Upcoming WW2 Combatives & Historical Martial Arts Events
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Fix Bayonets! WW2 Bayonet Fighting Seminar (York, March 14th 2026)
Join us for a full-day training seminar dedicated to the art and evolution of WW2 bayonet combat. This intensive course draws directly from wartime manuals and original drills used by both British and American forces.
You’ll cover:
• British bayonet fighting
• British bayonet fencing
• United States Marine Corps bayonet fighting
Learn how these systems trained soldiers for close-quarters battle.
Open to martial artists, re-enactors, and history enthusiasts alike, no previous experience required.
- Date: 14th March 2026
- Time: 10am-5pm
- Location: York UK
- Cost: £50
To book your place or ask any questions, please contact us
Fairbairn & Sykes Combatives Day Course as taught to the SOE (Summer 2026)
Step into the shadowy world of WWII special operations and learn the close-combat methods taught to the Special Operations Executive (SOE) and Commandos.
This intensive day course explores the brutal efficiency of the Fairbairn–Sykes system, developed by W.E. Fairbairn and E.A. Sykes, whose methods shaped Allied close-quarters training throughout the war.
You’ll cover:
- The core striking, locking, and takedown methods of the Fairbairn–Sykes system
- The use of the FS fighting knife and its combat applications
- Stick Fighting against both knives and unarmed opponent’s
- How to eliminate a sentry quickly and silently
Learn how these techniques were designed to prepare agents and soldiers for real, life-or-death encounters behind enemy lines.
Open to martial artists, re-enactors, and history enthusiasts alike — no previous experience required.
Date: Summer 2026 (exact date TBA)
Time: 10am–5pm
Location: York, UK
Cost: £40
To book your place or ask any questions, please contact us
A Dagger Through Time: WW2 & Medieval Knife Fighting Techniques (Autumn 2026)
Explore six hundred years of close-quarters knife combat in a single day. This one-day seminar pairs medieval rondel dagger work with WW2-era knife and combatives, showing how technique, purpose, and mindset changed and what stayed the same.
Morning — Rondel Dagger (Fiore dei Liberi)
• Fundamentals of grips, guards and footwork from the medieval tradition
• Key plays and counters from Fiore dei Liberi’s dagger material
• Practical partner drills for timing, distance and control (armoured/unarmoured context)
Afternoon — WW2 Knife Fighting & Defence
• Fairbairn–Sykes principles and combative applications
• Material drawn from Jonathan Styers and other wartime/early post-war sources
• Practical entries, defences, and finishing actions used by WWII soldiers and operatives
You’ll gain a comparative perspective on how historical context shaped technique, from the knight’s rondel to the commando’s fighting knife.
Who it’s for: martial artists, HEMA practitioners, re-enactors, combatives students, and history enthusiasts. Suitable for all levels; partner work involved.
Date: Autumn 2026 (exact date TBA)
Time: 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Location: York, UK
Cost: £40
Safety: Training will use replica/training knives — no live blades.
To book your place or ask any questions, please contact us
For ongoing training opportunities, see our Class Timetable.
To arrange a private WW2 or historical combatives lesson, visit our 1-to-1 Tuition page or contact us for custom event bookings.
