Editing Hand-to-hand combat (section)

{{Short description|Fighting without ranged weapons}}
{{Globalize|article|USA|2name=the United States|date=July 2009}}
{{history of war}}
[[File:Xfrese.jpg|thumb|[[Pankration|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.<ref name="HUN">Hunsicker, A., ''Advanced Skills in Executive Protection'', Boca Raton FL: Universal Publishers, {{ISBN|1-59942-849-0}}, {{ISBN|978-1-59942-849-9}}, p. 51</ref> The phrase "hand-to-hand" sometimes includes use of melee weapons such as [[knives]], [[sword]]s, [[Club (weapon)|clubs]], [[spears]], [[axe]]s, or [[improvised weapons]] such as [[entrenching tool]]s.<ref name="HUN"/> While the term "hand-to-hand combat" originally referred principally to engagements by [[combatant]]s on the [[battle]]field, it can also refer to any personal physical engagement by two or more people, including [[law enforcement officer]]s, [[civilian]]s, and [[criminal]]s.<ref name="HUN"/>

[[Combat]] within close quarters, to a range just beyond grappling distance, is commonly termed [[close combat]] or close-quarters combat. It may include lethal and [[non-lethal weapons]] and methods depending upon the restrictions imposed by [[civilian law]], [[military]] [[rules of engagement]], or [[ethical codes]]. Close combat using firearms or other distance weapons by military combatants at the [[tactical level]] is referred to in contemporary parlance as [[close-quarters battle]]. The [[United States Army]] uses the term ''[[combatives]]'' to describe various military fighting systems used in hand-to-hand combat training, systems which may incorporate [[Eclecticism#Martial arts|eclectic]] techniques from several different [[martial arts]] and [[combat sport]]s.