The Hidden Classic of mid-20th Century Defensive TacticsOriginally published in 1951, this little known defensive classic is 'the manual' of Wesley Brown's Defensive Combat system as taught to Naval Aviators during World War 2.
After a chance encounter at the Chicago World's Fair, he is recruited as a plain clothes officer to a Chicago police department by Col. Isham Randolph (of the crime-fighting
Chicago Secret Six). Wesley rose quickly to become the asst. Director of the police training Traffic Institute at Northwestern University. Here he honed his concepts for defensive tactics suitable for police close quarters encounters with the criminal element.
With the outbreak of WW2, he joined the Navy and was assigned to create a new hand-to-hand combat program for the Naval Air Corps. The program was so well received that both the Army, and fledgling O.S.S. patterned their courses after it.
This course and the techniques in it are immortalized in the U.S. Navy film,
"Hand to Hand Combat in Three Parts" which was both produced and stars Wesley Brown, showing his style of rough-and-tumble moves/counter-moves. An amazing and comprehensive look into early 1930's–40's defensive techniques. It deserves a place on any serious martial arts bookshelf.
Topics covered include:
- Unarmed Opponents
- Armed opponents (Pistol/rifle/knife)
- Police club use
- Wrist Locks and escapes
- Grapples, Chokes / escapes
- Vulnerable Areas
Hand Blows- Kicks
- Throws / Leg sweeps
- Defensive moves for Ladies
- Control holds, etc.
- Training regimens
