William E. Fairbairn

William E. Fairbairn
Fairbairn in 1942
Born	William Ewart Fairbairn (1885-02-28)28 February 1885 Rickmansworth, Hertfordshire, England
Died	20 June 1960(1960-06-20) (aged 75) Worthing, Sussex, England
Occupation(s)	Royal Marines, Shanghai Municipal Police, Combatives Instructor

Lieutenant Colonel William Ewart Fairbairn (⫽ˈfɛərbɛərn⫽; 28 February 1885 – 20 June 1960) was a British soldier and police officer. He developed hand-to-hand combat methods for the Shanghai Police during the interwar period, as well as for the Allied special forces during World War II. He created his own fighting system known as Defendu. Notably, this included innovative pistol shooting techniques and the development of the Fairbairn–Sykes fighting knife.