History of the Defendu system — Fairbairn and Sykes
The history
of Defendu.
Close Quarters Combat System — from experience in Shanghai to modern training in Poland.
Fairbairn and Sykes. Shanghai, 1930s.
William E. Fairbairn and Eric A. Sykes developed a hand-to-hand combat system based on their experience in the Shanghai Municipal Police. They combined elements of jujutsu, boxing and street fighting, focusing on simplicity and speed.
Sykes was a small-arms specialist and co-designer of the Fairbairn–Sykes knife. Their approach to close combat became part of the training of special forces and OSS and SOE agents during World War II.
Minimal movement. Conscious decisions.
The original system was meant to work where reaction time and simplicity matter — in tight spaces, with limited information and under pressure. Modern training translates this idea into responsible practice and participant safety.
Igor Barnaś and DefendU.
Igor Barnaś develops Defendu in Poland, adapting the methods to modern threats. He runs civilian training and works with the uniformed services, combining the system's heritage with self-defence and close-combat practice.
Marcin Kossek.
Marcin Kossek had a huge influence on DefendU. Training and meetings with him deepened our knowledge of shooting, personal protection and security. His practical approach remains an important part of our work.
Marcin founded Vega Intelligence — a company specialising in security analysis, strategic consulting and training. We gratefully continue passing on the knowledge he left behind.
In his memory.
Matt Temkin in Poznań. 2018.
We hosted Matt Temkin from New York — an American instructor of instinctive shooting (point shooting) and hand-to-hand combat. Matt studied personally under Col. Rex Applegate, who developed the method with W. E. Fairbairn and E. A. Sykes during World War II.
In 2018 he flew in from the USA to run a course: point shooting at the “Lizawka” range in Poznań and hand-to-hand combat at the Hulk gym in Poznań (now Halkownia).
