Format: PaperbackChange
Price:$11.00+ Free shipping with Amazon Prime
There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later.
on September 25, 2016
"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.
on January 3, 2017
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.
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.
on January 6, 2014
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!!!
on February 6, 2013
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.
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.
on August 11, 2014
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.
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.
on December 22, 2011
Of all the hand-to-hand combat books, this is one of the few that justifies being in print. The techniques are easy to learn and easy to use. Rather than focus entirely on unarmed combat, there is good information on the use of the stick, knife, and smatchet (a short machete-type weapon). The smatchet techniques can also be used with a short stick. The methods were chosen for their effectiveness and the ability to learn them in a short time. Fairbairn was no dojo dancer. He fought against hardened criminals during his years as a policeman in the Shanghai International community.
For the military history buff, this is a reprint of a classic artifact. For practical self-defense, few can match it.
For the military history buff, this is a reprint of a classic artifact. For practical self-defense, few can match it.
on August 26, 2011
Excellent book, from the UK, you gotta have it, and jeese they are selling this cheap, that if Get Tough wasn't on sale, and you were on an extreme budget, then this would be cheaper to get and its nearly the same. I mean, its from the naval and military press in association with royal armouries, which gives it an authentic appeal since W.E. Fairbairn was a British subject. Oh sure, its very nearly the same as "Get Tough", the version geared towards Americans in WW2, this one was for our Tommy brit allies in WW2 with special section in the back on care and use of the No.1Mark3* .303 rifle, and a little different forward. Buy Get Toughh as well, of course, Defendu(Defend-you), Scientific Self Defense, and Shooting to Live all by the same author as reprints. Of note are Rex Applegate's Kill or Get Killed.
All these works are "old", but unless the human body has gone through some sort of evolution in the last half century, these techniques have been incorporated in modern self defense/offense techniques from what I've read from real expert reviewers. Case in point, the simple knife hand "chop", starts out the demonstrations, and you'd be surprised to know that one can possibly break another persons' arm, but it states not possible with a closed fist, well that makes sense, and it of course gives various targets and technique for accomplishing this "chop".
All these works are "old", but unless the human body has gone through some sort of evolution in the last half century, these techniques have been incorporated in modern self defense/offense techniques from what I've read from real expert reviewers. Case in point, the simple knife hand "chop", starts out the demonstrations, and you'd be surprised to know that one can possibly break another persons' arm, but it states not possible with a closed fist, well that makes sense, and it of course gives various targets and technique for accomplishing this "chop".
on July 19, 2017
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. If you don't have much time and a partner in the same fix, but want to defend yourself against attack, check this out.
on February 12, 2015
As a former British Commando it was a trip down memory lane to read this book. Excellent - short, sharp and punchy and very effective!
