How William Fairbairn Created the Modern SWAT Team in Warlord Era Shanghai

The Kickstarter for my new book, "Pistols of the Warlords" is live here:
www.kickstarter.com/projects/...
William E. Fairbairn is best know for his work with Eric Sykes and their ""Commando" knife design during World War Two. However, Fairbairn spent some 33 years in the Shanghai Municipal Police, working his way up from a beat constable to Assistant Commissioner. There he was responsible for the SMPD adopting truly forward-thinking fighting methods, and he essentially invented the modern SWAT team (the "Reserve Unit", which Fairbairn led for 10 years). He combined expertise in formal marksmanship, instinctive practical shooting, and hand-to-hand combat schools (including jiu-jitsu and judo) into a comprehensive training program like no other on earth at the time.
Book references:
The World's First SWAT Team, by Leroy Thompson:
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Gentleman & Warrior, by Peter Robins:
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[@a_blind_sniper]

Man, 1930s Shanghai police force sounds like a perfect setting for a videogame. You've already got an awesome instructor and training course, modern SWAT tactics in a unique historical setting, and an array of esoteric firearms and experimental armor/equipment to learn. Not to mention high-intensity CQC and martial arts.

[@RaptorJesus]

I wonder if The Sorrow could've spent some time in Shanghai during this era..

[@alexs5744]

Warlord Era China sounds like a good setting for a video game.

[@andrewgates9333]

Ala LA Noir.

[@WhatIsThatThingDoing]

Sounds like a unique and genuinely interesting concept.

[@americangangster1911]

Look up "Whore Of The Orient", they were making one but it got cancelled.

[@DW-dd4iw]

"He [Fairbairn] goaded a young American trainee named Geoffrey Jones into attacking him with an unsheathed, double-bladed knife. Jones circled Fairbairn for a moment before striking with all the force he could muster. To his horror, he saw he had slashed his tutor down one side of his face, causing blood to spurt from the open wound. "I thought, Jesus Christ, I've done it now, he's going to kill me." But Fairbairn declared himself delighted by Jones's skill and beamed broadly as he mopped up the blood. "Good boy" he said "well done!" " Quote from 'The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warefare' by Giles Milton.

[@55Quirll]

That's a good teacher, praising a student who paid attention and showed what he had learned.

[@gwkgb8474]

Not only a great teacher but a man with honor a truly great warrior a real man and example of the greatest generation

[@CROTCHMASK1]

Excellent book!

[@55Quirll]

@@gwkgb8474 Something they should teach today but don't. Like to see it taught to civilians and see what the Politicians would do😉

[@charlesflint9048]

Well done!!!.

[@TheJimbodean67]

Having lost handily to uncivilized and unsportsmanlike tactics, they immediately proceed to train in these uncivilized techniques lol.

[@9292098]

The British: That's so uncivilised and unsportsmanlike. No men shall fight like that. Also the British: Write that down! Write that down!

[@F1ghteR41]

'We fought for using this port for selling drugs to Chinese, and now they're fighting among themselves for the control of the drug market and hurting us in the process, unbelievable!' Typical British hypocrisy.

[@brandonblackfyre5783]

@@F1ghteR41 only the British can sell opium

[@hipsterogre9652]

Hahaha

[@dscrappygolani7981]

😁

[@dspserpico]

The opening scene from Temple of Doom is more historically accurate than you think.

[@axelpatrickb.pingol3228]

What about Kung Fu Hustle?

[@adamr9720]

You call him Doctor Jones! I was thinking the same thing. I just watched that again a couple of weeks ago 😀

[@AryDontSurf]

Anything goes.

[@eldorados_lost_searcher]

@@axelpatrickb.pingol3228 There was an Axe Gang. I doubt they were as well choreographed in their dancing, though.

[@leeboy26]

'Nice try, Lao Che'

[@andrewallason4530]

I’m waiting for the Chinese Mystery Knife, with multiple “Fairbairn Fairbairn Fairbairn” markings to be discovered.

[@rylanbovetsky932]

Knowing china and Wauser pistol markings it would be more like BairFarin

[@william2k]

Does anyone one else want the tv series S.W.A.T Shanghai 1926?

[@firstnamelastname5150]

Hell yes. It would be a great History Channel show. Although I'm sure it would also showcase the Chinese Lives Matter group getting started from all the poor criminals getting shot up that were just stealing essentials.

[@JNathanielBerke]

I'd totally write that series

[@leeweesquee]

Follow up to Warrior

[@davidbrennan660]

It would be banned in the non determined region of the world, so would not get picked up or financed by the streaming services that depend on that market.

[@fuzzydunlop7928]

I can’t decide if I’d want it to be a serious drama or a Garth Marenghi-style period spoof, so it’ll just have to be both.

[@aidanfarnan4683]

William Fairbairn: Beat cop with only three weeks until retirement. Sends himself on raid anyway. *Wins* Narrative tropes: *visible confusion*

[@Stevarooni]

He never _said_ "I'm getting too old for this $#1%."

[@fuzzydunlop7928]

Instead, the rest of the world got too old for him.

[@LastResortGameNews]

Fairbairn was in his prime until the day he died.

[@RockIslandAuctionCompany]

MENDOZAAAAAA!!!!!!!

[@onpsxmember]

He was covered in scars all over. Fights with hatchets and similar healthy exercise.

[@rangefinder3538]

p.s. Look for " Gutter Fighting' on YT. The instructor is Fairbaim himself.

[@boingkster]

You, Sir, are a great man.

[@saintleibowitz8401]

hey thanks! this led me down a super interesting rabbit hole

[@theGhostofRoberttheBruce]

Just FYI Archive.org has Fairbairns early training manuals/books (Get Tough, All In Fighting, Scientific Self Defense).

[@grassshadow1]

Thats a great name

[@stang3787]

What is YT and how do I link to it.

[@alanfhall6450]

Great to see Fairbairn getting some love! I have several of his books plus the SWAT Team one you mentioned. My favourite story (from a special forces memoir) is that the unit didn't think they could learn anything from some old duffer. He made his entrance by falling down a flight of stairs and landing on his feet with a gun in his hand. They paid attention after that ...

[@ProphTruth100]

Someone call an ambulance! But not for me!

[@TwinSkies]

Sounds like a more murderous Willy Wonka

[@VimyGlide]

literal king shit

[@Pcm979]

That recruiting officer either had an amazing ability to spot talent or was incredibly lucky.

[@fredbloggs5902]

Or didn’t actually care.

[@chrisstephens6673]

"If you only ever have one talent, let it be the talent to recognise other's talents"

[@sh7de553]

Or more likely Fairbairns wasn't the first underaged recruit he signed up to meet quota

[@Pcm979]

@@sh7de553 That would count as 'lucky'.

[@Pcm979]

@@fredbloggs5902 Not caring while he was being lucky doesn't stop him from being lucky.

[@brianartillery]

"He throws a punch at you - you kick him in the bollocks." Dirty streetfighting techniques like that, alongside more considered fighting styles. Because real fights aren't choreographed and blocked out beforehand.

[@leeenfield3404]

Or throw a bar stool or bottle, or sense the atmospherics before hand and do a runner.

[@12vscience]

A paraphrase that I remember is: After you put him to the ground, kick him in the testicles.

[@JoyStickFanatic]

@@12vscience as always restomp that groin

[@unbearifiedbear1885]

@@leeenfield3404 ah throwing stuff.. the last resort of the person who gives 0 fux about anyone else around him _"Quick! Randomly launch a heavy glass_ _Missile because I can't fight"_ 😂

[@leeenfield3404]

@@unbearifiedbear1885 ah yes. The inexperienced who thinks "gutter fighting" has a referee who says what is "sporting" and what isn't. The same inexperienced who finds himself getting his skull stoved in by six or has a kitchen knife in his side. _"I'll put my fists up and engage the gent for a jolly good bout because I did a few boxing lessons at school, I'll give him a splendid punch on the nose the blighter because I can fight"_ 😂😂🤣🥊🥊 Here layeth the man who would have given them a good hiding if it was one on one with a man who could fight properly and "gave a fux about those around him" Hip hip hooray 🤣😂😆😂⚰️⚰️🖕

[@DarkestVampire92]

That book should've been named "The Worlds first use of Gun Kata".

[@12vscience]

The original John Wick.

[@johnnygnoneeded]

Jon Woo has been doing/ directing that style of "pistol pugilism" for decades! Check out "The Replacement Killers," starring Chow Yun Fat, very much worth a look, and still a good action movie!

[@DKPseude]

The pistol-firing stance that you criticise in this video is one that was outdated rather than just stupid. In the days of muzzle-loading smoothbore weapons it actually made sense. You only have the one shot, so you take your time to line the shot up before firing. The guy whose nerve broke and fired quickly was probably going to miss and get killed in return by an opponent who could then take as much time as he wanted to aim. Smoothbore weapons were also inaccurate enough that turning to the side to reduce your profile could significantly affect your chances of being hit. But by the late 19th/early 20th century the European officer training hadn't yet grasped what a game changer the introduction of revolvers with rifled barrels was to pistol fighting. So they trained the same way as they had for centuries, because tradition. The same thing always happens in the history of warfare. Technological advances re-write the rulebook but armies don't realise this and keep trying to use the same tactics that worked in the last major conflict. Fairbairn was one of that breed of visionary innovator who you always find pushing against this tendency in any period.

[@mackenshaw8169]

Also it is not "colonial". To me colonial implies the sort of tough minded adaption to conditions and hybridisation that we see on the very edge of things under extreme pressure in places like Shanghai and Rhodesia for security and all over the New World for lifestyle.

[@brittakriep2938]

I am german. The german police system is for centuries not the same all over the country, in former principalities and current states had been/are still differences. Only in Hitler era and former GDR everything was the same everywhere. The formerly monarchist states created in 19th century modern police forces, but the oldstyle ,medieval' policemen existed long into 20th century. Nightwatchmen existed even in the 1930s, town criers up to 1970s ( small rural villages) and up to 1980s you could find Feldschütze( field guards/ gardes champetres). Also up to 1980s you could find wineyard guards, armed with smoothbore muzzleloader pistols, but not as defence weapon, only to scare birds and other annimals.

[@georgerobartes2008]

Absolutely correct . I have photos of SMP officers practicising off duty with 455 Webleys somewhere outside Shanghai along with the Shanghai volunteers . My friend cousin actually served in the force after his first visit there as a regular in the British Army but was DDd . The pay of 8 silver dollars attracted him back . The British have always trained to make the first shot count as it could be your last and were never issued automatic weapons up until the 1980s which were not particularly well received . Our issue rifle was the L1A1 ( the ' SLR') that fired semi auto only , although it could be 'bumped' in an emergency , or jammed to full auto with a matchstick . No spray and pray , steady nerve , steady aim results in dead opponent .

[@masterpiecetools131]

"Smoothbore weapons were also inaccurate enough that turning to the side to reduce your profile could significantly affect your chances of being hit." There are still tons of engagements where exchanges of pistol fire result in no intended hits, or marginal hits. The Weaver stance, was promoted till quite recently, probably still is somewhere, as one that reduces your target, and works better from some barrier positions, exposure wise. Though you are maybe more likely to catch a raking shot, or expose a weak point in your vest. But whatever the reality is, the point was often made with reference to a more sideways stance.

[@masterpiecetools131]

@@georgerobartes2008 Same thing in the Canadian Army. And the US has seemingly ended up at a point where the quality of rifles and optics has made auto fire irrelevant, from shoulder fired carbines at least. This high rate of semi, inaccurate, fire is infecting even civilian shoots, where massive amounts of ammo are being unleashed from high capacity automatics, with the objective of getting to the next magazine as soon as possible. With all that lead flying it is hard to resist the temptation to lay down "suppressive" fire. We had a typical case here in Toronto where a police officer unloaded a whole magazine at car that had accidentally entered a park. He hit nothing of value, but the hail of bullets could have been more harmful than the car. In fairness to the TO police there is a great video of them neutralizing a person with a knife by parking their car on him. Nobody ended up badly hurt.

[@johannesmichaelalhaugthoma4215]

11:44 would be what Nicolas Moran "the Chieftan" would call a "significant emotional event" for the opponent.

[@justinhedrick5656]

The author of the book on the left, "The World's First SWAT Team" is a friend of mine. Leroy is a wealth of knowledge and I've had the pleasure of listening to him speak for hours. Very interesting stuff.

[@The_Modeling_Underdog]

A collab between him and Ian would be very interesting.

[@greyman6353]

One of my favorite gun writers with a wry sense of humor.

[@noelnicholls1894]

At $887 on Amazon that’s a pricy book

[@MMA10mm]

@Justin Hedrick- Tell Leroy my obsession with Browning Hi-Powers is his fault! 😉

[@neighbor-j-4737]

He's my favorite gun writer by far, back when that title still meant something.

[@shatterquartz]

Interwar Shanghai was an absolutely fascinating place, simultaneously glamorous and corrupt to the core. Some of the colonial-era neighborhoods are still standing, at least they were last time I went there, and strolling down their streets knowing the history of the place is a delight. I hope Ian will get to do it. One nitpick, though: the International Settlement and the French one were organizationally separate, meaning that Shanghai had three separate municipal authorities with the Chinese one, and they often failed to cooperate with each other, among other things with law enforcement. So if you were a wanted criminal in one part of town, you could just move to a neighborhood where a different police force had jurisdiction and you'd be fine. Then again, most cops were in the pocket of the Triads anyway.

[@User_Un_Friendly]

It seems his seminal book , “Get Tough” used to train the British Commandos is in the public domain. The PDF I saw had some errors in the OCR, but you can read it just fine. I own a hard copy reprint myself.

[@sandemike]

I have a hardback copy of Get Tough printed by Paladin Press.

[@thedamnyankee1]

Public domain you say? Sounds like a great idea for a stretch goal

[@User_Un_Friendly]

@@sandemike we probably have the same book. Me too. 😛

[@bibfortuna298]

PDFs of books nearly always have OCR issues, it's par for the course. Back in college when I'd copy stuff out of scanned books for citing I'd always have to change 'm's to 'rn' and stuff like that. Good times.

[@AlexN2022]

it is of historical interest only today. Hand to hand fighting has advanced too much

[@smartassdroid5149]

My Grandfather trained directly under Fairbairn as a Commando and became a combat instructor too, then went on to train the US Rangers himself for D-Day. He was Warfare Specialist Intelligence. A great book is the "W.E. Fairbairn's Complete Compendium of Lethal, Unarmed, Hand-to-Hand Combat Methods and Fighting", it collects all of his books and manuals. Funny, my grandfather lied to the Royal Marines about his age too and joined at 13. Was 18 when WW2 broke out.

[@Ass_of_Amalek]

13?!

[@Eadric_The_Wild]

@@Ass_of_Amalek it was different back then. At 13 you were pretty much considered a man. The concept of a "teenager" is a relatively modern invention. I mean, back then at 13 you could go and work down a coal mine or undertake other extremely dangerous work, so why not be able to join the military too? Probably safer than being a miner or working in a factory. Shit, if I had the choice between joining the military and going off to some far flung colony to shoot spear-weilding natives or working in an early 1900s pre-health and safety factory, I'd join the military every day of the week.

[@Ass_of_Amalek]

@@Eadric_The_Wild no, you were not considered a man at 13 at the time of WW2. it was just much more normal for children to work.

[@smartassdroid5149]

@@Ass_of_Amalek They were very different times mate. Traditionally the Royal Navy took boys in the ranks for hundreds of years. Was common for a 40 year old sailor to be taking orders from a 12 year old Ensign or 15 year old Midshipman for example. Some of the best commanders were teenagers. When you are dirt poor and the military is your only option out of poverty and to get an education, you took it.

[@Ass_of_Amalek]

@@smartassdroid5149 bullshit, 12 year olds did not give orders on ships. I know kids that young and younger worked on ships (as powder monkeys for example), but they didn't give orders, not even upper class ones who were supposed to become officers. they were seen as children until they were 14 or 15, just children with jobs. also I am aware that there was a lot of underage enlistment in the world wars, but 13 is exceptionally young, the youngest I've ever heard. down to 15 was pretty common, 14 was rare. 16 and 17 were normal (I think 17 might have even been legal)

[@jasonmartin9584]

Many years sgo in a knife magazine I read an article about Fairbairn and his many contributions to CQB. A very interesting man and one who deserves more credit than he got.

[@jameslawrie3807]

An important aspect of Shanghai was that it was the last of the *Free Ports* , meaning that you didn't need a passport to enter. If you'd lost your statehood due to any reason (as would happen to say Jews in later Weimar Germany) you could still enter Shanghai.

[@farmerboy916]

@orinoco sula At the expense of the chinese government, perhaps.

[@tims5424]

It was not called ‚Weimar Germany‘ anymore when jews lost their statehood. The loss of statehood happened after 1933 when it was the national socialist regime/third reich already.

[@thedwightguy]

Read "Shanghai Diary" a few years ago. Plus, the Sand Pebbles, etc. And the bio of a Lutheran pastor from prairie Canada that was close buddies with all the crew from the "Long March".

[@thedwightguy]

@orinoco sula Read "Shanghai Diary" the Chinese had ways to get even.

[@InTheDead]

Very interesting to learn more about my great grandfather.

[@devaneyjohn5349]

And Forgotten Weapons continues to be one of my favourite history classes period. Thank you for posting these Iain. It's a delight every time.

[@fredbloggs5902]

For anyone interested in that area around that time, the films ‘Empire of the Sun’ (1987) and ‘The Sand Pebbles’ (1966) are pretty good. For more in-depth detail, both have source books, Empire being by J.G.Ballard and Pebbles being by Richard McKenna. Both of whom were actually there.

[@5anjuro]

Wong Kar Wai's The Grandmaster captures the era quite well. Guangzhou to Hong Kong, 1930d-1940s.

[@thedamnyankee1]

Both of those are excellent movies, and should be watched on their own account. "P-51!!! Cadillac of the sky!!!"

[@thedamnyankee1]

@@5anjuro "Hey Kid, want a Hershey's bar?" The fact that I haven't thought about this move in decades, but can instantly remember 2 of the great lines from it, means its a must watch.

[@christopherreed4723]

What struck me about "Empire of the Sun" was how few westerners in Shanghai had any clue how bad things were about to get until, suddenly, they got that bad. It's something I'd read about in various books, but the movie did a good job of depicting the attitude of "Oh, well, you see, this is Shanghai. Our little enclave of civilization. We'll just carry on as before, don't you know." Until everyone suddenly realized, at once, that it wasn't, and they needed to leave right that minute.

[@stefanschleps8758]

For that matter so is Charlie Chan in Shanghai. And a much better plot.

[@marks1638]

When I was younger, I bought all his books on the Shanghai police and firearms, knife, and SWAT operations from Paladin Press. Interesting reading and excellent material for learning self defense and special ops within a city environment. During a training session years later, an instructor quoted a line a line from Fairbairn's book "Get Tough" and I completed the quote. He ended up borrowing several books from my collection for his training classes. Capt. Fairbairn was years ahead of his time and much of what he developed for SWAT was reinvented by others who took credit for much of his work from the 20's and 30's in Shanghai.

[@shiteetah]

My grandfather gave me a Fairbairn-Sykes when he got back from the war. I’ve always been very proud of that knife and it has never been removed from the box I keep it unless it’s for cleaning only. I had no idea of the history of its creator until now, so thank you!

[@kanegavin9605]

Ive been told that Chuck Norris looks under his bed for William Fairbairn before he goes to sleep!!

[@m.b.5345]

😄

[@springbloom5940]

Never heard of her.

[@sub-brotherhood8990]

But fairbairn is in the window

[@myview5840]

No, Capt Mad Jack looked for Fairbairn, Norris checks for Capt Mad Jack

[@TheEvertw]

Great one! It's about time the Chuck Norris thing got revived.

[@bertmacdonald337]

Fairbairn`s ideas of weapon training, particularly his exercises called "Shoot to Kill" were still part of RM basic training when I went through CTC early 80`s and could well be today in some form. The Fairbairn-Sykes commando knife is often shown in the demonstration of how to take out a sentry but that wasn`t it`s primary function. It is a fighting knife, the clue is in the name. Used as a secondary weapon when your primary weapon is not working or lost etc.

[@none3763]

My grandfather was issued his knife in 1943 when serving with 3 Commando. I still have it. Back then they called it a killing knife.

[@colbeausabre8842]

@@none3763 1) My great uncle did a tour with the Yangtse Patrol of the US Navy in the Twenties and Thirties. From his stories, it was a life right out of the "Sand Pebbles". Being paid in Greenbacks allowed you to live like a king on a junior seaman's pay. As he put it, "I spent most of it on liquor and women. Any that was left over, I wasted". Anyway, he cleaned up his act when he met a White Russian girl while on liberty and that's how Aunt Valentina joined the family. Just don't give her vodka and ask her about the Bolsheviki - while most of it was in Russian, you could tell her reply was unprintable.... 2) One of my prized trophies of my service is a F-S fighting knife (complete with Broad Arrow) made in Sheffield that I traded with a Canadian counterpart for. It became my boot knife (I alreadycarried a Gerber Mark II - essentially a US version of the F-S knife - upside down for easy draw on my left LBE suspenders) en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gerber_Mark_II 3) Since I married Sabra ("Prickly Pear", nickname for an Israeli woman - thorny on the outside but sweet on the inside) who had done her national service in the Provost Corps (IDF MP's), I had to learn Krav Maga in self defense en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Krav_Maga

[@bertmacdonald337]

@@none3763 My uncle also served in 3 Army Cdo and his dagger is unlike any I`ve ever seen . The handle has bands of coloured ivory and leather and was possibly a presentation piece. He was in the Gloucesters and when he heard they were off to fight the yellow peril in Burma , he volunteered for Commando training as he thought the Commandos would mainly be used in Norway. After training in Scotland and North Wales , he was happy to draw Arctic Stores as they embarked for foreign parts. Imagine his surprise when the troopship turned to port as they left the channel ! He fought at Kangaw, among other places in the Arakan. He was unaware that I was in training until after I`d passed out and when he heard , our relationship changed from Uncle and Nephew to one of Brothers .

[@none3763]

@@bertmacdonald337 - knife sounds original and very early. leather discs cut and shaped, held in compression by a brass pommel and locking nut. the leather was supposed to give better grip when blood soaked. they soon started making handles from turned wood for speed and cost reasons. grandad was merchant navy. after being torpedoed he wanted to fight, but ships engineer was a protected occupation and he was told to go back to merchant service. only way out for him was volunteer for "special duties". authorities not happy, but could do nothing, so they sent him to be a guinea pig for medical experimentation - cold water immersion & drowning - which was exactly why he left the merchant navy. who said bureaucrats had no sense of humour? his old chief was commissioned into RNR, he "rescued" grandad with a job in the commandos. he never talked about it, but his campaign medals were all europe.

[@ogri214]

May I suggest Churchill's Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare by Giles Milton, an interesting and witty account of the second world war.

[@LukeBunyip]

"...and after that, kick them in the nuts".

[@williamflowers9435]

I think Ian reviewed that book a long time ago

[@Eskeletor_210]

I can imagine Christopher lee using his look of superiority while blasting nazis away

[@brianartillery]

Brilliant book.

[@DW-dd4iw]

Excellent book

[@theritchie2173]

What an absolute badass. That Fairbairn guy sounds pretty cool too.

[@rustybird8803]

Applegate also

[@zebedeetotty]

10:27 you could even say alot of people were getting shanghaied

[@stefanschleps8758]

Thanks Ian. This video is overdue. The first book I ever read on martial arts was "Kill or Be Killed" by Col. Applegate. Rex was my fathers teacher. My pop was stationed in post-war europe for ten years as military police. Fairbairnes deserves all our respect. And thanks to him, and Rex Applegate, and men like them. I started a life time of martial arts study, until finally I became the teacher. Peace.

[@silvadossantos6803]

Check for "do or die" also is very good.

[@DrThunder88]

"The drug trade in Shanghai is getting out of hand, Sir Dudley." "It is, my lord. It almost makes me wish we hadn't started it."

[@FelixstoweFoamForge]

There's a whole ryo of Japanese bayonet fighting that they took from a sengoku jidai era spear ryo. And i get to practice some of it this weekend at my Aki-jutsu dojo! If Fairburn Sykes got exposed to "old school, no rules jujutsu,", I can see why his hand to hand techniques were effective. Some of those old ryo are brutal.

[@unmessable12]

Fairbairn found himself learning from many of the most brutal and effective martial arts teachers of the time. He also learned Chinese boxing from Cui Zhendong, calling him a man of "terrifying prowess" in one edition of his book, All In Fighting. As someone who studies from a CMA school related to Cui Zhendong I can see why.

[@generalwoundwort8191]

I want to get FAIRBAIRNS "HANDS OFF! SELF DEFENCE FOR WOMEN" for my wife, though I may have to stop making fun of her :(

[@iamthereddemon20]

Just brace yourself for whatever violence comes your way... Probably worth it anyway

[@gavinlee6196]

There are pdf copies of his books online in internet archives and the like, if u purely just want the book u can get it like that

[@alanfhall6450]

Some of the techniques described would probably get her arrested for going waaay beyond 'reasonable' self defense ... depending on your jurisdiction, of course.

[@51WCDodge]

@@alanfhall6450 To which the standard answer is 'Better tried by twelve than carried by six'.

[@Seth9809]

You make fun of someone you sleep with?

[@kevinoliver3083]

Eric Sykes was not just James Fairburn's friend and sidekick. He was also an interesting man in his own right. An experienced shikari and target shooter, Sykes advised Fairburn on firearms, their use and training, even before he officially joined the SMP, as an unpaid reserve in 1926. As a business man, Sykes used his position as the Shanghai agent for Colt, Remington, and several European arms firms to obtain weapons, often adapted, suited to the needs of the SMP. Also Sykes was probably the MI-6 Station Chief in Shanghai, between the Wars.

[@tisFrancesfault]

I always wanted to know more about these years, but never found any books.

[@ankereisenman4824]

Mystery Grove Publishing (or whatever their Twitter handle is nowadays) specializes in reprinting lost and forgotten works, mostly from the interwar period.

[@swordpoint9]

Read Shooting to Live by him.

[@ComiCBoY000]

If you want yt series Teacup media has a 9 or 10 part series on this area, and also has a large amount of videos on history of china in general.

[@rogerhwerner6997]

The two books shown list on Amazon for $453 (Gentleman & Warrior) and $196 (The World's Fist SWAT Team). Both seem more than a little interesting

[@55Quirll]

Here's a link comparing the training of the Devil's Brigade and if the soldiers of today could pass it. kzbin.info/www/bejne/kGWlfHecp6h3nKc

[@teabagmcpick889]

Eric Sykes, you say? Well, you'd never have thought it. Dark horse that one, no mistake.

[@Simon_Nonymous]

I got it if no one else did. Regrades, Spine Millington. (Dec.)

[@carolramsey8457]

@@Simon_Nonymous Ah that well known printing error. Good old Splike!

[@GARDENER42]

I have one of the original Fairbairn-Sykes knives from WW2 (from an uncle to whom it was issued) which led to my reading a lot about both of them & their exploits. Fascinating stuff from the days of Empire.

[@civiprepper]

Thanks for this content. My great uncle was also in the SOE and took part heavily in operation bodyguard all over southern Europe and also north Africa. He was a young police officer befor the war specialising in organised crime, surveillance and document forgery. He had grown up in the poorest parts of Birmingham, learning all the gangs tactics. When the war came he joined the royal signals, but after a wounding in Normandy, he was seconded to the SOE by commanding officer Brigadier Colin Gubbins. He was tasked with training foreign resistance in document forgery, signals and intelligence. We only found out recently the extent of his involvement when he passed. I found several signed books from Fairbairn to my uncle thanking him for his support and service in the SOE and lots of medals and several letters from people he had trained.

[@norrinradd3549]

I wish to thank you for putting this video up, because I think that the vast and far reaching contribution W Fairbairn’s and Sykes, has been glossed over, or only very lightly covered where they’re mentioned at all, so this is a brilliant video for showing their contributions........ @ 12:04 onwards, this is almost definitely a description, of what became the SAS’s Killing House, and while it was tuned up for the SAS, the creation of their most useful tool is most definitely down to William Fairbairn........... As is it likely, that the idea for the Flashbang, for disorientating the enemy at the start of an attack(which the SAS developed/invented), also probably came from use of this mystery house idea from W Fairbairn’s.......... So I thank you, for bringing this side of his work to attention of the wider community, because the use of W Fairbairn’s and his techniques, has been glossed over by lots of yanki Anglophobes, especially the ones in the US’s armed forces (and the OSS(CIA, yanki spies) which was started by British teachers in Canada), who hated to admit that they were taught anything by the British..........

[@neilmorrison7356]

My father served in Shanghai in 1940 with the Ist Seaforth Highlanders

[@culloden23]

Caber Feidh!

[@neilmorrison7356]

Caber Feidh Gu Brath!

[@not-a-theist8251]

Oooh nice. Thats such an fascinating topic. Glad you cover it. There is so much out there about military history but so much less about police history.

[@brittakriep2938]

In fact. I am german, Britta is my girlfriend. When you are interested in police history, it is not so easy . In the german state Baden- Württemberg, where i live, there is the ,Museum of Military History/ Wehrgeschichtliches Museum' in Rastatt, but Police or other armed branches of civilian administration? For some years you could visit the private collection of a now passed away former ,special constable' , in some ,Home Region Museums/ Heimatmuseen' you can see the polearms of former nightwatchmen , the bells of former ,Büttel/ town criers' or old handcuffs or tortouring equipment of shocking old days justice, perhaps century old prison cell doors and in a small local museum in eastern Württemberg there is a room about poachery, thats nearly all. I own a book, printed in small numbers, about the police history in my Landkreis ( county? / Arrondissement?), and from Osprey company about german police in WW ll days and german colonial armed forces. Also i know some things about armed personal of civilian administration by reading newspaper, german arms magazins and german magazins about military history ( in continental europe the policeman is basicly a descendant of soldiers, on british Islands and iceland a descendant of nightwatchmen/town criers).

[@quatro_quatro]

Fairbairn - The forgotten human weapon. Great stuff!

[@lindafoxwood78]

Fairbairn and Sykes were at the best of their game back in 1930's. My knife fighting began after reading about how they taught commandos to use a knife. I have 20 WW2 Sheffield knifes and 2 Raider Camillus now in my collecting. The best thing about knives? "--------- They never have to be reloaded ---------"

[@johnplaid648]

The Gerber MkII has the same dimensions as the FS dagger. Fairbairn said in one of his books that the .455 did not stop a running man even if every bullet hit him.

[@davehossack7191]

Thank you for a great history lesson Ian. I'm a retired SWAT commander and this is all new information for me!! You made my day.

[@stephenland9361]

"... an exciting and eventful place to work..." That's right up there with, "May you live in interesting times".

[@fcadcock]

You forgot to end by saying "and them kick em in the junk," like fairbarin.

[@kleinjahr]

Or as another famed instructor says, 'Restomp the groin'

[@SimpleAmoeba]

No Brit has ever said “junk”, kick em in the bollocks

[@swordpoint9]

Shooting to live was on the commandants reading list under General Al Gray before the 1st Gulf War still have that book. Written by W. Fairbairn . Great read!

[@princehamdan8826]

Hello how are you doing ? Nice meeting you. I'm prince hamdan the crown prince of Dubai. I will want to know you I have an offer for you.

[@akashahuja2346]

I was really hoping you would cover Mr Fairbairn, amazing chap.

[@henry06x]

Should make stuff like this available for podcast to Apple and stuff. Love listening to things such as this as a podcast while working

[@derekbowbrick6233]

Amazing to watch this after just watching The Front's version of this yesterday.

[@Da5idc]

I was browsing through YT videos and came across another really interesting guy - George de Relwyskow who was Fairbairn's Sargent Major and took over the physical training when he was promoted. He was an Olympic medalist wrestler in two weight classes, and apparently once dragged W.E. Fairbairn out of the mess hall against his will.

[@ScottKenny1978]

Damn. That's some bragging rights!

[@Colinpark]

My good friend grew up in the Shanghai zone, British father, White Russian mom, they fled Shanghai to escape the Japanese, then had to flee Hong Kong, then were eventually captured and interned in Manilla at the age of 13, he was later rescued by American Rangers who liberated the camps.

[@asdonut]

Sounds very similar to JG Ballard and Empire of the Sun his semi autobiographical account.

[@wessexdruid5290]

My first mother-in-law (Scots parents) was evacuated from Shanghai on an RN destroyer, aged 8.

[@Colinpark]

@@wessexdruid5290 Who knows they might have been evacuated at the same time?

[@wessexdruid5290]

@@Colinpark Highly likely - and also close in age. This was 1937, I think - and capture of Manilla '42?

[@somebrains5431]

I read an article in the 80s I think in Gun and Ammo about Fairbairn’s innovations in Shanghai. There were pictures of a shoot house, the pinned safety 1908 Colt, some hand t9 hand poses, etc.

[@pagarb]

Shanghai was a real interesting place, I grew up in Hong Kong which from what I heard was a kindergarten compared to Shanghai. I was told there were parts that were very impressive, very grand, very sophisticated and cosmopolitan, and parts that were extremely tough. It sounded like life in it's heyday must have been quite an adventure, even if you weren't involved in what made it so, in fact life could be very good and quite privileged for the lucky. There were 4 families that were warehouse managers for British opium importers who became extremely wealthy, one of them came to HK, got out of the drug business and became even more fabulously wealthy and extremely powerful, and might still be there. The three others didn't get out in time. It was also a time when cars from famous marques would be highly customized, I heard there were so many of them it was like a really big custom car show to see them driving and parked around the city. Who knows what happened to them, they sure didn't make it down to HK, which was a backwater compared to Shanghai when it was in it's prime. Heard the commies crushed all this flair, like they're doing to HK.

[@rangefinder3538]

Ian, that was an excellent summation of the life and times of Fairbaim. You can see the man in action in some WW2 training films on YT demonstrating unarmed combat and shooting in the "death house". Definitely worth a look.

[@sonnysantana5454]

the legendary unarmed h2'h combat / pistolero expert was 1'st introduced to me in the mid late 70's by the old not in print anymore Soldier of fortune magazine and as a wild young man who believed in learning the uncommon and unconventional it was worth the time and lessons his history gave me and led me to other schools of thought

[@brenttesterman1198]

This is by far one of the most interesting and informative episodes from you, I have seen. Thank you very much, a true delight. More, please!

[@keithallardice6139]

As always, absolutely fascinating Ian ... what a guy Fairbairn was - I didn't know how little I knew about him!! Thank you, most sincerely, for this video. Very much appreciated!

[@lanedexter6303]

Fascinating! I knew Fairbairn was all about practical combat, but had always assumed most SWAT techniques had their genesis with the Gestapo. Fairbairn was there first! Thanks, Ian! 👍

[@Simon_Nonymous]

Ian, as much as I love all your gun videos, you have excelled and shown your inner 'GP all history is good' historian here too. Thanks for being fair to us Empire Colonial types too.

[@tenchraven]

My grandfather was very much a fan of Fairbairn, and my first manuals for defensive shooting were his as a result. The techniques still hold up today.

[@TheWorldRealist]

Great presentation. I joined the RM in 1970. We still were trained in his methods. I have a type 3 ww2 knife as well a J.Nowles type 2. Prior to WEF coming to the USA in 1943 the RN head of intelligence came with Ian Fleming who was a commando planner.

[@swe_nurse8121]

Really wish Ian would do even more biographical videos, few people can do things like this as well. Great video on a great subject.

[@BarkyLondon]

Fairbairn was wildly ahead of his time, and most of his lessons were all but forgotten (and learned again, painfully) by modern police forces. Truly an interesting character.

[@brittakriep2938]

Same with Barton- Wright, creator of Bartitsu. In 1951 members of an asian martial arts society remembered him and invited him to an event of their society AS honoury guest (?)/ Ehrengast, but he died short time before the event.

[@grandmadaewood]

Ian, I’ve been a fan of the channel for a couple years now. I want to say, the way you are able to rattle off historical tidbits and facts is impressive... I really enjoy the knowledge and historical context you give, it is fascinating and lends a lot of perspective on firearms that is hard to come by. LOVE IT! I hope you keep it up for a long time to come... P.S. the video you did in Malta (I believe) on that super-cannon was awesome. The info on the logistical feat that were those cannons was super interesting.

[@brenttesterman1198]

I got one of those original fighting daggers, back in the sixties from the back of a Sgt. Rock magazine for $19.88 and it took 6 weeks to get it! I was the coolest 16 years old in the whole neighborhood!

[@washguy5982]

The actual “most interesting man in the world”

[@DJTheMetalheadMercenary]

Awesome, Fairburn was one hell of a guy and has left a lasting legacy in the self defense and military combatives industries.

[@roguejtac69]

I came across our older video about the OSS and SWAT teams. My grandfather built the first "SWAT" after his service after WW2.

[@oldesertguy9616]

William Fairbaorn is one of those guys I wish I had the opportunity to talk to. Fascinating life.

[@leeenfield3404]

An excellent film by Eric Sykes on the use of improvised weapons was _The Plank_ I strongly recommend this film to any students of Sykes.

[@bertmacdonald337]

You ,Sir, are too funny for most on this page!

[@bertmacdonald337]

And on my Expedient Weapons course I was astounded to discover that a rolled-up copy of the Daily Mirror is one of the most dangerous weapons known to man , yes really.

[@vampireforhire18]

I would love to see a dramatization of this story! The fighting knife always impressed me with its blade geometry.

[@zeitgeist888]

Excellent episode. I love hearing about advanced fighting techniques,tactics and equipment from long ago that so many people think is new or a more modern thing. Applegate would be another one to cover. Thanks for the review.

[@gordonames1892]

One of the places I was stationed at that no longer exists. Found out in Rex Applegates book, the place I was stationed at in World War II was used as one of the training sites for training our spies and commanfos..

[@earlyriser8998]

i will have to look up these books . Great Bio of this guy.

[@Martin_Then]

And here I thought The Boss created CQC.

[@Bochi42]

That was absolutely fascinating! Great job Ian and thank you! I'm sure there are more very interesting people you've come across in your research so please think about doing some more biography focused videos.

[@Durandalski]

This is one of the most interesting videos you’ve put out. It’s literally a quick look at the origins of my profession. Gonna have to find and read those books.

[@abwillhoite]

I’m glad Ian does these considering the pricing on these long out of print books.

[@Zakalwe-01]

Utterly fascinating!

[@CeltKnight]

I'm retired LEO, former SWAT, firearms instructor, yadda-yadda-yadda, and while I've been in formal martial arts since the mid 1980s, I've been in a Japanese Jujutsu system for the last 21 years. Fairbairn's name has featured prominently in my training in both of those fields. He was truly an amazing man whose work we are still using today. Great video, Ian!

[@stevenrickett4333]

Love this type of content focusing on character and events. Please do more.

[@unbearifiedbear1885]

There is an excellent video of either a WW2 or Korea/Burma Commando veteran explaining how to implement the Fairbairn-Sykes most effectively (and you can clearly tell he's talking "first hand" tips and tricks!) Its equal parts sweet and disturbing lol 😂

[@gerryjamesedwards1227]

I just realised that Fairbairn as a name is Scots for 'blond baby'.

[@ChrissieBear]

Seeing as English has names like Fairchild, I'm not surprised.

[@tisFrancesfault]

Neither fair nor bairn are Scots words in origin, both being English. Though of course still frequently used in scots. This should be expected as Scots, is just a dialect of Northumbria English.

[@garrysekelli6776]

Like Bjørn Björk

[@Simon_Nonymous]

I think the OP's point still stands - Fairbairn is a Scottish name, and the language of Burns is a lot more than 'just a dialect'

[@user-qu6ij5sl1v]

Glad you started doing these more often Ian love the normal vids love these too

[@andrewallan6802]

Thanks Ian. He’s a fascinating character from a fascinating era. I’ve read some of his manuals, this filled in lots of details.

[@johnyricco1220]

I’m interested in learning more about the bullet proof vests they invented. It looked like it was horizonal bands of sheet steel sandwiched between fabric. Seemed like it should have been more widely used if it was effective

[@Lord_Ronin_The_Compassionate]

Seems the recruitment guys have maintained their tactics?! I went to the local Royal Navy/Air Force recruitment office to see about a career as an Artificer Apprentice but the navy guy was running a bit late. Instead the Bootneck started chatting about the Royal Marines and before I realised what I was doing I was filling out the relevant paperwork! Very long story, but after more years than I care to remember (78-07) I finally retired, fairly bruised, battered and health issues that took time to become clear. The navy got their revenge as the RMC are part of the RN and during the AIB (Admiralty Interview Board) so they get to ask lots of naval stuff! Would I recommend it now? Probably not, but nothing to do with Bootneck life but more an issue with whatever shortsighted government is in charge and trying to reduce/disband the Brigade as a whole, currently even suggesting that Marines and Paras form one unit! Considering that both groups are always competing with each other it would be very professional but......? FWIW - most of my colleagues and I carried the F&S Commando knife on operations and it’s very useful.

[@michaelskasick1560]

I've been in martial arts for most of my life. My journey as a martial artist has brought me to Fairbairn, because from my Shotokan karate and Serrada Escrima training, I learned that I'm not the sort of person to rely on my physical strength. And when I saw the cover of Get Tough, saying that brute strength wasn't needed to win in a confrontation, I was hooked. I bought a copy of that very book, and I have been a fan of LtCol. Fairbairn and his methods ever since!

[@jamesblahut5008]

My favorite of the daggers that I own is a Fairbairn Cobra made by Dan Brock.

[@frakismaximus3052]

That was great, Mr. Fairbairn was a true bad-ass and we are so lucky to have had him on the Allied side in the Second World War... Worth his weight in gold!

[@rickrebouche354]

What a fascinating story of a fascinating man!

[@madarexxx]

Hi there :) This is very nice historical video, without boring as hell gun disassembly! Would love to see some more of these!

[@jackrice2770]

Very informative and much appreciated. When the subject of guns comes up. so many forget the people who were connected to them. And, Santayana said, "Those who do not learn from history are condemned to repeat it." Wish more people understood that.

[@chrismiddleton398]

Ian, may I have a video on the operating mechanism of the Luger pistols? I looked through your several Luger videos and did not find that, perhaps because it's not forgotten. It's a novel design to me. As I caught this release early I thought I'd throw in my request. Thanks for the work!

[@fredbloggs5902]

You could watch his videos on the Borchardt and the Scwarzlose.

[@davidbrennan660]

Check out C&Rsenal they have deeply looked at the Luger .

[@timhenry326]

I had the honor of meeting Rex Applegate when I was 19 years old back in beginning of the 80's working for a gentleman trained by him when he was in the O.S.S I was taught the defendo he and W.E. used because we worked on secure facilities . My every day carry knife is a Applegate fairbairn. They don't make men like them anymore

[@bertmacdonald337]

They actually do. I served with many.

[@timhenry326]

@@bertmacdonald337 I do agree with you I didn't mean any disrespect to or fine fighting men and women I was only referring to a generation that is quickly leaving us sorry for any misunderstanding and thank you for your service to this great country

[@rogersheddy6414]

Col. Thomson, "Fix Bayonets!" War stories that go from World War one all the way through to the late China... all quite familiar when one considers what Ian is telling us in relation to this book.

[@mikeellis9035]

The passage that Ian read us available to find on KZbin. Its an old video copy of it. Also more of this can be found in the book, the Colse Combat Files of Rex Applegate. This book is a great read.