Combat Classics Books, Videos, A-H

Turn a city into a death trap for the enemy with this how-to guide to street fighting. Actual combat scenarios show what weapons and forms of attack are needed, and such topics as antitank tactics, explosives and demolitions, ambushes and a Soviet view of combat in the cities are included in this reprint. $12.00
Softcover 978-0-87364-049-6 76 pages 5.5" x 8.5"

This classic on the tactics of the guerrilla fighter was written by the mentor of Fidel Castro and Che Guevara. In question and answer format, General Bayo addresses how guerrilla units should be organized, how to defend a conquered city, the skills of the perfect guerrilla and how to attack a town. $12.00
Softcover 978-0-87364-022-0 96 pages 5.5" x 8.5"

This hard-to-find 1942 classic on hand-to-hand combat from Capt. W.E. Fairbairn – one of the most respected names in close-quarters combat – is finally available to collectors of World War II-era literature and practical, ruthless fighting instruction in its original, all-inclusive British version.

All-In Fighting, published in the United States with the title Get Tough, was written to introduce soldiers and civilians alike to the realities of close combat. As Fairbairn states in his introduction: "Some readers may be appalled at the suggestion that it should be necessary for human beings of the twentieth century to revert to the grim brutality of the Stone Age in order to live. But it must be realized that, when dealing with an utterly ruthless enemy who has clearly expressed his intention of wiping this nation out of existence, there is no room for any scruple or compunction about the methods to be employed in preventing him."

Featuring the same clear, no-holds-barred information as Get Tough, but with an expanded introduction by Fairbairn, a preface by Lieut. Colonel J.P. O'Brien Twohig and a section on rifle and bayonet fighting by Capt. P.N. Walbridge, All-In Fighting covers strikes, holds, releases and more, all vividly illustrated.

Original copies of this book are highly sought after and, when they can be found, command a high price. This exact reproduction from Paladin Press offers every collector a chance to add Fairbairn's legendary wisdom to his personal library.

Captain W.E. Fairbairn taught unarmed combat to the famed British Commandos and the U.S. armed forces during World War II. Before the war he served as assistant commissioner of the Shanghai Police Force. He was the inventor of the Fairbairn Commando Knife and the author of the classics Get Tough and Shooting to Live. $15.00
Softcover 978-1-58160-506-8 130 pages 5.5" x 8.5" illustrations

Following his collaboration with Jack Dempsey on the WWII standard, How to Fight Tough, this 1959 solo effort by B J Cosneck, American Combat Judo, is a lengthier training session in vicious close-in fighting skills. In it, Cosneck combines elements of jiu-jitsu, boxing, wrestling, savate and plain old dirty fighting into an easy-to-learn set of practical unarmed combat techniques designed to incapacitate any attacker as quickly and painfully as possible. No collection of hand-to-hand combat books is truly complete without this exclusive reprint edition of American Combat Judo from Paladin Press.

A champion intercollegiate wrestler and chief hand-to-hand fighting instructor for the U.S. Coast Guard, B.J.Cosneck is perhaps best known as the man who teamed up with boxing great Jack Dempsey to write How to Fight Tough for rookie Coast Guardsmen during the war. $16.00
Softcover 978-1-58160-528-0 124 pages 5.5" x 8.5" photos

Most aficionados of classic self-defense books are familiar with S. J. Jorgensen's Thirty-Six Secret Knock-Out Blows without the Use of Fists, released in 1938. Few realize, however, that much of it came from Jorgensen's earlier handbook, American Police Jiu-Jitsu. In fact, the original purpose of Thirty-Six Secret Knock-Out Blows appears to have been as a promotional brochure for American Police Jiu-Jitsu.

Jorgensen, an internationally famous jiu-jitsu instructor, developed the course contained in American Police Jiu-Jitsu to teach applied jiu-jitsu to police departments all over the world, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Royal Canadian Northwest Mounted Police, as well as to members of the U.S. Navy, Marine Corps, Army and various National Guard units. Then, seeing the need for this information to be available to civilians, he published this book in 1930 and sold it to satisfied customers all over the world. Containing 150 photographs and 50 lessons in the practical application of jiu-jitsu, American Police Jiu-Jits demonstrates aggressive self-defense moves for disarming assailants armed with guns, knives and clubs.

Original copies of this classic volume are extremely hard to find and very expensive. This reprint provides an affordable addition to any self-defense reference library. $12.00
Softcover 978-1-58160-450-4 64 pages 5.5" x 8.5" photos

ARWROLOGY
All-Out Hand-to-Hand Fighting for Commandos, Military, and Civilians
by Gordon E Perrigard, MD

Arwrology is derived from the old Welsh word arwr, meaning an all-out hand-to-hand fighter. It was developed by Gordon E. Perrigard, a Canadian medical doctor who combined his knowledge of advanced ju-jitsu with his knowledge of human anatomy to come up with this devastatingly effective close-in combat system. Arwrology was originally released in 1943 in Canada for use in training combatants for World War II. Martialists from all over the world quickly hailed its superior fighting methods, and today it remains one of the most highly sought after – and most valuable – fighting manuals in the world. Don't miss your chance to add this authentic reproduction of an extremely rare combat classic to your library at a price you can afford. $30.00
Softcover 978-1-58160-507-5 294 pages 5.5" x 8.5" photos, illust.

Released at the height of the Golden Age of boxing as part of Spalding's Athletic Library, this 1929 tutorial on the "sweet science" is a must read for modern boxers or collectors of classic boxing books. It provides expert instruction in aggressive attack and effective defense, including specific lessons on such topics as the art of gauging distance, protecting the stomach without blocking and achieving a variety of knockout blows. More than 50 period photographs demonstrate key techniques, and a special section contains photos and contemporary commentary on legends Jack Dempsey, Gene Tunney and other contenders of the day. $20.00
Softcover 978-1-58160-562-4 190 pages 5.5" x 8.5" photos

During World War II the U.S. Navy used sports to condition recruits both mentally and physically for combat. The Naval Aviation Physical Training (V-5) Program compiled specific manuals outlining the instruction in each sport. Boxing is the essence of the fighting man, and from time immemorial it has been used to train, harden and discipline military personnel. Plus, army trainers have always considered boxing the best training possible for bayonet fighting. It is only natural, then, that boxing was central to the V-5 training program.

Boxing, originally published in 1943, was compiled by boxing champions and coaches to teach World War II cadets how to take a punch and fight back viciously, calmly and with deadly intent. The manual was so successful that the U.S. Naval Institute reissued it several times, and copies of the original manual are still in high demand.

Get yourself into top fighting shape by following the combat-proven boxing drills used by generations of naval recruits. $35.00
Softcover 978-1-58160-457-3 296 pages 8.5" x 11" photos

Published in England in 1890, this fascinating book may be one of the earliest ever to discuss the use of everyday items as weapons of self-defense for, in the words of the authors, "those 'tight places' where men care nothing for rules, but only want to make the most out of that weapon which the chance of the moment has put into their hands." It contains many useful insights into effective training in armed combat and how such training relates to real-world self-defense. A must-read for anyone interested in the arts of stick work, swordplay or the no-holds-barred use of any convenient weapon, "whether he has in his hand a single stick, a cutlass, or the leg of an old chair." $16.00
Softcover 978-1-58160-512-9 122 pages 5.5" x 8.5" illustrations

When he left the military after World War II, Charles Nelson realized that there was a realistic need for average citizens to be able to defend themselves against violent assault, so he opened his School of Self-Defense in New York City. During its five decades of operation, Nelson's school taught hundreds of men, women and even children.

To reach more people than could personally attend the school, Nelson published two manuals on self-defense, commonly referred to as The Little Red Manual and The Little Gray Manual, both long out of print. Through these two booklets Charlie influenced generations of law enforcement officers, military personnel, martial artists and celebrities. Now for the first time, the two manuals have been combined to offer a comprehensive picture of the Nelson system of self-defense. Along with the faithful reproductions of the red and gray manuals, Charles Nelson's School of Self-Defense offers an illuminating look at Charlie Nelson by former pupil and World War II combatives expert Carl Cestari as well as a collection of photos from the life of one of the pioneers of civilian self-defense.

Charles Nelson joined the Marine Corps in 1934 and learned hand-to-hand combat, bayonet fighting and jiu-jitsu from, among others, Colonel Anthony J. Drexel Biddle. From Sergeant Kelly, who had been attached to the International Police in Shanghai, China, in the 1930s, he learned a unique fighting method based on Mongolian wrestling techniques intended to maim or cripple, which no one else in the United States was teaching at the time. $15.00
Softcover 978-1-58160-595-2 102 pages 5.5" x 8.5" photos

Paladin has obtained exclusive reprint rights to this classic (originally published by Leatherneck magazine), which was the Marine bible of unarmed combat. Emphasizing the practice aspect of bayonet, knife and stick fighting, this rare volume also provides short courses in unarmed combat and knife throwing. For academic study only. $19.95
Softcover 978-0-87364-025-1 188 pages 5.5" x 8.5" illustrations

The U.S. Marine Corps knows how to prepare its men for the physical rigors of combat. Here is the entire classic USMC combat conditioning course as taught at the Officer Candidate School. Besides the Marines' demanding PT program, it includes complete instruction in unarmed combat; use of knives, clubs and silent weapons; pistol disarming; bayonet drills; and more. In the foreword, USMC chief historian Charles Melson gives an insider's history of the development of Marine close-combat programs from the turn of the 20th century to today. He provides little-known details on the contributions of such well-known figures as A.J. Biddle, Fairbairn and Sykes, and John Styers as well as more obscure but equally important contributors Stephen Staver, Dermot O'Neill and "the Three Sams." No library of close combat is complete without this classic manual. $35.00
Softcover 978-1-58160-253-1 368 pages 6" x 9" photos, illust.

This handbook was written during World War II, not for commandos or professional wrestlers, but for Canada's Home Guard – that is, for ordinary people. The continued interest in and demand for an illustrated book on this subject resulted in its reissue in its wartime format. The author, of the Royal Canadian Artillery, believes that knowledge of self-defense is a sound investment on anybody's part at any time – not just during war – and he sets out to provide that knowledge. The text is clear and straightforward, and the illustrations make misunderstanding impossible. This book is essential for anybody with an interest in self-defense, weapons or military combat. $10.00
Softcover 978-0-87364-060-2 48 pages 5.5" x 8.5" illustrations

Defendu, William E. Fairbairn's seminal manual on close-quarters combat, is finally available in a quality reprint edition. Originally published in 1926, the book was the first to present Fairbairn's hard-core system of close-in fighting under the name by which it became legendary among practitioners of no-holds-barred self-defense and battlefield skills.

Through Defendu and his other revolutionary books (including Scientific Self-Defence, Get Tough and All-In Fighting), as well as his years spent training members of the Shanghai Municipal Police in the 1930s and elite-unit soldiers during World War II, W.E. Fairbairn probably had more influence on the evolution of practical hand-to-hand combat than any other individual in modern history. As U.S. Marine Corps veteran and CQC expert Kelly McCann writes in the exclusive foreword to Paladin's reprint edition, "W.E. Fairbairn contributed more to the knowledge base of how to kill the enemy in close quarters than perhaps anyone else."

Paladin spent years actively searching for a copy of Defendu through the Internet, out-of-print book outlets, rare-book shops and military book specialists before we found one we could borrow to make this reprint edition possible. So it is with great pride that we add this highly sought volume, with an insightful foreword by best-selling author Kelly McCann to our library of Combat Classic titles.

Captain W.E. Fairbairn taught unarmed combat to the famed British Commandos and the U.S. armed forces during World War II. Before the war he served as assistant commissioner of the Shanghai Police Force. He was the inventor of the Fairbairn Commando Knife and the author of the classics Get Tough and Shooting to Live. $25.00
Softcover 978-1-58160-602-7 178 pages 7" x 10"

Do or Die served as an official training guide for the U.S. Marines when it was originally published in 1937. Out of print for years, this classic manual of hand-to-hand combat tells soldiers how to survive using bayonet fencing, knife fighting, jiujutsu, savate and boxing. In this exclusive reprint, Lt. Col. A.J. Drexel Biddle, an expert in sword, bayonet, broadsword, dagger and épée, brings to life the timeless techniques of the infantryman.

USMC Col. C.J. Miller, then commander of the Fifth Regiment, provides in his introduction advice to the modern warrior that is just as true today as it was when this book was first written: "The old linear and mass attacks have been replaced by small groups of skirmishers, working forward with calculated boldness and stealth, seeking out the defender's weak spots, in order to assault his combat groups. New methods of attack will require that the infantryman be a skirmisher, marksman, athlete and fighter par excellence. . . . Self-preservation remains the great law of Nature."

Every student of hand-to-hand combat and every collector of hard-to-find books will appreciate this exact reproduction of the original Do or Die. $12.00
Softcover 978-0-87364-028-2 80 pages 5.5" x 8.5" photos

The father of modern hand-to-hand combat, Captain W. E. Fairbairn, taught the famed British Commandos from this classic, long-out-of-print manual on unarmed combat. Known for his "get tough" attitude, Fairbairn designed these practical methods after years of training troops and watching ruffians, thugs, bandits and bullies. Now you can profit from his experience.

Captain W.E. Fairbairn taught unarmed combat to the famed British Commandos and the U.S. armed forces during World War II. Before the war he served as assistant commissioner of the Shanghai Police Force. He was the inventor of the Fairbairn Commando Knife and the author of the classics Defendu, Scientific Self Defense and Shooting to Live. $19.95
Softcover 978-0-87364-002-2 120 pages 5.5" x 8.5" illustrations

Now you can own one of the classic publications in the history of U.S. military close-quarters combat training. The complete program shown in this book was designed to train sailors and naval aviators of World War II in the deadliest techniques of "commando tactics," jiu jitsu, boxing, wrestling and other fighting systems. Its goal was to teach "cold, efficient method[s] of overcoming your enemy in a manner most suitable to the performance of your mission or the saving of your life . . . without any regard to the comfort or pleasure of the enemy." In 11 photo-heavy chapters, Hand-to-Hand Combat covers training tips; vulnerable targets; the brutal fundamentals of close-in fighting; frontal and rear attacks; prisoner search and control techniques; disarming pistols, rifles, clubs and knives; offensive means of "liquidating an enemy"; and much more. After reading this book (originally published by the United States Naval Institute in 1943), you will see why it has long been sought by collectors and historians of hand-to-hand combat. $30.00
Softcover 978-1-58160-423-8 240 pages 8.5" x 11" photos

First time on DVD and bundled together for one incredibly low price!

Rediscover the brutally effective close-combat system taught by the U.S. Navy during World War II with these exclusive reprints of two all-time combat classic videos.

The first disc in this package, Hand-to-Hand Combat by Wesley Brown of the U.S. Navy, presents, in their entirety, the classic U.S. Navy Bureau of Aeronautics V-Five training films Hand to Hand Combat in Three Parts. Essentially a live-action version of the U.S. Naval Institute's Hand-to-Hand Combat Manual (also available from Paladin Press), these films present step-by-step instruction in the rough-and-tumble, combat-proven hand-to-hand system that was the close-combat standard for the navy during World War II.

Wesley Brown personally demonstrates every aspect of this full-service fighting system, including its basic fighting stances, strikes and kicks; defenses against grabs, strangles and body locks; throws and joint locks; and defenses from the ground. With a thorough grounding in hand-to-hand fighting, he then presents a complete course in counter-weapon tactics, including defenses against knife and club attacks and disarming techniques against handguns, rifles and even mounted bayonets.

The additional disc in this package, The USMC Combat Conditioning Series, is another combative "blast from the past." Also available for the first time on DVD, this is the U.S. Marine Corps' original training films on knife, club and bayonet fighting. It includes complete courses in the classic style of fighting with a mounted bayonet as well as military club and knife fighting. It also presents a variety of dirty tricks that Marines used when facing an enemy armed with a stick or knife.

These two black & white videos comprise a fascinating piece of military history as well as present a functional and effective self-defense program for modern times. For information purposes only. $29.95
DVD-R Black and White 805966 058139 85 minutes 2-Disc Set

In his day, Chic Gaylord was the "top gun" in the world of combat shooting, enjoying a reputation as one of the fastest and most accurate shooters around. This Paladin collector's edition of Handgunner's Guide is a faithful reproduction of his 1960 classic that revolutionized the holster industry (even today Gaylord is considered the premiere designer of modern concealment holsters) and, to a great extent, changed the way we view tactics and techniques to survive and win a gunfight. Although some of the weapons discussed in this book are no longer available, a surprising amount of the information is still as tactically sound and relevant today as it was 40 years ago when used by a wide variety of U.S. federal and local law enforcement agencies and several European and Latin American countries to train their elite shooters. This release is intended to provide an accurate account of Chic Gaylord's genius and his craft and to perpetuate it for new generations of shooters. $25.00
Softcover 978-1-58160-108-4 184 pages 8.5" x 11" photos

When Major W.E. Fairbairn wrote Hands Off! in 1942, most men were off fighting the war, and women were left on their own to provide for and protect themselves. The father of modern hand-to-hand combat, Fairbairn was very familiar with the information available about self-defense at the time – he had written much of it, including the classic Get Tough – and he knew that it was all geared for men. So he adapted the methods presented in Hands Off! especially for women. Fairbairn's hands-on techniques taught women how to turn their perceived disadvantages of weight, build and strength into advantages to be exploited against potential attackers.

Even though the techniques in Hands Off! are still sound today, this historical gem's real value is as a record of the state of the world and women's self-defense 60 years ago. Long out of print, the original edition is available today primarily through rare book sellers and commands a steep price because of its uniqueness and its famous author. Paladin Press is proud to bring back a work by the inimitable self-defense master W.E. Fairbairn so that a new generation of Americans can enjoy his teachings.

Major W.E. Fairbairn taught unarmed combat to the famed British Commandos and the U.S. armed forces during World War II. Before the war he served as assistant commissioner of the Shanghai Police Force. He was the inventor of the Fairbairn Commando Knife and the author of the classics Get Tough and Shooting to Live. $15.00
Softcover 978-1-58160-443-6 56 pages 5.5" x 8.5" photos