WW2 Combatives Reading List

[Jonathan Randall]

WW2 Combatives Reading List. Aside from the obvious "Get Tough" and "Kill or Get Killed", there are a number of great references on WW2 era combatives. Want to share your recommendations (and why)?

 

[frank raud]

Arwrology by Gordon Perrigard. renouf Publishing 1943. Just republished by paladin. Perrigard was a staff surgeon at mcGill university, his medical background shows in the writing of this book. Covers muscle memory, visualisation, and probably the best description of use of the ax hand of any book out there.

Your Answer to Invasion by James Hipkiss. Nice book produced for the home guard. interestingly, as almost all WWII combatives instructors had a judo background, this is one of very few books that emphasises the importance of balance.

hand to hand combat (the V5 manual) wonderful book ,all kinds of nasty techniques, recently reprinted by Paladin. Paladin has also re printed the boxing and wrestling manuals from this series, well worth getting.

Self defense by Wesley Brown. Wesley Brown was one the authors of the V5 manual refereced above(with Joe Begalia)

Hands Off! by W.e. Fairbairn. Again, recently reprinted by Paladin. best description of chin jab in any of Fairbairn's book, great stick work drill using an umbrella, and pictures of Fairbairn with his daughter Dorothea.

This is off the top of my head. Will check my booksheleves for more.

 

[frank raud]

Cold steel by John Styers. Excellent book, shows development of Biddles knife work, great hand to hand section, and covers Kengala's stick method.

Do or Die by Anthony Drexel-Biddle There are two versions of this book, 1937 and 1944. the 1937 version has been reprinted, the 1944 has not. The 1944 edition is much better. The 1937 edition looks like it is lost in time, there are classical fencing techniques, and the jiu jitsu shown is of the three stooges eye poke variety. The 1944 edition has an updated bayonet section, a definite Fairbairn influence(through Sam Taxis, who was a student of Biddle's, went to Shanghai, came back and taught Biddle Defendu). Also has more pictures of Biddle himself in action. The section on the Fitsimmons shift(the killing shift) has pictures of Biddle demonstrating the shift. The 1937 version has only text to describe the shift.

 

[Jonathan Randall]

Arwrology by Gordon Perrigard. renouf Publishing 1943. Just republished by paladin. Perrigard was a staff surgeon at mcGill university, his medical background shows in the writing of this book. Covers muscle memory, visualisation, and probably the best description of use of the ax hand of any book out there.

Your Answer to Invasion by James Hipkiss. Nice book produced for the home guard. interestingly, as almost all WWII combatives instructors had a judo background, this is one of very few books that emphasises the importance of balance.

hand to hand combat (the V5 manual) wonderful book ,all kinds of nasty techniques, recently reprinted by Paladin. Paladin has also re printed the boxing and wrestling manuals from this series, well worth getting.

Self defense by Wesley Brown. Wesley Brown was one the authors of the V5 manual refereced above(with Joe Begalia)

Hands Off! by W.e. Fairbairn. Again, recently reprinted by Paladin. best description of chin jab in any of Fairbairn's book, great stick work drill using an umbrella, and pictures of Fairbairn with his daughter Dorothea.

This is off the top of my head. Will check my booksheleves for more.

Cool, thanks.

How would you rate them, including "KOGK" and "Get Tough" on a list starting with best?

 

[frank raud]

Cool, thanks.

How would you rate them, including "KOGK" and "Get Tough" on a list starting with best?

It largely boils down to preference, as those within the Fairbairn/Applegate/Sykes style can be really only compared within themselves as to which is "best".The more wrestling/judo oriented styles( Cosneck, Mickey Woods, Bill Underwood, Kuwashima, Dempsey-Cosneck, Hipkiss, etc) should beconsidered within a group of their own. Even then, it depends on the background of the instructor and the background of the person reading as to which is "best"

Having sort of qualified my selections, I would probably make a list something like this,priorities may change, depending on which book I just re-read.
FAS Group
KOGK 1943
Get Tough
Hands Off!
Arwrology(Arwrology is not of the FAS lineage, but because of the excellent EOH description and drills in it, can be utilised within FAS)

Wrestling/Judo Group
V5 manual Hand to Hand Combat
Self Defense Wesley brown
Your answer to Invasion James Hipkiss
How to Fight Tough Dempsey-Cosneck
American Combat judo Bernard Cosneck
Combato for Soldiers and Civillians- Bill Underwood

There are plenty more, but once you have studied one or two of the better books, you have the majority of techniques, it boils down to getting a different description, or emphasis from various authors. There are also books from the late 1940's -1950's that don't fit the WWII era, but do teach essentially the same stuff, Mendell, Martone, Grover.
But that's another thread.

 

[frank raud]

Went to the bookshelf, grabbed a few more relevant books.

Hand to hand combat- Francois D'Eliscu nice little book, very similar POI as the 1942 FM21-150.
Judo and its use in hand to hand combat -William Caldwell- Seabees manual. Nice concise manual, good for showing variety of use of EOH blow. Take the "will die within 18hours" comments with a large grain of salt.

Martell's Simplified Ju Jutsu-simple nasty tricks, (attack from shadows, break bones, neck breaker with stick) Fairly common theme of this style of book is to make comparisons between Japanese and Americans, Americans being superior. Definitely not politically correct(This is the dirtiest hold known toman. It seldom fails when properly applied. It should only be demonstrated on the Japanazis).

How to Use Jiu Jitsu I.C King Not a military manual, but utilising many of the techniques of the military H2H. Nice use of club, wrist locks and throws

Teaching the American Art of Self Protection By Samuel Cummings
For an American art, fairly standard judo/jiu jitsu gun disarms, knife defense, wrist locks and throws. One knife defense is unusal, from a slash to throat, turn around, bed over and mule kick!

 

[frank raud]

Does no one else have any books to reccomend? Or should I just keep going by myself? Think of this thread as being like a heavy metal guitarist, it needs feedback!

 

[Jonathan Randall]

Does no one else have any books to reccomend? Or should I just keep going by myself? Think of this thread as being like a heavy metal guitarist, it needs feedback!

Sorry, I've been on vacation. Also, you're doing VERY WELL yourself. Great work - I'd have a heck of a time improving upon your posts. :asian:

 

[frank raud]

If I get a chance, I'll open up some boxes of books in my basement, some goodies down there

 

[bshovan]

Good resource on these types of books is one written by Bradley J. Steiner called, " Manuals On Mayhem." Steiner describes and evaluates over 140 of these types of books written about close combat and self-defense.
Hope this is of help.

Bill Shovan

 

[bshovan]

just a few books from Bradley J. Steiner's mention include:

Kill or get killed by rex applegate
Get Tough by W.E Fairbairn
Deal The First Deadly Blow by commecial reprinting of U.S Army Field Manuel 21-150- Combatives
Hand To Hand Combat by the U.S Navy V-Five and Wesley Brown
My Method of Self-Defense by M.Kawaishi
Shooting To Live by Fairbairn and E.A Sykes

There are many more for those interested.

Bill Shovan

 

[frank raud]

I have never been able to get a copy of Steiner's Manuals of Mayhem. Steiner was an interesting character, one of the first writers to really give credit to, and promote WWII Combatives.