hand-to-hand combat
Fighting at grappling-distance
Hand-to-hand combat is fighting at close range, typically without weapons or with small ones like knives.
The phrase emphasizes physical proximity—combatants near enough to grapple, punch, or wrestle.
Military training includes hand-to-hand combat for situations when firearms aren't practical: The battle devolved into hand-to-hand combat in the trenches.
- hand to handDirect physical combat
- grapplingClose-quarters combat technique
- ground and poundFighting from top position
- judoJapanese throwing discipline
- mixed martial artsMulti-discipline combat sport
martial arts · kung fu · wrestling · clinch · sparring · boxing · bare knuckle · close quarters · self-defense · karate · Brazilian jiu-jitsu · rear naked choke · taekwondo · Kali · precision strikes · joint locks · chokehold · defensive maneuvers
- warfarebattle, attack, war, armed conflict, military strategy
- action filmschase scene, car chase, explosion, stunt, shootout
- combat sportsboxing, wrestling, MMA, judo, karate
- fightsfight, brawl, scuffle, scrap, tussle
- self-defenseself-defense, martial arts, self-protection, karate, pepper spray
- warrior traitsswordsmanship, archery, bravery, valor, honor
hand-to-hand combataerial bombardment
Attack by aircraft-dropped explosives
sniper fire · missile strike · naval bombardment · mortar fire · artillery barrage
hand-to-hand combatmechanized warfare
Military conflict using machines
cyber warfare · drone warfare · nuclear warfare · chemical warfare · biological warfare
hand-to-hand combatdrone strike
Remotely piloted aerial attack
cyber warfare · proxy war · cyberattack · electronic warfare · siege warfare
handle, handsome, combat, handful, handed, combative, handing, underhanded, combatant