The Story Of A Real Hollywood Legend

Real Life Martial Arts and Close Combat Hero

Look at today’s Hollywood Action stars you see a lot of window dressing without a lot of substance. If you're a patriot, Hollywood can be a pretty lonely place, but during World War II Hollywood's some of the brightest stars went to war and among them was Douglas Fairbanks. He didn’t serve in the rear either. He chose to take to war to the enemy using deadly close combat techniques that included combat martial arts.

Film legend Douglas Fairbanks Jr is best known for the over a hundred films he made, but many of his real life heroics remain classified by the United States Navy. Fairbanks was among the first to pioneer unconventional warfare tactics and commando training. While you can’t count on celebrities to even make their own court appearances, Fairbanks didn’t back down when his country was at war and he chose to become a clandestine warrior.

At the beginning of the war Fairbanks held a number of important civilian positions before being commissioned a Lieutenant in the United States Navy Reserves. His first assignment was on Lord Mountbatten's staff in England as part of an exchange program. Mountbatten was a very vocal supporter unconventional warfare, and encouraged all the Allies to create Special Forces units. Fairbanks trained at the H.M.S. Tormentor Advanced Training and Amphibious Operations Base and at the Commando Training School at Ancharry Castle, Scotland. As part of his top secret training Fairbanks learned martial arts, knife fighting, sentry removal, and other close combat techniques from martial arts legend William E. Fairbairn.

After taking part in cross-channel raids with British commandos Fairbanks returned to the United States and organized the Beach Jumpers, a specially trained unit that was designed to deceive and distract enemy forces. The new special boat unit also rescued POWs, and landed commandos. Although he was supposed to be an organizer Fairbanks still participated in operations in the Mediterranean Sea and was decorated multiple times by several countries for his heroics. The Beach jumpers would take part in dangerous operations in the Pacific theater and combat operations in other wars before being incorporated into other units. After the war Fairbanks continued his interest in martial arts and encouraged others to learn the combatives he learned for self defense.

Douglas Fairbanks chose to become an actor, but he could have been successful in any career. Like his father actor Douglas Fairbanks Sr. he was very athletic, and excelled at many sports. He wasn't just a good athlete. e was an excellent student and well as a successful businessman. In addition to acting, he was also a skilled painter and sculptor. Before the outbreak of WWII he did several films including Catherine the Great, The Prisoner of Zenda, and Gunga Din, a close combat classic, where three British Army officers take on a cult of thieves and assassins who worshiped the Indian blood goddess Kali.
Fairbanks would remain in the reserves after the war until he retired with the rank of captain and continued to work, splitting his time between Hollywood and London. Like most veterans he seldom spoke of his wartime service, and most of the operations Fairbanks took part in remain classified, but it clear that he served bravely and honorably. Fairbanks also saw the potential of martial arts, and summed up his thought when he wrote:

“In the early days of the cattle country, the six-shooter was the means of leveling all men to the same size. Now that the sale of the six-shooter is prohibited, every one should have some knowledge of the art of self-defence in cases of emergency.”

Most people know Douglas Fairbanks for his film work, but his greatest role was as a real life hero. Without seeking reward, or even the applause of an audience he did his part to win the war and showed uncommon valor. He could have taken a non-combat assignment, but instead he took on the most dangerous missions and hardest training. He took on the Nazis using close combat and deception, and proved martial arts could turn an athlete into a warrior.