The Fairbairn manual of knife fighting.pdf

The Fairbairn Manual of Knife Fighting

William Ewart Fairbairn's Lost Classic

William L. Cassidy

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Introduction

In February 1977, Lieutenant Colonel William Ewart Fairbairn's son, Major John E. Fairbairn,

OBE, presented me with an unpublished document on the subject of knife fighting. This

document was written by his father in 1955. It takes the form of a typewritten manuscript, with

numerous holographic notes in Lieutenant Colonel Fairbairn's own hand. It was never titled, nor

was it ever completed.

In 1975, I had written a book entitled Complete Book of Knife Fighting, wherein I made mention

of Lieutenant Colonel Fairbairn. Accordingly, his son requested that I edit, revise, and rewrite

the manuscript for publication.

Revision and rewriting was to be accomplished on the basis of instruction in the form and style

of knife fighting covered in the manuscript, together with such other material that I deemed

useful. Major Fairbairn gave me such instruction in sessions at his home. Pronouncing himself

satisfied with the result, he next presented me with his father's personal edged weapons,

prototypes, and service revolver, as well as his father's personal papers.

I have delayed publishing this work for twenty-two years. The delay was at Major Fairbairn's

request, made for reasons that must remain in confidence.

In the following, I have engaged in strict historical editing practice. I provide text exactly as

encountered in the original manuscript. I make special note of the author's excisions and

additions . Material that I have added is so identified .

This is a unique and historically significant document on the art of knife fighting. I have elected

to make this electronic edition openly available, in order to preclude the material's exploitation

by unscrupulous firms and individuals who seek to unfairly trade upon Lieutenant Colonel

Fairbairn's name and the wide respect it engenders.

You are at liberty to read and study this material via the World Wide Web. I respectfully ask

that no other use be made, inclusive of hyperlinks, downloading, adaptations, interpretations or

unattributed quotations, absent prior permission.

This material is first posted 2 February 1999.

William L. Cassidy

Contents

z Flyleaf copy (by Fairbairn)

z PREFACE

z No. 1 STANCE

z No. 2 THE GRIP

z No. 3 EXERCISE "A"

z No. 4 EXERCISE "B" - THE "WHIP"

z No. 5 EXERCISE "C" - "FIGURE OF EIGHT"

z No. 6 EXERCISE "D" - THE SLASHING CUT

z No. 7 EXERCISE "E" - THE THRUST or POINT

z No. 8 THE CIRCULAR-BACKWARD SLASH

z No. 9 SHADOW-FIGHTING

z No. 10 THE "RETREAT"

z No. 11 ATTACK POINTS

z POSITION OF CARRYING THE "COBRA" FIGHTING KNIFE

z DIS-ARMING A KNIFE FIGHTING OPPONENT??

(Fly leaf)

The Author has been an ardent student of Self Defense in all of its branches for a great number

of years. In the course of these studies he received expert instruction in the art of Chinese

"Boxing" from one of the retainers of the late Dowager Empress. He received special instruction

in Foil and Dagger fighting from several of the finest Instructors in the Far East. Although a

non-resident of Japan, he was admitted to Kodokan Jui-Jitsu University, where he was

eventually awarded the Black Belt (NIDAN) = Second Degree.

During his career he has held appointments as Chief Instructor in Close Combat Fighting to the

Shanghai Municipal Police, British Commandos and the Office of Strategic Services, U.S.A.

Combing all this knowledge, plus practical experience gained during over 2,000 Riot Calls in

SHanghia, he is now publishing his latest book on Knife Fighting. This manual describes

methods developed and practiced over a number of years and in spite of their un-orthodoxy,

they have stood up to the practical test during World War II in the Far East and elsewhere, and

becomes a "must" book for all men serving in the Armed Forces.

Previous Books by the Author

Un-armed Combat - "Defendu," "Scientific Self Defense", "Get Tough", "Hands Off".

Pistol - "Shooting to Live" (Co-Author)

PREFACE.

We believe that the time has arrived when the bayonet should be discarded as no longer

effective and like the Pike placed amongst the weapons of the past.

There can be no doubt, once you have handled a scientifically designed Fighting Knife, that you

would prefer it to a Bayonet, especially if the fighting was to take place under any of the

following conditions - over roof tops, up or down stairs, climbing up ships sides, crossing

streams up to your waist in water, in dense jungle, or through paddy fields. Under such

conditions, a bayonet attached to a rifle would be a severe handicap.

We are aware that there are many who will disagree with this; also that some of them will come

back with - "The bayonet has won more wars that any other weapon." Be this as it may, we still

contend know that any advantage gained by having a bayonet attached to a rifle or other

firearm, is cancelled-out threefold by the loss of balance and illegible it causes to the in the

weapon to which it is attached. Be this as it may, we still contend that it should be replaced by

a well balanced fighting knife.

To prove our point, let us trace the history of the bayonet - (a) Korean War, (b) World War I,

During (a) and (b) no reports were received of the bayonet having been used to any great

extent, but in (c) the bayonet was reported to have been very effective in Trench fighting, also

during the South African War it was put to good use. Here Fairbairn plainly means to deprecate

the bayonet in the Korean Conflict and World War II, but mis-writes himself .

This rather tends to show We admit that the bayonet was a very effective combat weapon in

the bygone days but with the advent of the Flame Thrower, Sub-Machine Gun and Hand

Grenade, (all close-quarter weapons) what chances has a Bayonet Charge of being successful?

The claim that the psychological value of the bayonet in building up the moral of the Troops is

such that its retention is more than justified, does not make sense.

Paratroopers frequently need a knife to cut themselves free and there are numerous other

occasions when a good knife would be invaluable. In addition, there are times when it would be

inadvisable to fire a pistol, [ or other firearm ] on account of raising an alarm.

Those who carry an Auto-Pistol, or Revolver, or Tommy Gun are aware that they are restricted

to a limited number of rounds and dread the thought of being caught with an empty gun. Yet it

is an established fact that once contact is made and the firing starts, it is only a matter of

seconds before the one hand gun is empty, after which, it would not make a respectable club .

We contend that at such a time, it would be a very comfortable feeling to know that one had a

well balanced fighting knife handy.

There are many who will regard this as rank heresy, or worse. I shall be content for the present

if the reader will concede me at least a title to my views and I hope to fortify the title

subsequently by statistics of actual results of shooting affrays with one-hand-guns over a

number of years which took place in Shanghai.

When I joined the Special Training Centre of the British Commandos (1940), the AUthorities did

not recognize a fighting knife as part of the equipment of the Fighting Services. In fact, such a

thing as a fighting knife could not be purchased anywhere in Great Britain.

To meet the many requests, I designed the "FAIRBAIRN" knife and managed to persuade the

Wilkinson Sword Company to manufacture it privately from a number of old bayonets they had

in stock, personally guaranteeing the sale of three hundred. The day they arrived there was a

near riot in the rush to buy them. Shortly after this official recognition was given to the Fighting

Knife. This same knife was just as popular with members of the Armed Forces of the U.S.A. and

a number of Units were issued with it as part of their normal equipment.

There is something about a good [well balanced, razor sharp] fighting knife that appeals to the

majority of fighting men, irrespect of nationality. I contend that this is on account of that

feeling of confidence which such a knife gives its owner, which is apprently so much greater

that that which one receives from any other weapon. Especially is this so when one is operating

in the dark.

A recruit, trained in Knife Fighting and equiped with a well balanced, razor sharp knife, has a

wonderful psychological advantage over an opponent who has not received such training. This

is clearly demonstrated when operating in the dark, or on Forward Sentry duty. Many a man

has testified that immediately he drew his knife, his confidence returned and he was no longer

afraid. This confidence is apparently so much greater than one receives from any other weapon.

Certain individuals will never make Knife Fighters. They have an aversion to using a knife and

no amount of instruction will make any difference. In this connection I had a V.I.P. student sent

to me for private instruction in Close Combat Fighting (Pistol, Sub Machine Gun, Carbine, Un-

armed Combat and Knife). He was six feet seven inches in his socks, over 300 lbs. in weight

and had the largest pair of hands I have ever seen. At that time my weight was 160lbs. and I

was not looking forward to the Un-armed Combat session of the training.

The student duly qualified in the first three subjects and during a "break" period, I learned

something of his "back-ground" (Professional All-In Wrestler). That decided me to cut the un-

armed combat (Judo) and pass on to the Knife Fighting. Despite the student's colossal strength

(he actually lifted me above his head with the greatest of ease), I knew, Immediately I drew a

concealed knife and made a few passes near his face , that I could , by means of a knife, bring

him down to my own weight and strength. [ Immediately I drew a concealed knife, I knew that

the fear of a knife brought him down to my own weight and strength ]. One might say "you

could hear his shoulder blades click" as he jerked himself backwards out of reach.

EXTRACTS FROM SHANGHAI MUNICIPAL POLICE RECORDS (SHOOTING AFFRAYS)

The records of the shooting affrays referred to earlier show that there were no less than six

hundred and sixty-six armed encounters in which Pistols were used by the Police and criminals.

On several of these encounters as many as twenty Policemen and criminals were fighting from

room to room, etc.

During these encounters, on no occasion did anyone RE-LOAD his PISTOL whilst he was BEING

FIRED AT.

Members of the Force, when questioned as to why they had not immediately re-loaded, could

not offer any reason for failing to do so. Could it be, that under such circumstances, it is a

mental as well as a physical impossibility to do so?

The fact remains, that no one re-loaded.

Note - So that the reader will not think that the reason for failing to re-load was owing to the

lack of proper training, let me here state that the Shanghai Municipal Police had the most up-

to-date IN-door Pistol Range in the world. Their quarterly Pistol Practices were conducted under

conditions as near as possible to those they had to contend with whilst on duty - firing up and

down stairways, over roof tops, from and in to windows, sometimes in very poor light or with

no light at all. Twelve shots in all, (which necessitated changing of magazines) , with point

deducted if caught with an empty pistol.

I have a very high opinion of the fighting value of the Tommy and one-hand-guns. This is based

on my 40 years experience of these weapons, which includes not only armed encounters with

armed criminals but the responsibility for instructing large numbers of Police and Soldiers, etc.,

of many nationalities in various parts of the world. Despite this I still say - THAT A GOOD

FIGHTING KNIFE IS AN ABSOLUTE ESSENTIAL FOR ALL MEMBERS OF THE ARMED FORCES.

W.E. Fairbairn, Lt.-Col.

1955.

No. 1 STANCE.

"THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS A CORRECT STANCE FOR KNIFE FIGHTING."

Having made this statement, we will justify it:-

The situations you are liable to have to contend with are very seldom of your selection and

frequently they may vary with every step you take. You may be running; going up or down a

slope or stairway; up to your ankles in a mud patch, or up to your waist in water. In fact, the

situations are astronomical in number. Under such circumstances all the student can do is to

remember that, as far as possible , he should try to achieve a crouching stance, with knees and

waist as flexible as possible. (Fig. 1.)

No. 2 THE GRIP.

1. Hold the knife in the right hand, the thumb full length along the back of the hilt, the knife

resting on the index finger, between the first and middle joint. (Fig. 2.)

2. Close the three remaining fingers over towards the fleshy part of the tumb. (Fig. 3.)

Note - The position of the thumb and fingers will vary according to their thickness and length.

To find the most suitable grip for yourself, grip the hilt firmly, and if necessary allow allowing

the tip of the thumb to go forward on the back of the blade. (See Fig. 3.)

WARNING - When making a slashing cut to the RIGHT, grip hold the hilt of knife with as firm a

grip as possible. At all other times, the grip should be mainly with the fingers and thumb.

Students are warned that the hilt of the knife is only gripped with the full strength of all fingers

and thumb ONLY when making a LEFT slashing Cut, or Thrust . At all other times, the knife is

mainly held by the fore-finger and thumb, with the fingers only maintaining a loose grip. (See

CAUTION Page 8.) [ Refers to Exercise No. 8 of manuscript ].

Note - This closing an relaxing of the grip will become automatic after a very little practice.

The manner in which edged weapons are initially grasped by the wielder governs the manner in

which they are carried and withdrawn, and influences both weapon design and the dynamics of

initial maneuver. We therefore observe that the foundation of every knife fighting technique is

grip.

The knife is controlled by the thumb and forefinger. The former provides power and the latter

precision. The placement of thumb and forefinger is thus the foundation of grip. Precisely how

the thumb and forefinger are placed is a function of weapon design, culturacy idiosyncracy,

personal preference, and a host of other factors.

The above factors hold true regardless of whether one employs a prison-made "shank," or a

fencing foil; they are a function of the motility of the human hand, and reflect mind-body

interaction norms.

No. 3 EXERCISE "A".

1. Holding the knife in the right hand, arm shoulder high, forearm bent, back of the hand up,

knife over the left shoulder. (Fig. 4)

2. Whip the forearm out towards the right, to the full extentent of the arm. (Fig. 5)

3. Arm shoulder high - reverse the hand - back of the hand down. (Fig. 6)

4. Whip towards the left, allowing the arm to bend to the original position, as in Para. 1. Now

reverse the hand back to the original position. (See Fig. 4)

Note (a) Having mastered the shoulder high exercise, vary the height of the arm and

occasionally reach down towards the ground.

Note (b) Remember that your opponent is liable to attach from your right, left, or even from

behind. Practice changing your position quickly, to cope with this.

Assuming you are fighting with a knife against a knife, it is wise to never lower the arms below

the navel or raise them above the shoulders.

No. 4 EXERCISE "B" - THE "WHIP"

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