Eric A. Sykes

He is most famous for his work with William E. Fairbairn in the development of the eponymous Fairbairn–Sykes fighting knife and modern British Close Quarters Battle (CQB) martial arts during World War II.

Originally working for an import/export company selling weapons in East Asia, he claimed he volunteered for and served in the British Army as a sharpshooter on the Western Front during World War I.

Returning to China in 1917, he joined the volunteer branch of the Shanghai Municipal Police (SMP) Specials with the rank of Inspector in 1926.

David & Co., his experience in sharpshooting and his personal friendship with Fairbairn led him to form and oversee a team of civilian and police snipers for the SMP.

The pair had apparently planned this, since they shipped crates full of illegal weapons from lax Shanghai into Britain on their boat.

While teaching at Camp X, Sykes reputedly ended every self-defence lecture with his trademark phrase "and then, kick him in the testicles" as this method ensures that regardless of the effectiveness of the given tactic used, the assailant would be at least moderately incapacitated.

Eric A. Sykes