To be effective, close-quarters combat must be simple, straightforward and brutal. It must work under battlefiled conditions in which you're tired and frightened and when gross-motor skills may be all you're capable of. It must be easy to learn and easy to use without warning in any environment.
One of the figures who shaped that notion of close-quarters combat was Lt.Col.William E.Fairbairn, an Englishman who worked his way up from constable to assistant commissioner of the Shanghai Municipal Police before World War II. Along the way, he developed a system of armed and unarmed combat that enabled his officers to survive some of the toughest streets on earth.
In the early 1900s Shanghai was the most violent city in China, if not the world. Muggings, armed robberies and kidnappings plagued its population, while gangs ran amok and opium dealers did whatever was necessary to ply their trade. One night in 1908, Fairbairn was patrolling the brothel district when he was nearly beaten to death by a band of criminals. He awoke in a hospital and fortuitously noticed a placard near his bed that read "Professor Oakda, jujutsu and bone setting".
After checking out, Fairbairn embarked on a course of study that would include jujutsu, judo and various Chineses arts. He eventually earned a black belt in judo and jujutsu, and in 1920 he was tasked with teaching recruits the techniques they would rely on to save their own lives.
In his 30-plus years with the Shanghai Police, Fairbairn was involved in or personally observed more than 200 violent encounters involving weapons and an even greater number that saw the use of only fists and feet. From his studies, observations and experiences, he developed a system of self-defence and arrest-and-control techniques, which he named defendu. Its arsenal was composed of moves borrowed from various martial arts and then simplifed so the average person could readily learn them.
Fairbairn retired in 1940 at the age of 55. He returned to England,where he was charged with training commandos and elite members of the home guard. His curriculum was designed to provide soldiers and operatives with the skill and confidence needed to defeat an enemy in close combat. He also instructed various American and Allied commando units, including the Office of Strategic Services.
Although the system Fairbairn originally taught to the police contained a variety of restraining holds, the skills he passed to the military focused on strikes. Police officers were supposed to arrest suspects, he reasoned, while soldiers and agents were required to despatch their enemies as quickly and ruthlessly as possible. Hand-to-hand combat was extremely important to OSS agents because they frequently had to operate in occupied areas while masquerading as foreign nationals. Because they often encountered German checkpoints, they couldn't carry firearms and thus had to rely on the empty-hand training provided by Fairbairn and his instructors.
These days it's tough to find an instructor who trained directly under Fairbairn. One man who can trace his lineage back to him is a World War II veteran and former Marine hand-to-hand combat instructor named Charles Nelson. Nelson trained under Sgt.Kelly, a Marine who served in Shanghai in the 1930s and was one of Fairbairn's followers. Kelly also studied under Detective Dermot "Pat" O'Neil of the Shanghai Police, another of Fairbairn's top students.
After the war, Nelson returned to New York City, where he taught self-defence for more than 45 years. When he retired, the direct link to World War II close combat would have been severed were it not for the existence of a student named Carl Cestari. Having conducted more research on the close-combat methods of World War II than anyone else alive, he's established himself as the premier purveyor of the timeless teachings of Fairbairn and Nelson. Damian Ross, the author of "The Quick and the Dead" is Cestari's top student.
Best Techniques
Lt.Col.William E.Fairbairn and his followers generally emphasised the atemi, or striking aspects, of the martial arts because they're easier to apply and have a more lethal effect than do throws and locks. Their most important characteristic is their reliance on gross-motor movements. They're also nontelegraphic because they originate from wherever the striking limb is. No chambering or cocking is involved. In each strike, the weapon takes the most direct route to the target. Above all, they stress the need to pre-emptively attack as soon as a threat becomes apparent. They include the following techniques.
Edge-of-the-Hand Blow: Alternatively known as the ax hand, the chop or the hack. It's similar to the shuto (knifehand) of karate. Open your hand and tighten its muscles. Your thumb should point up as you strike with the fleshy part between the knuckle of your little finger and the base of your palm.
Tiger Claw: When you'e facing a frontal attack, your best option is usually the tiger claw. Curl your fingers and spread them as if you're trying to grip a shot put. Deliver the strike into the attacker's face using a pistonlike motion.
Chin Jab: This strike travels upward from beneath the opponent's line of sight, slamming into the underside of his chin and jaw. Angle your hand as far backward as possible and spread your fingers. Bend your arm slightly as you hit with the base of your palm. Your fingers can be used to inflict a follow-up eye gouge.
Knee Thrust: This technique involves propelling your knee upward as if you're trying to lift your attacker off his feet. As soon as you make contact, plant your raised foot where he was standing. The groin is the primary target, but the technique can also be used to hit the stomach or thigh.
Kicks: The side kick entails drawing your foot up to knee height and driving it into your attacker's leg in one swift motion. Strike with the leg that's closest to him. If possible, use the edge of your shoe to blast his shin or the bottom of your heel to damage his knee. The nontelegraphic front kick to the groin and inside-edge-of-the-boot kick to the lower shin or ankle are viable alternatives.
Source-: Blackbelt Magazine
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