Fairbairn Close Combat Training

5 points

W.E. Fairbairn (pp. 23-24) – with some assistance from
Rex Applegate and Eric Sykes – created the style of hand-to-
hand fighting most widely taught to Allied commandos in
World War II. Fairbairn and Sykes also designed a fighting
knife for use with their style: the Sykes-Fairbairn “comman-
do” knife (p. 225). Applegate developed close-quarters pistol
techniques.
This style emphasizes killing and sentry removal. There’s
nothing gentlemanly about its methods or their execution;
it’s purely pragmatic. The training places relatively little
emphasis on traditional kicking and punching, because the
practitioner is supposed to be taking out sentries or isolated
enemy troops – not fighting in a stand-up brawl.
Training includes throws, locks, and strikes to vital areas.
It also covers concealing weapons, tying up prisoners, and
fighting with sticks and even chairs! Targeted Attack (Knife
Thrust/Neck) is one of the style’s most important tech-
niques. It normally follows a grapple and is itself followed
by a cut outward from the throat to ensure that the enemy
bleeds out quickly. These moves can form the basis of a bru-
tal but effective Combination (see Combinations, p. 80).
In a cinematic game, Fairbairn-trained commandos
might be able to replicate some of the legendary feats of the
ninja, such as silent, invisible movement. Fairbairn was
trained in the Far East . . . perhaps he learned some secrets
that he only passed along to the most elite soldiers.
Skills: Judo; Karate; Knife; Stealth.
Techniques: Choke Hold; Disarming (Judo); Head Butt;
Knee Strike; Neck Snap; Targeted Attack (Knife
Thrust/Neck).
Cinematic Skills: Invisibility Art; Light Walk.
Cinematic Techniques: Backbreaker; Binding.
Perks: Improvised Weapons (Karate).
Optional Traits
Advantages: Combat Reflexes.
Disadvantages: Bloodlust; Overconfidence.
Skills: Garrote; Holdout; Knot-Tying; Shortsword.