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