hand-to-hand combat
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physical confrontation at short range using body parts or melee weapons, but not ranged weapons
Wikidata facts
- Instance of
- type of sport
- Subclass of
- close combat
- Image
- Hand-to-hand combat (13991324383).jpg
Show 4 more facts
- does not use
- ranged weapon
- topic's main category
- Category:Hand to hand tactics
- uses
- melee weapon
- different from
- close quarters combat
Sources (3)
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Encyclopedic overview
Pankratiasts portrayed on a Roman relief. 2nd or 3rd century A.D.
Hand-to-hand combat is a physical confrontation between two or more persons at short range (grappling distance or within the physical reach of a handheld weapon) that does not involve the use of ranged weapons. The phrase "hand-to-hand" sometimes includes the use of melee weapons, such as knives, swords, clubs, spears, axes, or improvised weapons such as entrenching tools. While the term "hand-to-hand combat" originally referred principally to engagements by combatants on the battlefield, it can also refer to any personal physical engagement by two or more people, including law enforcement officers, civilians, and criminals.
Excerpted from Wikipedia’s “hand-to-hand combat” article, available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.