| Defendo | |
|---|---|
| Have an image of this martial art? Then please upload it! | |
| Country of origin | Canada |
| Parent arts | Jujutsu, Western Grappling, Boxing |
| Focus | Mixed |
Defendo is a martial art and self defense system created in 1945 for law enforcement by Bill Underwood, a British born Canadian. Underwood was originally the creator of Combato a "non-boxing or wrestling" unarmed combat system which he taught in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
History
Combato had it's beginning in the Liverpool theatres with jujutsu demonstrations by traveling japanese wrestlers, Yukio Tani and Taro Miyake. As a boy, Underwood idolized these experts and rapidly established himself as a prodigy. The name "Defendo" was created on August 15, 1945, in New York City by Underwood's daughter, Pat, when he was a guest in the United States training U.S. Army Rangers and the FBI for use in unarmed combat.