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INTRODUCTION TO W.E. FAIRBAIRN'S

SCIENTIFIC SELF DEFENSE

by: William L. Cassidy

The auth! " the #!$% the late Lieute&a&tCl&el William E#a!t Fai!bai!& ()**+),-/% is #idely a&d0uite 1!!e1tly !e2a!ded as the "!emst 1lse1mbat I&st!u1t! " the mde!& e!a. 3is !ema!$able

1a!ee!% #hi1h has bee& e4te&si5ely d1ume&ted% be2a& i& ),) #ith the Ryal 6a!i&e Li2ht I&"a&t!y a&d

se!5i1e as a membe! " the B!itish Le2ati& 7ua!d at Seul 8!ea. I& ),9 he si2&ed & #ith theSha&2hai 6u&i1ial ;li1e% the!ea"te! disti&2uishi&2 himsel" as a& i&&5ati5e t!ai&i&2 ""i1e! a&d

se1u!i&2 a& i&te!&ati&al !eutati& by !aisi&2 a&d 1mma&di&2 the "amed Sha&2hai Rit S0uad. Du!i&2

the e!id " his se!5i1e #ith the "!1e Fai!bai!& by a1tual !e1!d e!s&&ally e&2a2ed i& 5e! - 5ile&ta!med a&d u&a!med e&1u&te!s% i& 1&diti&s !a&2i&2 "!m !uti&e li1e #!$ t u!ba& 1mbat

e4e!ie&1e du!i&2 the Si&etted as a Catai& & theA!my list. While s 11uied he #as the !i&1ial i&st!u1t!'s i&st!u1t! t 1m&e&ts " B!itish 6ilita!y

i&telli2e&1e% the Se1!et I&telli2e&1e Se!5i1e (SIS/? the Se1ial Oe!ati&s E4e1uti5e (SOE/? theCmma&ds% a&d the! se1iali>ed "!1es.

I& ),=@ Fai!bai!& #as !aised t 6a! a&d atta1hed t B!itish Se1u!ity C!di&ati& (BSC/ i& Ne# !$.While i& N!th Ame!i1a he se!5ed as 1&sulti&2 i&st!u1t! t the Ca&adia& A!my% the U.S. A!my a&d the

U.S. 6a!i&e C!s% a&d #as !i&1ial 1lse1mbat i&st!u1t! "! the O""i1e " St!ate2i1 Se!5i1es (OSS/.

Fai!bai!& #as ""i1ially se1&ded t OSS i& ),=% thus be1mi&2 &e " the "e# me& e5e! t se!5e #ithall !e!ese&tati5es " the A&2lAme!i1a& i&telli2e&1e 1mmu&ity. I& ),== he #as !mted t

Lieute&a&tCl&el a&d i& ),=+ #as a#a!ded the Le2i& " 6e!it (U.S./ & the e!s&al !e1mme&dati&

" William

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...#e!e% "!m the 5e!y be2i&&i&2% desi2&ed as a e1ulia!ly Weste!& 6a!tial A!t% a mea&s #he!eby the

E&2lishsea$i&2 #!ld 1uld 1me t 2!is #ith a&d #i& 5e! !ie&tal systems. These stateme&ts le&dutli&e% but the se!ius stude&t " the sube1t !e0ui!es 2!eate! detail.

T btai& su1h detail thse #h i&5esti2ate Fai!bai!&'s #!$ #ill d #ell t &ti1e the sli2ht simila!ity i&his style #ith that " ;a$ua Cha&2% a&d the ma&&e! i& #hi1h this is s$ill"ully 1mbi&ed #ith eleme&ts "

e the

"u&dame&tally !i2i&al 1&t!ibuti&s. 3is !i2i&ality stems "!m i&si!ed% di!e1t e4e!ia&1e #ith the

dy&ami1s " e!s&al 1mbat 5e! a 1&side!able e!id " time. Clse study " his methds !e5eals thathe #as &t a me!e the!ist? !athe! he #as a !e1ise a&d 1a!e"ul emi!i1al a&alyst #ith a "lai! "!

1mmu&i1ati&.

I& 1mbat i&st!u1ti&% !a1ti1al e4e!ie&1e is the hi2hest 1u!t " aeal. Whe& #e e4ami&e ma&y

!mi&e&t i&st!u1t!s #e a!e let t the 1&1lusi& that mst !a1ti1al e4e!ie&1e " the ast de1ades has

bee& 2ai&ed th!u2h st!u1tu!ed 1metiti&s u&1tuated by i&"!e0ue&t u&st!u1tu!ed battles. E5e& the!ie&tal maste!s t #hm #e att!ibute su1h "!midable 0ualities #e!e 1&side!ed battles1a!!ed i" they

ma&a2ed t su!5i5e t#e&ty ! thi!ty e&1u&te!s. Fai!bai!&% #i&2 t his e&5i!&me&ts a&d 11uati&s%

had & su1h limitati&s. Desite a 2e&e!us sha!e " s!ti&2 mat1hes% Fai!bai!&'s e4e!tise may be saidt 1me mai&ly "!m the st!eet% &t the !i&2. The shee! &umbe! " li"e!death "i2hts i& #hi1h he "u&d

himsel"% 1uled #ith less&s lea!&ed t!ai&i&2 lite!ally thusa&ds " me& "!m #idely 5a!yi&2 1ultu!es%2a5e Fai!bai!& a 1!us " $led2e #hi1h is #ithut !e1ede&t a&d u&li$ely t be duli1ated.

William E#a!t Fai!bai!& #as a maste! " his 1!a"t a&d his "!m u!e. 3is #e!e &t sel"se!5i&2 mti&s%

but 2!a&d 2estu!es " se!5i1e t the!s. By his e4amle he is tea1hi&2 us still a&d thus his #!$s a!e t!uly

imm!tal.

This #as ta$e& "!m !e!i&t " S1ie&ti"i1 Sel"De"e&1e% ublished by William L. Cassidy i& ),*).

I&te!se!5i1e ;ublishi&2 Cma&y% I&1!!ated

Sa& F!a&1is1% Cali"!&ia

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