Get Tough

Rating:
Summary: Page for Page: best self-defense & hand to hand book I read
Review: This little gem is only 121 pages long and mostly illustrations at that. You can read it and become familiar with the techniques shown in an evening. Try them with a friend for an hour four or five weeks in a row, and you'll be able to pull them off pretty well.

Fairbairn streamlined his system to teach to commandos, paratroopers and spies before they deployed in World War II and only had a few hours to teach them.

This book is a valuable resource for someone who wants to learn self-defense today and it has an interesting history too.

Rating:
Summary: A valuble read for those who are fearful of fights
Review: This was an interesting book, oddly enough. What we have here is an oft out-of-print copy of the WWII hand-to-hand combat manual used by the British Commandos. I must confess that this is my first circa WWII hand-to-hand fighting manual, or hand-to-hand fighting book in general, so I have really little to compare it to. For those interested in self-defense, however, I will say to you that this is an excellent beginning. This book covers basic striking moves, holds, releases, several throws, and short passages on stick fighting, smatchet and knife combat, and pistol disarming, all the while providing detailed explanations for the application of the desired move. I looked into other hand-to-hand fighting books and I must say that, in my opinion, this is one of the better ones in existence. The moves advocated here have been proven to work, unlike so many of the other hand-to-hand fighting books out there. Some of these moves are difficult to apply and can only be done so in certain circumstances, but, for the most part, they are moderatly applicable. Also, the book will "instil courage and self-reliance" which are both key to winning a fight. I'm not saying that any reader of this book will become a Bruce Lee overnight, but the manual is helpful. Some of the moves demonstrated are...rather cheap, but they are intended for critical situations, not playground fist fights. The techniques are simple but brutal. The manual is, unfortanetly, somewhat short (120 pp.) and expensive ($18). The diagrams are drawn in black-and-white and, consequently, difficult to follow (color would have been helpful). A competent partner is also essential. Even if you do not decide to purchase this book, as the material is dated, I would still recommend utilizing a military manual, as the military has had more experience and funding in the fighting area than those inscrupulous authors who lay claim on the most comprehensive fighting manual. Use this manual for good and stay safe.

Rating:
Summary: Interesting as historic material...
Review: Very interesting as example how the manuals were issued during WWII. The techniques exposed there has a lot Ju Jutsu influence (just it was the martial art's fashion of the period), but only some of them are really effective. By the way, useful to compare with more recent training manual and appreciate the evolution of the hand to hand combat training.

Rating:
Summary: A must have...
Review: W.E. Fairbairn's classic book on fighting! As a police officer, Fairbairn developed these methods to deal with the violent streets of Shanghai, China in the early 20th century. These same principles were coveted by British and U.S. forces an the onset of WW II. Fairbairn was brought in along with his partner (Sykes) to train elite soldiers for both of these nations. This text contains many of those skills as were taught to members of the OSS and the British Commandos.

Rating:
Summary: A must have...
Review: W.E. Fairbairn's classic book on fighting! As a police officer, Fairbairn developed these methods to deal with the violent streets of Shanghai, China in the early 20th century. These same principles were coveted by British and U.S. forces an the onset of WW II. Fairbairn was brought in along with his partner (Sykes) to train elite soldiers for both of these nations. This text contains many of those skills as were taught to members of the OSS and the British Commandos.