Defendu: From the Streets of Shanghai to the Battlefields of WWII
Defendu, also known as the Fairbairn Fighting System or Gutter Fighting, is a contemporary martial art created by William E. Fairbairn and Eric A. Sykes prior to World War II.…
How James Bond Helped Win the Cold War
The Sirkeci Terminal in Istanbul was used as a filming location for the James Bond film “From Russia with Love”. James Bond, the suave British secret agent created by Ian…
“Casablanca”: Winning Hearts and Minds in WWII
Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman in a romantic scene. Casablanca, released in 1942, is often hailed as one of the greatest films in American cinema. Beyond its romantic plot and…
Spies in the Crossroads: The OSS’s Strategic Role in Istanbul
Aerial view of the historical peninsula and modern skyline of Istanbul During World War II, the Office of Strategic Services (OSS) played a crucial role in gathering intelligence and conducting…
Bartitsu: The Victorian Gentlemanly Art of Self Defense
Sherlock Holmes and Professor Moriarty at the Reichenbach Falls. Illustration by Sidney Paget for the Sherlock Holmes story “The Final Problem” by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, which appeared in “The…
Hitchcock’s Masterpiece: How “North by Northwest” Shaped the Spy Genre
Photo of Cary Grant & Eva Marie Saint from the film “North by Northwest” (1959). Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. North by Northwest, directed by Alfred Hitchcock and released in 1959, is widely regarded…
The Security Risks of Smartwatches
Pexels photo by Karolina Grabowska Smartwatches have become ubiquitous in our daily lives, offering a range of functionalities from fitness tracking to communication. However, these devices also pose significant counterintelligence…
American Single Malt Whiskey: Distilling the Spirit of Innovation
Pexels photo by Cottonbro Studio American single malt whiskey is a burgeoning category that has been gaining significant attention and acclaim in recent years. While single malt whiskey (or whisky…
Cinematic Action vs. Real-World Defense: Gun Fu and Integrated Combatives
Combatives-based retention shooting with Rubber Dummies target from Mr Target. Gun Fu, a term coined to describe the blend of gunplay and martial arts, emerged in Hong Kong cinema during…
Secrets of the Khan: Intelligence and Espionage in the Mongol Conquests
Mongol warrior. Genghis Khan: The Exhibition. Photo by William Cho / CC BY-SA 2.0. The Mongol Empire, founded by Genghis Khan in 1206, was the largest contiguous land empire in…