| Today it seems like there's a martial arts school | | | | martial arts system. He drew heavily on his Judo |
| on every block and many of them are of dubious | | | | and Jujutsu experience, and stripped away any |
| quality. Most of the students are children, and | | | | unnecessary ritual and movement, revealing a |
| they're taught some form of combat sport. | | | | simple system for combat called Defendu. In |
| Some schools offer self defense training or | | | | addition to hand to hand combat training he also |
| promise a good workout, but few teach real | | | | taught effective shooting and edged weapons |
| combat martial arts. There was a time though | | | | methods (the Fairbairn fighting knife). He would |
| when people did learn the practical skills they | | | | later train spies and commandos in WWII. Nelson |
| needed to survive a real street fight. Among the | | | | would draw on all of his influences in order to |
| few instructors who truly understood combat | | | | create his system for self defense, but he always |
| martial arts and self defense was Charlie Nelson | | | | gave credit to his mentors. |
| who took what he learned during World War II, | | | | After serving honorably in WWII which included |
| and used it prepare the average citizen for hand | | | | taking part in the battle of Guadalcanal with the |
| to hand combat. | | | | First Marine Division Nelson retuned to New York |
| Charlie Nelson's story begins in upstate New York | | | | and setup the "Charlie Nelson's School of Self |
| where he grew up in a Catholic orphanage, and he | | | | Defense Combat Jujitsu and Karate." At the |
| joined the United States Marine Corp at the age | | | | second floor school on West 72 Street in New |
| of 19. While with the Marines he would receive the | | | | York City the students would learn how to street |
| best close combat education possible. Before any | | | | fight, and Nelson abandoned traditional martial arts |
| close combat training, Charlie was good boxer. | | | | uniforms in favor of street clothes because he |
| The first chance he had he joined Marine boxing | | | | said that what people really wore when they |
| team. This is when he learned from Colonel | | | | fought. Every move he taught could be used by |
| Anthony Drexel Biddle who had trained Marines in | | | | anyone regardless of size or strength, and all his |
| hand to hand combat for World War I. Biddle, and | | | | training scenarios were grounded in reality based |
| was teaching FBI agents at Quantico at the time. | | | | of his research into actual crimes. He taught |
| As fate would have it, while at Quantico, Nelson | | | | people how to "fight not play games". |
| would bunk with John Styers an expert in blade | | | | Charles Nelson like some many others of his |
| combat who would later author Cold Steel an | | | | generation is no longer with us, but his work lives |
| excellent book on close combat with weapons. It | | | | on with us in The Red Manual. The book is filled |
| was probably here that Nelson first learned the | | | | with useful techniques that will work against even |
| truth about self defense that would shape his life | | | | the most violent assaults. Nelson makes martial |
| long view on combat; a street fight is completely | | | | arts practical to for the average citizen and |
| different animal than a sports match. | | | | teaches them how to deal with attackers armed |
| Colonel Biddle wouldn't be Nelson's only teacher | | | | with knifes, baseball bats, and even firearms. Even |
| while in the Marines though. He would train with | | | | experienced martial artists like former Army |
| Sergeant Patrick Kelly who had served with the | | | | Ranger and police officer Carl Cestari was taken |
| Fourth Marines stationed in China. Kelly had trained | | | | down by his dirty fighting techniques by a much |
| under Dermott O'Neill who also served in the city | | | | older Nelson. Cestari was so impressed he would |
| of Shanghai which at the time had the well earned | | | | become certified in Nelson's system and include |
| reputation as the most violent city in the world. | | | | many of his techniques in his own. Unfortunately |
| The Marines along with troops and police officers | | | | not everyone took notice of Nelson's system, but |
| from many other nations assigned to the | | | | if people did the criminals would be the ones living |
| international city regularly battled violent street | | | | in fear. Nelson's methods of self defense are all |
| gangs and other criminals as they tried to maintain | | | | but forgotten. |
| law and order as well prevent insurgences from | | | | There are a few who still teach some of the |
| taking the city. It was here the Marines would | | | | principles handed down by these for fathers of |
| learn many important lessons from William Ewart | | | | modern day self defense and reality martial arts. |
| Fairbairn and the Shanghai police department. | | | | One such organization is The Self Defense |
| Even though Nelson wouldn't meet Fairbairn | | | | Company. A global network of instructors |
| directly, Fairbairn had a profound influence on how | | | | dedicated to teaching the systems of proven self |
| Nelson would learn to fight. During Fairbairn's time | | | | defense in programs that combine these valuable |
| as a police officer in Shanghai, he made an | | | | methods of combat with modern day systems of |
| extensive study of many Asian martial arts in an | | | | training. |
| effort to create a simple and effective combat | | | | |